Self-Compassion
Unconditional compassion is at the core of who we are, the energy our very essence is made up of. It has been said that only when we truly love ourselves without condition or judgment, then we can love others unconditionally. To allow self-compassion to flow freely through our being, we must fully accept ourselves as we are. As we develop compassion towards our self, compassion towards others can start to flow naturally.
To accept ourselves as we are, even (and especially) in our most raw, messy and vulnerable conditions, we must always look at ourselves through eyes of love and understanding. We develop self-compassion by treating ourselves with uttermost kindness. We should treat ourselves the way we would expect a close friend or family member to treat us. We should make self-compassion and having kindness towards our self one of our main practices everyday throughout our life. We must take care of ourselves, nurture ourselves, and love ourselves unconditionally.
I believe that treating ourselves with kindness and compassion is one of the most important qualities we can develop throughout our lives. Not only does it improve the quality of our life tremendously, but it also improves the quality of our connection with the people and animals around us and the relationships that we form.
I want to share with you some ways and things you can do to treat yourself kindly on a daily basis. These are things that I do that have directly improved the quality of my life and have helped me heal myself:
-Cleanse, renew and purify your energy through meditation. I recommend doing this every single day at the beginning or your day as part of your morning routine and at night before ending your day. Even if it's just for 5 minutes (but I recommend at least 10 minutes). You can start with 5 minutes at first and slowly work in more time for it at your own pace.
-Make a point of taking a break and relaxing at some point throughout your day. This could be a good time to read a book, listen to music, just chill, or even watch some TV or put on a movie.
-Care for yourself, whatever that may mean to you, do it.
-Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. It's better to take sips of water throughout the day to stay hydrated vs just drinking a bunch of water at once.
-Drink some tea! This is so soothing and relaxing to your being especially warm or hot tea. My favorites are chamomile (a herbal tea), organic banana tea, and ginger tea.
-Eat nourishing and high-energy foods. This includes all vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and seeds.
-Practice some form of exercise. Keep in mind, it doesn't have to be overly exerting and you can get real creative with this one! I like to swim, stretch, walk, practice yoga, and ride my bike on warm, summer days.
-Practice creativity. It's important to exercise your imagination and find inspiration, for life is a canvas to imagination. You can practice creativity through play, exploring, colouring, drawing, writing, music, singing, art, photography, film, dancing, taking yourself out on a date, cooking, baking, and many more. Find your muse!
-Take a salt bath or an essential oil bath. Sooo relaxing and healing.
-Practice loving kindness in all your endeavors, with yourself and with everyone you encounter as much as you can.
-Spend time in nature. This is one of the best ways to help you reconnect with nature and with yourself, and to help you re-align with the universe. Nature rejuvenates the body, mind and soul.
-Give yourself a hand or foot massage. According to some ancient and alternative forms of medicine, every part of the body is connected to the hands and the feet. Giving ourselves a hand or foot massage from time to time can really work wonders on our well-being. I'll also massage my legs, my arms, my lower back, anywhere I can reach on my body really. Gentle massages to the face, head and neck are also healing as they are also connected to every part of the body.
-Live your life in the present moment and observe your thoughts daily. Analyze your thoughts and get rid of the thoughts that don't serve you. Release and eliminate negative energy from your life. Learn to stop complaining. Create a more positive mindset by setting positive and loving intentions, acting on them and then rejoicing in their effects. You create your life through your intentions, your thoughts and your attitude.
-Practice gratitude. This is one of the most important and positive habits I have created for myself. I keep a gratitude journal where I'll write down 3 to 5 specific moments I am grateful for that happened throughout my day or week. It is a wonderful tool that helped me develop practicing more gratitude and appreciation naturally throughout my day.
Above all, I truly believe meditation to be supremely important. To practice meditation, to be in a place of stillness and peace, is to be in a space of divine love and energetic acceptance. It truly helps you re-align with who you are at your core. It helps clear out negative energy and creates space and clarity in your mind so you can move forward with loving compassion in your heart.
