How do you LOVE your self? a Valentines Day special post
How do you love your self? If you already do, how do you love yourself more? Here are some ideas to enhance your love, or to refine it.
- Say “I love you” to yourself in the mirror. Say “I am beautiful” or “I am handsome” until you mean it, until you can FEEL you are beautiful and handsome. If you don’t know how it feels, imagine how someone you think is beautiful and handsome would feel, and feel that way, then make the feeling stronger.
- Think of a body part you are ashamed of, or a scar, or something about yourself you feel negative about. Imagine how you would feel about someone else who has that thing. Feel the compassion you would feel for that person and transfer it to feeling the same amount of compassion for your self.
- Be grateful for the body you have. It’s not perfect. It may not work how it used to several years ago, or it may work differently. I have a friend who is paralysed from the neck downwards, and when I think of him, I am very grateful for my freedom of movement, being able to walk, dance, scratch myself, and enjoy life fully
- Feel the fear and do it anyway.
- Compassion exercise from Avatar:
- Spoil yourself like a seven year old child. What did you love doing when you were a kid? What did you want to do that you could then, that you can now? Treat yourself to an icecream, go for a walk in the park, go fishing, read a book out loud.
- Change your self talk. When you look in the mirror, be aware and listen to what you say to your self. Listen to yourself and if you hear the negative words in your head, shut your eyes. Think of the opposite – love your breasts, chest, body shape, scars and bruises, lumps and bumps, hairiness or lack of hair. Now change your judgement from “too big/small” to “the right size and shape for me”. My girlfriend used to say “I may have small breasts, but I have racy nipples!” Then open your eyes and see your beauty, your possibilities, your radiance reflected there.
Song
I love myself the way I am,
There’s nothing I need to change.
I’ll always be the perfect me,
There’s nothing to rearrange.
I’m beautiful and capable,
Of being the best me I can,
And I love myself just the way I am.
