“I am so beautiful, sometimes people weep when they see me. And it has nothing to do with what I look like really, it is just that I gave myself the power to say that I am beautiful, and if I could do that, maybe there is hope for them too. And the great divide between the beautiful and the ugly will cease to be. Because we are all what we choose.” – Margaret Cho
In yoga it is customary to set an intention before each practice. An intention is an opportunity to anchor your mind to a particular goal, and to live better in the present moment: “Today, I will breathe more fully.”
You can take this opportunity for greater life fulfillment off of the yoga mat an into your everyday life. Start each day with a personal intention. Say this intention out loud. Maybe it will be specific or maybe it will be broad: I will love myself a little bit more today.
How can you deepen your relationship with yourself and practice more self-love each day? We believe leading a healthy lifestyle is one important step: nourishing your body with good wholesome foods (think unprocessed and close to nature) speaks of self-love. It says, “I want to live a long life with the most energy each day. I am fuelling my body for optimal health.” We also believe in practicing holistic health care, that is looking at ailments not as failures of one part of the system but a deficiency in the whole working order. That is why nutrition is so important, it fuels the entire machine, and why we believe in thermography, which looks at ailment in the context of the body’s functioning.
There are other ways you can practice self-love. Here are a few of our best tips:
1. Keep a Gratitude Journal
Each day, as the last thing you do before turning in for the night, write down in a pretty journal 2-3 things that happened that day, or that you felt, which you are grateful for. This reminds you of the abundance in your life and keeps you grounded and focused on what is important.
2. Exercise
Working your body through exercise – choose a favourite activity that gets you moving – will show you how strong your body is, and all that there is to be appreciative about. It will boost your confidence, and your feel-good hormones. If you aren’t used to regular exercise, try incorporating a short walk into your routine. Turn your exercise into a hobby: join a swim or rowing club, take a dance class or hit the gym with a friend.
3. Try Meditation
Don’t be intimidated, meditation doesn’t have to be hours of silence with an empty mind (though it can be). It can be 2-3 minutes of me-time in which you focus on listening to your breath. If you are new to meditation, this is the best way to start. There are countless studies that point to the benefits of meditation but we believe that taking the time to slow your body and mind, and taking time for yourself to just be in touch with your body, will offer you great rewards in the area of self-love.
Sometimes we get caught up in what our bodies can’t do, or what we aren’t. One thing seeing thermograms has taught us is the amazing richness of the human body. What a machine! Try to focus on gratitude for how your body has carried you through every day, and the many more days it will do so for you, especially when you show it some love.
