It’s February! The month we celebrate love.
But before we dive into how to have a sizzling and hot V-Day, let’s stop for a moment and talk about the most essential ingredient to hot and sexy anything…. (drumroll)…. SELF-LOVE.
By definition self-love is having regard for one’s own well-being and happiness.
In my work with individuals and couples as well as my own journey, the practice of self-love is not always easy. Our small, ego mind in an effort to keep us safe, can go on endless loops of negative self-talk and sabotaging behavior.
This leads us to seek validation and love from others, rather than ourselves, which almost always results in our feeling unsatisfied and unloved.
And, when we don’t practice self-love, it can often lead us to being needy and unloving which is a sure way of putting out any sexy fires.
For only when we are truly in alignment with our own beautiful spirit, can we completely and authentically give and receive real love.
Because when we love ourselves, we know that we can give without becoming resentful or depleted.
We give love because we are full of love. We are fully immersed in the deep flow of love and loving.
The practice of Self-Love
Slow Down and Be Mindful. People who have more self-love tend to know themselves well. They take the time to slow down and consider what they feel, think and want. They take others into consideration when making choices, but not solely on making others happy or sacrificing self.
Know the No’s. The greatest lesson in Tantra practices is knowing your no before saying yes to anything. You will love yourself more when you set limits and say no to things that do not align and genuinely serve you. And, when you do say yes, it is a wholehearted agreement you will not regret later.
Taking Care of Business. Practice good self-care. People who practice self-love nourish themselves daily through healthy activities, good nutrition, exercise, proper sleep, intimacy and healthy social interactions.
Kindness and Forgiveness. We can be so hard on ourselves! There really is no need to punish ourselves for mistakes that ultimately prove pathways to healing, learning and growing. The greatest act of self-love is acceptance of your being imperfectly human. We all do the best we can given our our choices in any given moment. Hindsight is 20/20. Stop judging from that view.
Living with Intentional Desire. You will accept and love yourself more when you live through intention and desire, purpose and really wanting. You will make decisions that support this intention, and create steps towards heart-felt desires. Your heart will burst for YOU when you see yourself accomplishing what you set out to do.
Amidst lovers and loving, perhaps the greatest gift we can give ourselves is learning how to fully accept and love ourselves.
The act of being our own hot and sexy lover… before we are this for someone else or invite a lover in.
For now, go practice loving yourself BIG. Next week we will talk about lovers loving love hot and sexy together.
xoxo,
Jacqueline