Self-love is a learning process. It is a journey. It is about progression. Some of us have the easier time with self-love, while some of us have to start from scratch. But no matter where you are starting from, self-love can be learned. But self-love is not a place where you arrive and relax. It is something you have to practice every day.
Just think about it. Think about someone you love: a significant other, a family member, a friend or even a pet. Is it enough to arrive to ‘loving them’ once? Of course not, you have to express your feelings with words and actions on a regular basis. You have to nurture your love. As you nurture this love, it grows and becomes stronger. It is not different with self-love.
Self-love is also complex. It is a relationship with our whole self. Since I am a Health & Wellness Writer and Certified Holistic Health Coach, it will not surprise you that I believe that just like everything else self-love needs to be approached from a holistic angle. Self-love is about the mind-body-soul connection: you cannot love one and ignore the other.
Your body is the physical representation of your being. Essentially it is your home. Your body is continuously changing: cells die, new cells develop, chemical reactions happen every moment. What you are in the body right now is different than it was a moment ago and is different than it will be a moment from now. Yet, your body is your constant safe home. Your body is also like a best friend who is always with you, tolerates so much yet is doing the best to be there for you. Your body is capable of magic – healing and amazing transformation – when treated right.
Your soul in a sense is the energetic representation of you. You may call it your spiritual self too. Your soul is your creative self. It is your loving self. Your soul is your non-rational awareness, your unconscious processes, and experiences. Connecting with your soul you can connect with your passion, your true desires, basically your true self.
Your mind is a connection between your body and soul. Your mind is your conscious self. It is your rational self. Your mind is your thoughts, your emotions, and your personality. Your mind is the one that it aware and interprets your reality. Your mind connects your soul and body and allows you to navigate through the real world.
You can see how the body, mind, and soul are all connected. You may see that self-love is not just about body-image, calories, and confidence.
Self-love is a deep connection with yourself and the world around you.
Next time you are in front of a mirror: stop. Look into your eyes. I don’t mean a quick glance but deep look into your own eyes. Make eye contact with yourself and keep this contact for 3 minutes minimum, but the longer the better. Look into your soul. Connect with your heart. Make yourself a green juice to show your body some love. Then grab your journal – for some mind-loving – to come up with 3 steps for each area – mind, body, and soul – that would create more self-love in your life.
Come up with some easy, yet doable steps that resonate with your life. Creating your own steps will help you to follow them and to truly show yourself some loving.
So what are your steps?