Today we’re talking about self-love and relationships, and, specifically, how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can empower you to become the protagonist in all your relationships, whether they are romantic or family-oriented, or you just want to better how you interact with other people.

Marilena Ward, of Queens, New York, shares her story today, which begins with one of the toughest periods of her life, when she moved from Panama to New York by herself to learn English and begin a new life. On a deeper level, however, she was running away from a number of challenging relationships, including with her then-boyfriend and her family.

This is when she decided to start her Buddhist practice and quickly realized that she was the common denominator in all her relationships, and her tendency toward pessimism and anger was driving her unhappiness. So began a journey of profound inner transformation in which she used chanting to heal her own toxic relationship with herself, which caused ripple effects in all her other relationships.

Cheat Sheet

1:30 Introduction to Marilena
2:05 When and why she began practicing Buddhism
4:35 The hope that emerged from chanting
8:32 Her experience in a toxic relationship
10:50 How her journey of self-love began
13:03 The role the Buddhist community played in her transformation
16:32 How she changed on the inside
24:20 The Buddhist concept that took a huge weight off her shoulders
25:49 What karma into mission means
32:49 Three steps anyone can take to begin to tackle self-love
41:26 What Marilena’s vision for the future is
43:32 Advice for anyone struggling with self-love or relationships right now

References:
How you can practice self-love every day