It’s incredibly easy to become consumed by depressive feelings and self-doubt. Beneath such feelings of inadequacy and vulnerability there is always a deeper truth: We feel unworthy of affection. Social values teach us that we all always aspire to be “higher”. This translates to being slim, healthy, wealthy, and smart – you get the idea. We are rarely taught that we are enough in our current state.
We may also doubt our worth, which is sad.
“When my inner critic starts whispering that I will never be competitive or satisfied, my yogic sensitivity tells me to stop everything I’m doing, rest and breathe. Sometimes, I go for ice cream and want to splurge. “However, the negative rabbit hole remains, and the turnaround time is still long.”
There are many ways we can provide for ourselves and demonstrate self-love. We can read uplifting poems, get a massage, take a long walk in nature, or get support from a friend (or therapist). As individuals, we must also look to our own practice for guidance. Personally, learning to meditate on self-love helps you reconnect with your heart—reminding you that you are worthy of love, especially from yourself.
Self-love meditation enables you to be authentic and open about yourself. The act of love is to accept your thoughts and desires rather than pushing them forward. When you meditate with your heart and mind, you are able to create a compassionate environment around you in which you can feel anything without judgment. During this time, it is important to let things go so you don’t punish yourself for how you feel. In fact, urging yourself to remain a living and breathing human being. As you abandon the present moment and allow your emotions (whether positive or bad) to overtake your mind, you may feel yourself slipping from this care room experience.
Meditation teaches you that emotions are not permanent; They pass with time. When you take a step back and allow them to pass, you see that every feeling of unworthiness you experience is only fleeting.
So, instead of being critical of yourself and falling into the standard “not enough” story when confronted with self-doubt and lack of self-love, take a deep breath and use this meditation to convince yourself that you are yourself. Are worthy of love and compassion.
Mastering how to deal with day-to-day emotions can be challenging. But the human mind is capable of achieving mountain feats. There are many ways you can try and express self-love anywhere. For example, indulge yourself in reading some uplifting poetry, pamper yourself with a massage and take a short walk feeling the essence of serene nature.
Spend time on a mediation that will help you connect with yourself on a deeper level. This will give you a chance to be real and gentle with yourself. Sitting in nature and observing your thoughts and feelings is also a type of love. Sit somewhere in silence and try to listen to your heart, and see what it says without judgment. This will allow you to be more kind to yourself and teach yourself self-love.
If you need help with your mood, our online wellness counselor can help.
Can you remember the first time you felt bad about yourself? Like what’s wrong with me, I’m always making mistakes, and everything that’s happening is my fault.
This is the typical stream of thought for people who consider self-love simply as a reward for having a day in which they become the person they want to be. This kind of behavior implies that your self-love is only a matter of success and failure.
So, what else is true self-love? How does meditation happen?
Self-love is accepting every part of your body without judgment. It will lead you straight to your true self and teach you the true meaning of forgiveness, compassion and acceptance. And give you a feeling of peace. True self-love is being able to let go of old ways of thinking and opening yourself up to experiencing the uncertainty of the world. When you are able to recognize your thoughts and mind as merely a part of yourself and do not associate yourself with it, that day you will meet your true essence.
Meditation is the best way to achieve that state of mind. Meditation will help you discover that your mind is just a clear blue sky and your thoughts and emotions are just like a fleeting cloud that comes and goes. It will teach you that the true essence of the mind is only peace, radiance and happiness. And help free your mind from negative thoughts. This is the power of meditation. It will change your mind in the way rain changes the entire environment.
You cannot care for others if you are unaware of your own love. When you truly and unconditionally love yourself, you move through the world with deep compassion and receive a deep sense of happiness and joy from the act of giving.
Therefore, self-love is not only your responsibility, but it is your fuel and foundation that helps you move forward easily in life, and everything starts falling into place. If this self-love is not in your life, your whole world will be unstable and uncertain.
Self-love makes you more resilient through which you can face any challenges that may come in the future. Depression, anxiety, stress, and striving to be perfect will automatically disappear by accepting yourself. You.
Oscar Wilde once said, loving yourself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. That means loving yourself is not a destination, rather it is a lifelong journey. And here are some techniques and exercises to help you on this journey.
you are the epicenter of everything
Everything starts with you and ends with you. No other species is responsible for what you are doing. You are who you are going to be yourself for eternity. So it is better to start loving yourself instead of hating yourself.
