Compliments and Humility

In some of the yoga classes I go to, we are offered the opportunity to try new and challenging poses. To stretch a little and see where an edge might be. Quite often after this, we are brought into a very restful posture, often child’s pose for a chance to reset after. While resting, there is an additional offer from the teacher to feel what the new or challenging pose brought up. Perhaps it was frustration at lack of ability, maybe pride at doing something strong, or excitement at getting into the new posture, even self-talk or grandiosity or weakness. And then to let it go, to come back to our bodies and the present moment. That moment hold and build our strength and self-confidence, and then we move on.

Those moments of pride are like compliments to ourselves. We’ve doing something well and we congratulate ourselves! As we should, to acknowledge what we’ve done. There’s another side of those compliments I want to explore…

Several weeks ago I received an unexpected – and to me – quite meaningful compliment. I was quite surprised and even delighted as it settled in to me. Following that as it washed through was an even fuller wave of humility. This wasn’t the first time that humility has come, but it was the first time I had really noticed it. Reflecting back, it has happened almost each time I receive a compliment for a while. In that same time period, I remember also sharing some impressions and compliments to another friend and realizing there was some similarity in her response.

There’s a way that a sincere compliment is like being met at a more profound level, at being seen in a way we usually aren’t – especially if we are able to receive it. That in itself evokes gratitude and openness for me. The humility fills out the trio of wonder. It feels like such a profound practice to welcome and meet each accolade with the humbleness of being human and what’s there’s and what’s available.

And if that doesn’t work for you, you can always try on the lyrics from Mac Davis – “it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way”!