Being nice to yourself (or even parts of yourself)

I was in yoga class today and my shoulder was stiff and hurting. I was having trouble lifting my right arm all the way up. I have been very annoyed at my shoulder lately, well angry. But it hit me, maybe I should try being nicer to my shoulder. Maybe I should try some loving kindness toward it. Maybe it will get stronger faster better if I'm not holding tension somewhere in my body due to my anger. Maybe the anger at my shoulder is really displaced anger at myself in general. Maybe it's just misplaced all together. So I decided everytime my shoulder hurt and I couldn't do something, or couldn't move it the way I wanted, instead of thinking, negative thoughts about the sorry state of shoulder and arm, I could address myself acknowledging that like the compassion I have for others, I can have compassion for myself and even for my creaky, twinging, uncooperative shoulder. And so I did. Did it make my shoulder hurt less, probably not, but I felt better not trying to control it or to think it should feel differently than it did. I do think it allowed me to appreciate it as my shoulder warmed up and gained a little mobility, and it allowed me to be more present in the class (which of course is the point of yoga). So I'll even say thank you to my shoulder today, it probably deserves a break.