Practicing yoga not only teaches self-compassion, which is the act of showing yourself love and kindness, but almost forces you to laser focus on your very presence.

Andrea Ferretti, host of the lifestyle podcast “Yogaland,” quoted educational psychologist Kristin Neff in episode 17 to describe self-compassion as “being kind to yourself, understanding that your behaviors are normal and common instead of feeling isolated, and having a mindful, balanced reaction to adversity.”

In this episode, which aired last October, Feretti talked about yoga and its connection to self-compassion, happiness and curiosity.

Yoga has always been a part of my life, as its roots stem back to my parents’ motherland of India. Yet yoga is somewhat daunting for young souls like myself who often find it hard to take at least ten minutes out of their day to just focus all of their energy on quietude and intuitive movement.

But I wanted to try it as an outlet for my stress and anxiety. These past few months have been filled with dread and panic. I’m a senior, and I currently have no idea what I’m going to do after I graduate.

I have loose plans, of course, but nothing is written in stone. And that uncertainty keeps me up at night and sometimes brings feelings of isolation and failure, no matter how connected I am to the people I love.

Sometimes, it feels like I’ve lost all sense of self. I’m sure, my fellow college student, that you can relate. I’ve tried finding methods of resilience to deal with all of these sensations — or rather, to accept them and carry on.

And of all of the de-stressing methods out there, I’ve found yoga to be the one that’s actually worked well for me.

Lately I’ve been practicing the “downward dog” pose or “Adho mukha śvānāsana” for three weeks now. Fortunately, as the days pass by with each twenty-minute yoga lesson, my calves feel stronger, my heels can lean back on my mat all the way and my arms, palms and curved body don’t shake on solid ground anymore.

I haven’t quite reached yogi status, but I can say I’m on my way to making my ancestors proud that I’m wholeheartedly embracing this fascinating, ancient practice for the sake of my mental health.

Yoga makes you become aware of every bone, every ache, every tense muscle in your body. And as a stressed-out senior, that’s a valuable thing.

If you’re more aware of your presence, you begin to understand what it is your body needs or craves. You begin to listen to your mind, body and spirit, and it’s gratifying to have that kind of fundamental, absolute awareness of who you are. Surely, you learn to pause and really dissect your actions through repeated motions.

In the podcast episode, Ferretti referred to this pause, mentioning, “You can really bring that pause and that sense of neutrality, really, with you when you go through a perceived failure.” So in the moments where you feel your worst, the patience and introspectiveness you learn through yoga helps you deal. It helps you find steadiness and it gives you the willingness to move on.

For me, blocking time out of my day to channel all of my body’s momentum into moving with careful power is something incredible. I find myself zeroed-in on myself like never before and in turn, I am able to show others the same compassion that I show myself. As a result, I don’t feel so lost anymore.

This is something I think people my age often lack, given the nature of our biologies and the changes that flit by us minute after minute. We lose a sense of ourselves, but through practicing a set of poses a couple of times a week, yoga sets forth a gentle rhythm in your body that encourages you to grow and accept changes rather than be terrified by them.

I’ve found that the self-compassion I show myself is planted in the little things: I wake up earlier because I want to eat my almond milk and chocolate granola, I read more because it helps me concentrate and I prioritize myself and the people who bring me joy instead of focusing on adversity.

By taking the time out of my day, rolling out my little yoga mat or even a towel in my room, watching a Yoga With Adriene or Popsugar Fitness video and moving with yoga teachers as best I can, I show myself love and care by finding enlightenment in the silence of my own mind and intentness on the essence of who I am.

Ferretti emphasized this sentiment in the podcast, affirming, “We can learn to hold ourselves in the regard that we really need. You know, we all need to feel loved, we all need to feel like we’re OK, we all need to feel validated, and if you can start to get quiet and cultivate that in your moments of practice, you can really feel the benefits of giving that love and that regard to yourself.”

Therefore, the compassion you regard the world with is dependent on the love you show yourself. And through yoga, that kind of reciprocity comes with ease. You just need ten minutes a couple of times a week. I promise, it’s worth it.

Ashvini is a senior in LAS.

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