Love is the answer

I, of course, mean self love when I speak of love. What other kind is there, really. I have to be honest, I didn't buy into this whole 'self love' movement at first. I was skeptical as I usually was and was so busy maintaining my comfort zone that it almost made me angry. As someone who used to make beating themselves up a daily ritual, I couldn't even fathom liking myself, much less looking myself in the mirror and saying 'I love you' into my own eyes.

Then, one day, I did it. It was one of those really down on myself days where I just couldn't stop the tears from falling at every little thing. I couldn't decide what to wear (ladies, you know this space), I couldn't decide how I wanted my hair (there's only 2 options..), everything was a problem.

But, I decided to do it. To stare into the mirror and tell myself that 'it's ok, I love you.' Then I cried. and cried. and cried. It felt like I cried for 3 weeks straight. But when I stopped crying, I felt better. I could feel my compassion, my hurt, my sad, my lonely, myself. Looking into my eyes I saw what I was, a sad and hurting person. When I didn't look in the mirror it appeared everything outside of me was the problem; my wardrobe or lack of hair accessories. I felt I needed stuff to make me feel better; when all I needed was a mirror. I needed to look into myself to see what I really needed. I needed a huge dose, and regularly, of this self love thing everyone is talking about.

So that's what I've done for the past 3 years, and I've found some easy and creative ways to sneak in my self love, all day long!

Make a playlist

Remember mixed tapes? When you were crushing on someone and you'd make them a tape of all your favorite songs and the songs that made you think of them sprinkled in to let them know how you felt. Do that, but for yourself. Some of my favorites are love ballads!! I sing them to myself in the car and really get into the feeling of treating myself as the love of my life. Its POWERFUL!

Dry Brush with intention!

Dry brushing every morning with thoughts of self love will kick start your day into positivity and alignment and its SO easy. First, go the the store and grab a dry brush, then use that thang every dang day. Before your shower, lightly use the brush starting at your feet and working your way up your legs, your back, stomach and your arms, up to your face. While you do this either say out loud or in your mind how much you love and appreciate your body for all it does for you throughout the day and night. Your feet will be the strongest appreciator of all, for they get walked all over all day!

Breathe Deeply and for 2 minutes every day.

So, I LOVE how iOS has now added a 'minfulness' to your health app with a bunch of app suggestions for meditation and breathing. Mediation is very important every day for optimal health, but I often disagree with the 'sit in a lotus position with your palms up' while my back is breaking..'and BE for 20 minutes.' Sometimes my meditation looks like that but most often my meditation looks more like hiking or sitting peacefully outside on my patio. What your most looking to achieve in meditation is the slowing of your breath anyways, not your mind. Here's a secret-although you can achieve silent mind don't let that be your focus. The mind is a computer and its job is to identify things even if it is just 'oh, i'm meditating, cool!' Instead focus on your breathing and use an app like Breathe Deep to help.

Draw-Yes, you can!!

Picture the art of a school aged child of about 3, and you have a massive work of talent in front of you in comparison to what I do. Stick figures are too advanced for my skill, BUT, I do it anyway. Not because I have an art gallery opening...ever, but because it makes me feel powerful! I hold that pen up to paper and witness what comes out. Sometimes its a circle with nothing else, and other days my hand dances with the pen resulting in things I've never consciously seen before. Giving your subconscious a playground keeps your thoughts on the side of positive and happy as well as instills trust in yourself. When your subconscious knows its going to get an outlet, it doesn't need to build obstacles in your life to get your attention. Read that a few more times. xo

Affirmations

I'm going to tell you something and you're going to try doing it today. Its so easy you won't even have time to talk yourself out of it. Go into your bathroom right now, look yourself dead in the eyes and say aloud 'I love you so fucking much'. I don't care if you don't like cussing, do it. Feel that POWER that wells up from the floor into your body and makes you feel ALIVE. Say it over and over again until you feel like the strongest, toughest, baddest B in the world. Then go about your day. Really go about your day like normal, then at the end of the day take stock on yourself, your emotions, your energy. How do you feel?

Affirmations are powerful and I can say this step alone absolutely transformed my thinking mind into a relationship of pure love, compassion and cohesiveness. How many people can admit that they often have the most conflict in their daily life, with themselves? And to the ones that think 'well its not ME, its my mom that drives me nuts or my boss that makes me crazy', its not. its you. it's you ALLOWING them to bother you because you 'think' they should act a different way. If you really look, the issue is inside you, always. So, why not chose your thoughts a bit more deliberately? Some short, and easy affirmations that I love, to be done in mirror-

I love you so fucking much

I allow

I am love

I receive

I love and appreciate you

I am perfect just the way I am

I am worthy of all good things

I am grateful

I am abundant

I am enough

I am beautiful inside and out

I open my heart easily

I love my solitude and alone time

I make the right choices every time

I trust myself

I trust my inner wisdom and intuition

I matter and have much to offer this world

Specific Affirmations for each of the seven chakras-

and of course, Get a massage!!

Before massage school I was an occasional massage client, roughly 1 or 2 massages a year. Man, was I missing out. Had I know the true benefits of massage and bodywork, I could have avoided a lot of issues. Like, low self esteem, body aches, back pain, emotional blockages and build up, the list goes on. I had no idea that massage could effectively change all of those things, until it did. Having your body touched in a therapeutic and effective way goes far beyond relaxation and calm. It brings an awareness of your body that you've never quite had before. That awareness promotes healing the same way the drawing gives your subconscious a playground; they are outlets. Outlets that are absolutely vital for optimal health and wellness. It is an undisputed fact that stress causes disease. Diseases can be cured or some cannot be, but stress is 100% curable. Book a massage

Get to lovin' yourself my hearts!

xoxox