KINDNESS COMMENTS

Comments about Kindness clustered together on one page,spoken by people from all over the world, is an amazing way to see that globally we agree on the same thing, that Kindness comes from the heart, and it’s big, it’s big energy. When Kindness has been opened in an individual it wants to keep coming because there is a lot of it. Kindness is a very honest aspect of ourselves even if it doesn’t always look pretty. Kindness is the heart throbbing, show stopping, pulsating, catalyst for change in this world. Here are the teacher’s comments on Kindness:


“The more you can connect to your heart space the easier kindness comes…it’s just one of the many expressions of love. All you need is love…the rest will follow.”—Scarlett Dee, Austria

“Kindness is really important, I value it highly. People need more of it…and towards themselves. Kindness is an underestimated quality yet it’s one of the highest attributes. If you’re being unkind check in with yourself, make a change no matter with people or animals, the world is a living organism.”—Lucy Bremner, Italy

“Living with truth as a way of life is kindness. Respect…of every energy and species, as well asjust being with truth…not keeping two faces. Accepting both Satya and Ahimsa in your life is a way of kindness.Even just start being kind with one person.”—Aum Gaur, India

“Kindness is innate in everyone. If kindness isn’t flowing (which can be because of fear) the manifestation of it is being blocked, which is unnatural. There is a Spanish saying “…to love someone well…” which implies there is a way to love that is unwell. True kindness is unconditional with nothing expected in return, and this is the most powerful. Kindness is something which you never forget. The Buddhist practice of Loving-Kindness is a practice to keep in the front of your mind and make IT a practice. The flow of kindness is why a breakthrough should not be forced, because if it’s too early it sucks….like cutting into an avocado two days too early, you love avocado but you wish you would have waited until the right time because it just isn’t the same.”—Nico Luce, Switzerland

“Kindness belongs to purity, if your heart is pure you’re kind. Kindness is close to God and if you’re close to God you’re not thinking for yourself because God is thinking and God is doing…and if you interfere with what is happening then it hurts. So try to be kind and to be pure, and God will always help you, and with many miracles. If you feel kindness for an hour it affects your life, so try to improve your kindness always.”—Shravan Kr. Khatri, India

“The more we recognize that we’re all going through stuff and remember others are going through it, it’s easier to show kindness. Yoga teaches it’s not all about us…things aren’t personal so we don’t have to react. If someone is showing aggression or meanness, they’re not doing it to you, they’re just doing it. If you react it escalates. So kindness is a practice, not to take things personally. We can raise the bar and invite the other to a higher level of interaction (that’s your responsibility in the moment). To be able to recognize it’s a moment, it doesn’t have to define who that person is. So hold the vision of the best of them in your heart and show them so they can recognize it, this is a practice. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail but not to beat yourself up because we’re not perfect.”—Anne Vandewalle, France

“Kindness begins with how you treat yourself. Are you mindful of negative thoughts? Are you exercising self-care? Kindness is a direct experience of how you treat yourself, so kindness begins at home. When we’re honest about our slips and foibles then compassion comes and we can recognize it in others versus taking things personally, and can give space for them to be as they are.”—Susan Rose, Bali

“Life is a lot easier when you react with kindness; however, sometimes kindness is NOT the appropriate response. The practice should teach you when and where is the moment to be real.”—Julie Martin, U.S.A.

“I believe spreading kindness comes back to you. Sometimes I struggle with it even toward myself. Kindness can be challenging but I believe in it. I want to be kind from the heart andI feel that’s a lifetime practice. But sometimes I don’t feel so kind, sometimes I question my own self, dumping all my anger on the table…because it too is a part of me. I believe in being kind from a really fully open heart.”—Diana Jost, Portugal

“To me kindness is love and acceptance. When we realize that we are all just the same. We all have the same insecurities, fears, struggles, joys, and happiness. We all just want to be loved and to give love. Whenever we are acting out of fear, it is just a call for love. When we realize this, we no longer need to react to people’s behavior towards us, but rather respond to it from understanding, compassion and love. Letting go of our expectations of how things should be or how people should act and instead accepting and not judging other people to allow them to feel and be free. To me that is an expression of kindness. Saying all of this does not mean I am able to practice it 24/7, but a practice of observing myself when I do and don’t.”—Marisa van Vuuren, Zanzibar Island

When we’re happy we don’t want to harm anyone. Whether ourselves or others and we realize we all want the same thing, to be happy and to be loved as an embodied experience.  Yoga is a practice in becoming kinder, starting with how we treat our own body and Being.  The first step is to work on your own self then to have an influence on your circle.  We can become banal and say it’s all about kindness even when we don’t feel it.  But we know the potential is within, again creating the conditions then cultivating an honest approach.”—Eugenia Sivitou, Greece

“It’s a real game-changer” –Deborah Adele, U.S.A.

“Kindness is listening to your heart and letting it speak instead of screaming over top of it.  Then taking that little voice and sharing what it has to say to others.  If you share with love you get love back, if there is no love within what you give everything is empty.”—Beverly Akhurst, Canada

"Kindness is to all, kindness is not to be selective...to ourselves, friends and family, and in challenge with those we struggle with, not just when it's easy.  There is a way to be kind and still stand up for yourself.  Kindness is in moments of chatting with your neighbours, of human connection...those small things matter so much.  Kindness fuels the heart because of its quality of connection."--Ara Cusack, Canada

"Kindness is empathetic.  To study how to have empathy with all those we meet means we understand the needs of another in any given moment.  Kindness is to be empathetic."--Cesare Dapiaggi, Italy

"Kindness is to me when one acts selflessly, and cares about the other as if there is no "other"...to feel empathy...to recognize the small unspoken needs of another."--Maggie Levien, Spain

"We need to learn to be kind to ourselves...it starts with ourselves.  On this moment, on this breath, just be kind.  What kind of world would we have if we could just learn to be kind...that's the world in which I want to be.  The moments that disappoint me the most are when I haven't been kind."--Michele Denis, Canada

"I have an equation from what I drew from the Gita:  Bhakti (love) + Karma (action) + Jnana (wisdom) = Light.  So if we are conscious of our actions and our actions are always rooted in love, then we will have light."--Marion Mugs McConnell, Canada (please view Marion's journey on the Blog page:  A Yogini's Journey Toward A True Master)

"The word Love comes to mind...love and kindness are what life is all about.  We're here to learn it toward ourselves, and then it's easier to be kind and accepting toward other people.  It's something I endeavour to share on my retreats.  Kindness is what it's about...it's why we're here."--Lauren Manning, Portugal

"A yoga teacher training is an opportunity to abide in a circle of humans that are kind, it's heart opening.  Our culture really lacks this.  Kindness is a vulnerable place."--Nancy Frohlick, Canada

“I could SAY kindness is about being lovely and compassionate but ultimately, it’s about being True.  Sometimes the kindest thing to do is to not give everything a person wants, because you know their neediness. Knowing what is right in that situation can sometimes look unkind.  So it’s about trusting your deepest knowing and being true to it.  This can be difficult because people need people to like them…it’s liberating to understand that need. Being able to tune into the deepest level and what’s really true at the time…making sure not we’re not coming from ego but instead, the heart, which is love”—Lorraine Taylor, New Zealand

"Kindness is about being able to hear someone and listen to their needs; to see them and to give them your time and support.  It's hard to practice all the time.  I try but sometimes I fail.  There are those times when something is not meant to be unkind, but sometimes our actions aren't always as kind as they could be.  Hopefully awareness can continually work on what kindness means."---Tamsin Chubb, France



Letters in Yoga