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Self Love | The center of your heart is where life begins. Issue 010
Breathe and Flow & Charlie Rose
February 13, 2024
Dear Beautiful Human,
💌 We’re writing today from the beautiful mountains of Peru and this letter from Breathe and Flow HQ is being sent with love just for you! Around this time of year, there’s so much pressure to conform to conventional expressions of ‘romantic’ love. Instead, let's celebrate love of a different kind. Let us free ourselves from the weight of expectations and societal pressures and instead revel in the beauty of the most important kind of love: the love for oneself. 🥰
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What is self-love exactly?
We know, ‘self-love’ sometimes gets a bad rep and people equate it to being selfish, booking an expensive massage, indulging in chocolate cake or another beer because ‘you deserve it’ or ‘it’s been a tough day.’ But, there is SO much more involved than a few clichéd notions! Self-love involves focusing on actions that genuinely nourish and balance different aspects of your human experience including your emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, and energetic dimensions.
Self-love is a commitment to embrace what makes you you, flaws and all, and genuinely care about your own happiness. It's like becoming your own best friend, appreciating your quirks and uniqueness. Knowing that you came into this world with an open, loving, and non-judgmental heart means it’s still there; however, it may take some tools to remove the layers of life and come back into that space of pure divine unconditional love. ❤️🔥
Why does self-love matter?
How you treat yourself teaches others how to treat you also. Your connection with yourself dictates how you navigate through the challenges and appreciate the smoother times. When you're on good terms with yourself, you're better prepared for whatever life has in store for you.
Aimé, a wise Medicine Man we are lucky enough to work alongside in Ecuador at our recent yoga and plant medicine retreats talks of the ‘diamond’ we have inside each of us. It needs to be looked after and polished in order for it to shine bright enough to light your path as well as the way for others too. This caretaking of oneself is part of the beautiful art of self-love - a tender acknowledgment of your worth, an acceptance of imperfections, and a celebration of the unique masterpiece that is you.
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Self love has physical impacts too. Daily mindful self-care helps to maintain and promote a state of equilibrium. Research shows that consistent engagement in activities which nourish you encourages the nervous system to operate more frequently in the parasympathetic state, often referred to as "rest and restore." This state facilitates the body's natural self-regulation, promoting functions like digestion, circulation, repair, and respiration therefore improves your overall health!
One of the best guides to how to be self-loving is to give ourselves the love we are often dreaming about receiving from others.
✨ The love begins from within by practicing ahimsa ✨
Ahimsa is a Sanskrit term that translates to "non-harming" or "non-violence." It’s a fundamental ethical principle in yogic philosophy as it promotes non-violence to all beings in thought, speech, and action. It extends beyond physical harm to include mental and emotional harm as well. Practicing ahimsa starts with how you talk to yourself. Here’s how it helps cultivate self-love:
Self-Compassion: Instead of engaging in self-criticism or harsh self-judgment, practicing ahimsa means acknowledging and accepting your imperfections and limitations with love and understanding.
Healthy Boundaries: Ahimsa encourages maintaining healthy boundaries in relationships, including the relationship with yourself. Recognize and respect your own needs, and limitations, and honor them without guilt or self-sacrifice.
Mindful Self-Reflection: Engage in mindful self-reflection without judgment nor blame. This involves observing your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors with curiosity and compassion, recognizing that inner growth and transformation require patience, acceptance, and forgiveness.
Nourishing Practices: Engaging in activities that nourish and nurture your body, mind, and soul is an expression of ahimsa to cultivate a deeper sense of self-respect and appreciation.
Positive Self-Talk: Cultivate positive self-talk and inner dialogue that uplifts and empowers you. Instead of engaging in self-criticism or negative self-talk, speak to yourself with kindness and encouragement.
Read on for dozens of tips on how to cultivate ALL of this self-love…❤️✨
Self-care is not a luxury but a necessity. Daily rituals and practices allow you to replenish and realign with the life you want to lead, be at peace, and feel confident to be yourself. Self-love begins with a gentle understanding that you, dear reader, are deserving of love and compassion, unconditionally. The relationship we have to ourselves is the one relationship on which everything else hinges.
So, how does this look in everyday life? Read on for some super simple self-love ideas to start today as well as some interesting research on how self love can transform your life and all other relationships. 🖤