Mindful Monday: This is me getting personal. Loving myself, even when it isn’t easy...
I'd like to share my journey with you in hopes you can relate or find some inspiration....We are all in this together!
I have experienced tremendous personal growth this year - and as a result feel greater self-love and resilience. As I am writing this I am filled with gratitude. Was it easy? No. Was it worth it? Yes. 100%.
Personal growth is not always comfortable. In fact, I have grown the most when there is discomfort in some area of my life or in my soul. And this is what I have observed with my clients as well.
It takes courage and perseverance.
My journey had many ups and downs over the past several months. I felt like I was in surrender boot camp! Feeling vulnerable, grateful, confused, expansive, frustrated. It was a real mixed bag and finding acceptance was key. The most important ingredient was Compassion and Love.
There were many times when I wished I wasn't feeling the way I was. I had thoughts telling me 'I shouldn't be feeling this way.'
The real shift began when I loved myself, even when it wasn't easy.
For me, loving myself was (and is) finding acceptance with how I am feeling. This includes: letting go of judgment of myself or the emotions, being really gentle, and doing things that make me smile. And a biggie - Letting go of comparing myself to others!
I started to observe any negative thoughts ("I shouldn't be feeling this way.") rather than buy into them and react to them. It was just a thought. The emotion or feeling wasn't good or bad until I attached a thought to it - and believed it to be true.
The place to start is by observing the mind and body and how they work together.
Can you relate to this?
When there was a sensation in my, let’s say my heart is feeling tender, my mind will instantly make a comment like “What’s wrong? Why are you so sad? This is awful!”
Then the sensation gets bigger.
My mind than might say, “You shouldn’t be sad. You should be beyond this. You were doing so well. What’s wrong with you?”
Then sensation gets bigger again.... and it becomes a vicious cycle.
An effective way to grow and move beyond blocks is to be fully present in your body to sensations and feelings.
It is true that some emotions feel better than others - but an emotion only becomes good or bad when the mind labels it as such. An emotion is simply - energy in motion. When we observe it, the emotion will move through us. When we judge it or push it away, it will stay longer and increase in intensity.
This is 1 simple technique I use to love and nurture myself.
It is a way of Me Loving Me. It's simple, powerful + feels great!
1. Place one hand on your abdomen and place one hand on your heart.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Gently observe the breath as it moves through your body.
4. Feel your hands embracing your body.
5. You are hugging you.
6. As you breathe in –think LOVE and allow that love to flow through wherever it wants to go.
7. Do this for as long as you wish.
This is powerful.
You are loving you.
You are holding and embracing every part of you.
Healing and growth happen when we can love ourselves, even when it isn’t easy. Love is the answer.
With Love,
Diane