No one is interested in you except you
This is a bitter truth of life, but it is true. No one else is interested in you. Your well-being, safety, health, happiness are all in your hands. No one can take care of it better than you. No one knows what is good and what is bad for you. What hurts you the most? So make your own decisions and be your own leader.
love is present in you
Love from others is just an illusion. No one can love you better than you. Your happiness is in your hands. Loving yourself is eternal and asking for love from others is just momentary. To reflect on yourself and find the love you want in others.
find your own voice
Why would they do this to me? Why only me? Why do good things never happen to me? This is all mental bullshit that you need to be aware of. Our brain works on dual personality. Therefore, it is normal to feel inferior and superior at times. Being aware and conscious of how you treat yourself in your mind makes you more compassionate. Pay attention to your self-talk and how it makes you feel, and discard all thoughts that are offensive to you, and direct all your energy into creating something constructive in your mind.
hold on to your faith
Observe your own mind and your current beliefs and values. And make sure you don’t take anyone else’s beliefs for granted. Your experience is as valuable as anyone else’s. However, question your own beliefs, if they are serving you as you wish, you have the power to abandon them.
spend quality time with yourself
Before taking care of others, take good care of yourself first. Like everything starts with you and then it goes to others. Exercise daily, get proper sleep, and increase your social interactions. When you take care of your property, you surround yourself with positive and magnetic energies that make you more attractive.
set your own limits
In life, finding out what is good for you and what is bad is essential to give a particular direction to life. Never tolerate being treated like a doormat. You have your own value. So be with people who are right for you and who treat your self-respect and dignity as their own.
believe in something
Trust is the foundation of self-love. No matter what you believe, just believe in it. Faith is the door to the soul. When you believe in something it tells you about its beauty. It takes you on a journey of self-learning that enhances intuition that helps you take the right decisions.
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Self-Love Meditation: All the Power Within!
It is essential to put self-love techniques into practice, but more important is to learn to focus on the feeling of self-love.
To get started, adjust your environment. You can either lie on your back with a bolster under your feet and a folded blanket behind your head, or you can lean comfortably on a bolster or some folded blankets. Lean against a wall or sit on a chair for added safety.
While lying down, feel the connection between the back of the body and the mat. While sitting, lengthen your back, extend your collarbones, and place your hands on your thighs (palms facing up or down).
After sitting, close your eyes or soften your focus and become aware of your breathing. Focus on your breathing without trying to change it. Additionally, notice whether you are stressed or calm, without attempting to change either one.
Inhale through your nose, and then exhale through your teeth. Continue to take deep breaths and exhale completely through your nose. As you breathe, become aware of the state of your body and the quality of your mind. Where is your body stressed? Do you feel mentally alone or closed off? What has happened to your mind? Does it need a home or is it comfortable breathing indoors? Is your mind calm or do you feel anxious, negative and doubtful?
Continue to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth and place both hands over your heart. Consider what it feels like to place your hand on this soft spot, this place of self and other love.
Allow your breathing to become more fluid and natural as you inhale and exhale through your nose. Make yourself sensitive to the flow of air entering and exiting your lungs.
Consider that with each exhale, you are releasing any bad feelings left in your head.
Focus your attention on your pulse for the remainder of the exercise. Think “I am worthy” on each exhale and “I am enough” on each exhale. Allow each breath in to bring self-love into your body and each breath out to exhale that which is no longer serving you. Take a few moments to breathe deeply and mentally repeat this mantra. Pay attention to how you feel as you speak these words to yourself.
It is acceptable for your mind to wander, at any time. The mind is a wandering creature since birth. Simply redirect your attention to your breathing. Notice that your emotions, whether positive or negative, come and go, and actually encourage them to float away like clouds in the sky.
Now look at yourself in front of the mirror, look at your eyes. How do you see things? What is the difference between pain and sorrow? What is the difference between love and happiness? Is it possible to have purpose?
If you look at yourself in the mirror, say to yourself, “I love you,” “I am amazing,” and “I deserve happiness.” Recognize that the image you see in the mirror at this moment may be different from the image you see the next time you look.
Consider breathing into your heart right now and imagine love flowing out of your hands and into your heart.
Let this love warm and spread throughout your body from the center of your heart.
Feel a sense of security and relaxation as it moves into your chest, throat and ears, out through your shoulders, arms and hands, and finally through your ribs, hips, pelvis, thighs and legs.
Let yourself be enveloped from head to toe in the feeling of warmth. Take a deep breath here and rest assured that love is always there for you when you need it.
Take a few more long, conscious breaths and when you are ready, slowly open your eyes. Acknowledge the special feeling you get from sitting for a few moments during this meditation. If you need to create nurturing space for yourself, refer to this exercise, or any other available resource.
This is an incredible opportunity to discover something new about yourself and become more in tune with your physical and emotional needs. Allow self-love to strengthen your relationship with yourself and allow you to be fully present in your life.
Self-love is not a choice, it is your only option to stand out from the crowd. So focus on yourself, spend as much time with yourself as possible, and live life in a way that only you are available on this earth. This will increase your self-worth and also give you the confidence to face the world boldly.
Talk to our online therapist who helps you manage self-love into your busy life.