Loving Ourselves 2016
The most profound is in the simple; and the most magical is right in front of our eyes. And I mean this, truly.
Self-love has always been a passion of mine. Since I was a young girl, I watched my mother give and give and give to all of us and the world, but very seldom to herself. She became my first project! Lol! Project Nanay. I may have nothing to do with this, but my mother has grown significantly and beautifully in self-love over the years, and I am so proud of her. And then I married someone just like her! There is no question that my dad does not need me in this area, if any, he is the king of Hedonism. I probably took after him in this regard.
My mother has embraced the world as her own. Saintly, I must say. But even Mother Teresa cannot be disturbed by even a dying man, when she is in her prayers, having time for herself and her God.
In my travels, day after day, I have met more and more people, who are hardly compassionate of themselves - and others too (oh, but of course!). Something inside tells me, that there is an inner war going on within many of us, and stress is one of the symptoms. I guess this is because we are not there for ourselves, when we need us the most. We were taught that it HAS TO come from others first. Strange.
In my travels, day after day, I have met more and more people, who are hardly compassionate of themselves - and others too (oh, but of course!). Something inside tells me, that there is an inner war going on within many of us, and stress is one of the symptoms. I guess this is because we are not there for ourselves, when we need us the most. We were taught that it HAS TO come from others first. Strange.
So I'll cut to the chase and spare ourselves the verbose philosophising of why we should love ourselves, perhaps that's for another blog, though it's logical that we start with that, clearly. But since I'm not so much of a logical person, and yes, I love myself for that too, let's jump into the "How" of things, shall we?
3 Ways to Love Ourselves.
There are infinite number of ways to do this, and surely all of us each will have your own customised version of this, but I thought I'll share mine that worked for me; and I hope it works for you too! Let's keep it short, doable and simple.
1. Take a break from doing. And just feel.
Stop whatever your doing, and just sit, stand, walk or lie down (whatever feels best for you) and just take deep breaths and silently ask yourself " How do I feel right now?" or just begin paying attention to how you feel. Pay close attention to your physical feelings, then move on to your emotions or vice versa. No rules involved, really. Take as much time as you can afford.
Warning: Do not judge your feelings. Just allow it to be heard with your very capable unconditional love.
Yes, we are our own best friend, so we listen to ourselves and give ourselves the attention we need.
2. Massage Yourself.
No need to spend money at the spa. We can be our own masseuse! Begin from your head and to each part of your body until your toes. Depending on where you are, of course, you decide how much is needed. Say, if we are in the office or at work, we may only afford a quick general massage from head to foot, but perhaps at home, we can use oils, candles, music and slow and detailed massages. Don't forget to massage your face too, strangely for some reason, most of us think only of massaging our necks, heads and shoulders.
Yes, we are our first touch providers. Sounds like the internet!
3. Breathe Into Your Body.
Notice that your breathing is shallow when you are stressed? Begin by telling yourself, "It's okay." No need to judge stress as bad or good, it is just stuck energy and that energy is hungry for you to free it from your body.
Inhale and exhale slowly into each part of your body. Just put your attention, say to your right foot and then inhale slowly, then exhale. Next, the other foot and so on. You may wish to move that part of your body, so it is easier for you to be aware of it. Now, when you reach the part of your body that is most tense or that hurts, stay in there longer, and breathe deeper. It will automatically disperse, because now it has your full and undivided attention, but if it doesn't, love that sensation anyway. All it needs is your Love, and the contraction will eventually relax.
Short, Sweet and Simple. This can be done anywhere, really.
Enjoy!
Please let me know how this worked for you by leaving messages here in the blog or in the comments box on FB.
Thanks for taking the time to read! And thank you for your time.
Oceans of love,
Mataji
Oceans of love,
Mataji
That's me walking in the Sangam, the confluence of 3 rivers in Allahabad in North India. It's called Grounding. A fancy word for kissing the Mother Earth by walking gently on Her, barefoot, and allowing Her to kiss us back and feel Her love.