A soothing self-love ritual
Red Roses in a Japanese Vase on a Gold Velvet Cloth (circa 1885-1890) | Martin Johnson Heade (American, 1819-1904)
I had the intuition to begin practicing this daily, and I absolutely needed to share the goodness with you.
Getting caught up in the hum-drum of life can mean that practices of nourishment, quality time alone, and self-love can get pushed onto the back burner.
That’s why it’s so important that they become non-negotiable priorities, values, and standards of your life.
Non-negotiables don’t tend to get pushed around, back and forth.
They stay and we do them no matter what.
You brush your teeth, you shower, you wear shoes outside. You don’t have to think or convince yourself to do these things and make time for them.
They are a reinforced habit. There’s no question about it.
That’s how I suggest you have a relationship to spending some quality nourishing time with yourself, alone.
But enough of that, here’s the quick self-love practice you can easily begin implementing into your day today.
The Self-love Exercise
While there’s an awesome morning writing exercise called the morning pages exercise for those of you who love to write, (from the popular book by Julia Cameron, The Artists Way) this self-love exercise isn’t a writing exercise.
You could turn it into a writing one, if that feels good and curious for you. I always recommend following your intuition!
The exercise:
(Read it all first ofc)
Close your eyes, hands on your heart so you can connect to your heart space easily through your body awareness.
Deep breath into your belly, exhale fully all of that old energy within.
Breath fully and deeply for a few breaths, until you feel yourself settle into your body more.
(There’s no need to be quick or rush this part. Breathing into your body slowly and intentionally will help calm your nervous system and “come down” from the mental activity from the mind. This part is an important often overlooked mindfulness activity. Simple but effective.)
When you feel you must be ready for the next step, take a couple more breaths.
Now lovingly, gently, and compassionately affirm to yourself what you may have needed to hear today, any empowering, positive beliefs about yourself, as well as words of acknowledgement and praise.
For example: If you had a rough day, or felt like you were highly self-critical, you can affirm to yourself what you needed to hear; “I did a good job today because I did the best that I was capable of doing.”
You can speak and affirm positive empowering beliefs to yourself. “I am capable of completing what I put my mind to. I am capable on confronting my fears with courage.”
Do this mindful self-love exercise for the next 5-10 minutes.
This is a powerful exercise.
Combined with the writing exercise in the morning and doing this practice in the evening, you’ll feel so connected to yourself.
Self-love is essential - the key is action
Just as spending time alone and doing nothing doesn’t mean you’re resting, just because you are with yourself 24/7, doesn’t mean that you spend quality loving time with yourself and give yourself much needed nourishment.
Usually we are very busy running around tending to life’s errands. It’s a good practice to try and begin implementing daily.
I’ve been pretty busy recently and my intuition came and gave me this very clear redirection towards my inner self, by telling me to do this exercise because I haven’t been spending enough self-love time, loving on myself rather than being too much in the mind!
It’s a balancing act.
The key is to actually do it! So, if you have the time now, do it now so you won’t forget!!!
I hope you have fun with this one, darling.
Let me know how it resonates. Do you have any self-love practices?
XOXO
Gurjot
