Body & Mind

A simple exercise to support love, compassion, and joy

Try this invigorating exercise, a yoga-class favorite, to focus on your heart—your center of love, compassion, and joy. (Kids will love this one, too.)

  1. Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position.
  2. As you inhale deeply and broaden your chest, open your arms wide.
  3. As you exhale completely, give yourself a big hug: wrap your arms around yourself and curl your body inward.
  4. Repeat 10 times, keeping your movements broad, sweeping, and fluid.

As you repeat this exercise, turn your hug — your expression of self-compassion — into a movement of love by thinking of someone or something that could use your support.

As you near the end, turn it into an expression of joy and hope for all. Perform your repetitions in a kneeling position and make your movements even bigger: as you inhale, rise up onto your knees, and as you exhale, drop your seat towards the ground and curl into yourself.

You May Also like

Luzern Labs: a review of their top skincare products for wintertime

An interview with Luzern founders Jennifer Herbert-Coste & Ralph Herbert We're proud to have partnered with Luzern since the day we first opened our virtual doors (February 14, 2011!). Our founder, Dara, has used at least one Luzern product in...
Fun with Color

Seasonal color analysis: a makeup shade guide

A quick intro to each color season, with a guide to makeup shades for each one.
Inside Our Brands

Gentlerist Modern Alchemist & Liquid Courage are back, better than ever

An interview with Eddie Zhao, founder of Gentlerist Eddie, the founder of Gentlerist, has always been a bit of a mystery: this multi-talented, multi-hyphenate founder is constantly saying things like, “Oh, I was just in Japan for my production company,”...