Self-Love September

I love Fall.  Every September I fall back in love with the crips air and rustling of leaves. Today, I am officially declaring this Self-love September! 

The most amazing gift breathwork has given me is the experience of deep self-love. I couldn’t be more thankful to all the teachers and people I’ve met in the last year who have taught me to truly love every little bit of myself, all my shadows and all my light. Believe it or not, I had a more difficult time loving my light than my shadows. I was using my shadows as a distraction from becoming my best self. I obsessed over everything that was wrong with me and what I thought I couldn’t do. The reality was that when I started practicing self-love it gave me access to my highest potential. 

The most important message I can share with you today is to love yourself no matter what.  Because if we allow ourselves to practice self-love, we can release the need for external approval and awaken overflowing love that spreads to those around us. Accepting that we are perfect as we are, allows us to live within the comfort of our own hearts, all nice and cozy falling in love with life again.

5 Fundamental Steps to Cultivate Self-Love

1. Change your thoughts. Every time you say something negative about yourself, catch it and turn into something positive. Know that you are a beautiful being and you deserve to be treated like your very own hero or heroine.  How would you treat Oprah or Wayne Dyer if they were in your house? This is how you could be treating yourself every single day, don’t let the opportunity pass you by! Compliment yourself instead of beating yourself up. It’s the fastest way to self-love

2. Take time everyday to thank yourself and your body for getting you to where you are today. Every moment we continue to breathe and our hearts continue to beat is a miracle. When we acknowledge this miracle we fill ourselves up with light and love.  

3. Forgive yourself for anything that comes up that you think you did wrong and know that you did the best you could for your state and awareness at that time. We all have shadows, it’s part of being human. When we learn to forgive ourselves for what we perceive as wrong we can begin to forgive others because holding blame for others will never serve us. Nelson Mandela said, “resentment is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

4. When you feel yourself getting stuck in your head, move your breath to your heart.  Literally breathe into your heart space and bring all your focus to your heart instead of your brain. Remain in that state until you feel yourself connecting to an authentic place.

5. Remain in the now. Breathing connects us to the present moment.  When we are not in the present we are using a past memory to create a desire for the future. Sitting Mediation or active meditation (like conscious breathwork) helps us to transcend and go beyond our thoughts to access a field of infinite possibility...like the possibility of abundant love for thyself!

Close your eyes, fall in love, stay there. Rumi