It may not feel easy to be generous with yourself. Many of us feel that our energy should be directed toward giving generously to others. Yet, when we nurture ourselves, we can be more available for others. Generosity with self begins with self-love. Here are ten steps to self-love by Josephine Laing.

Each of us has a unique relationship with generosity with room to grow to reach our potential for generosity. Take a look at this Generosity Assessment and start making positive changes.

The Ebb and Flow Rowing practice found in the Kata is a wonderful opportunity to visualize generously extending your gifts out to the world and lovingly receiving back. The back-and-forth motion evokes a sense of balance and a purification practice for one’s entire being. Generosity in action as a generous gift to oneself!

Learn more about Rachel Hamilton and the ways that a "bad boyfriend" experience opened her life to an ITP practice that enhances her life. Read what generosity means to her. “Generosity is the impulse to share what I have with others. I particularly love to share my spaces and my energy to create sweet gatherings. Vitamin C(onnection) is something we all need, and I love being the person to create the space for us to be with one another and be alive with one another, whether it be to share joy or to process grief.”

With our minds, we think, we reason, we learn, we imagine, and we dream. We strategize, make decisions, and set intentions and goals. Through the capacity of self-reflection, the mind provides a sense of personal history and continuity to our lives, the sense of being ourselves… We discern truth from falsehood. We set our intentions for who we want to be in the world and what we want to accomplish in life.

An ITP practice can gift us with benefits in large and small ways. Sometimes we just need to stop and notice what has changed. Artist Rich Sigberman shares what he's noticed.

In many cultures the heart was, and still is, considered to be the seat of intelligence and intuition, a special window into the world and its divine nature. When we see with the eyes of heart we can perceive things as they are without judgment. Our perception is filtered through the lens of love.

Soul is another term that has many meanings in many different cultures and traditions, but in these pages, we use it to refer to the deepest part of our being. It is a part of us that is as essential as the body, mind, and heart; a part of us and yet beyond them all. You might think of it as our personal spark of the greater divinity, unique to each one of us. If you prefer another term, such as deeper or higher or original Self (with a capital S to distinguish it from the small self or ego), or even purpose, please use what is most meaningful for you.

Body, mind, and heart interplay to inform our lives, for sure. But the soul speaks and lives through each of these aspects. This is the brilliance of the integral model we engage with ITP.

ITP honors the body as an amazing teacher and guide. Further, we believe that the body is capable of transformation in both ordinary and extraordinary ways. ITP includes several practices to enhance the health of the body, such as the ITP Kata, aerobic exercise, strength training, and conscious eating. The body is our foundation, our vehicle to express ourselves in the world, and it requires appropriate care to realize its fullest potential.