Valentine’s Day may be over, but you can still consciously fill your universe with love. We’re not talking about the kind of love you get from someone else- we’re talking about the kind of kind of love you GIVE to yourself!
Self-love is an important ingredient for mental, physical and spiritual health. It’s what inspires us to slow down, to eat healthy, to talk positively to ourselves and to embrace our flaws. Self-love makes our bodies healthier, more resilient and better able to handle stress. It supports us in bouncing back more easily from life’s inevitable setbacks and helps us in being less critical of ourselves and others. In addition self-love self-love leads us to feel more joy and appreciation for life and more comfortable in our own skin. Here are a few delicious ways that you can practice self-love today and every day:
- Take a hot bath: You may already do this, but for an extra dose of self-love we recommend you go “all out”. Light some candles and/or incense, add a few drops of essential oil to your bath water, play some relaxing music, ditch your iPhone and go sloooow.
- Give yourself a daily oil massage: This is one of the most wonderful ways to nourish and love your skin and can be done after a bath or shower. Start with your favorite body oil (some good ones are coconut, almond or jojoba) and make contact with each part of your body as you slowly massage the oil into your skin. Think of this as a very slowed down version of moisturizing your body.
- Befriend yourself: Spend time with yourself regularly, take yourself on dates and nourish the relationship you have with you. Treat yourself in the same ways that you would treat a partner you adore. This means giving yourself lots of love, attention, acceptance and forgiveness.
- Eat something healthy: Nourishing your body with healthy foods is a great way to practice self-love. Remember to eat slowly and with intention, so that your whole being can fully receive the gift you are giving it by eating healthy.
- Take a time-out: You’re busy. We get it. But even the busiest people can afford to take a few minutes “out”. Take 3-5 minutes a few times per day to just breathe and feel your beingness. This is a great way to activate your parasympathetic nervous system and to remind yourself that your well being is most important.
- Go to bed early: Getting adequate sleep can make a huge difference in our mood, our state of well-being, our mental clarity and our health- and the best, most-healing sleep happens between the hours of 10pm-2am. Make it a habit to get to bed before 10pm and you can be sure your body, mind and spirit will feel the love.
- Disconnect Regularly: The amount of devices, gadgets and distractions that we are surrounded by makes it more challenging to connect to self. Give yourself the time and space to connect to what matters most by disconnecting from all of these for at least an hour per day.
