Self Talk #135: Building Your Foundation of Self—Gentleness, the Healing Salve

Self Talk with Rachel Astarte

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What you do for yourself, any gesture of kindness, any gesture of gentleness, any gesture of honesty and clear seeing toward yourself, will…transform how you experience the world. What you do for yourself, you’re doing for others, and what you do for others, you’re doing for yourself.
—Pema Chodron

This episode discusses the transformative concept of gentleness as a core principle of inner work.

Discover how being gentle with yourself can heal wounds, reduce self-judgment, and create profound personal growth. Learn about the origins of gentleness, how to practice self-compassion, and why being a "gentle warrior" is a sign of true strength.

Timeline:
0:00-1:22 - Introduction to gentleness as the third core principle of inner work
1:23-3:53 - Etymology and historical meanings of "gentleness"
4:04-5:31 - Exploring self-reflection and softening personal judgments
5:45-9:34 - Addressing fears about being gentle and transforming negative self-talk
9:55-11:29 - The importance of gentleness in personal growth and collective consciousness
11:40-13:36 - Gentleness as strength, not weakness, with examples from the Gentle Warrior Program
13:55-14:22 - Closing thoughts and invitation to be gentle with oneself

•• Correction: The Bible quote on gentleness is from Galatians 5:22-23 ••

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Music:
"Ave Marimba"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Chapters

1. Opening Quote and Introduction (00:00:00)

2. The Etymology and Meaning of Gentleness (00:01:29)

3. Practicing Self-Gentleness Exercise (00:04:04)

4. Transforming Harsh Self-Talk (00:07:05)

5. The Gentle Warrior Approach (00:09:53)

6. Final Thoughts and Next Episode Preview (00:14:10)