Self-love
In our day and age of a booming Wellness industry and all kinds of offers online to make you feel good and even better, I think that Self-love has become an easily mis-understood concept.
Not that I would be strictly against a nice weekend in a Wellness hotel on Bali, being pampered by graceful massage therapists in an aesthetic environment of minimalist luxury, high quality everything and delicate fragrances.
And let us not forget the tasteful New Age music playing in the background 😉
Ok, I am a bit on the ironic side here.
But why not, in case you have some serious money to spare …
Enjoy!
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Here I am suggesting a rather more holistic do-it-at-home approach.
In my perspective Self-love is a delicate dance between the extremes of self-indulgent narcissism and navel-gazing on the one side and the ascetic self-denial of monkish spirituality on the other side.
I believe in a dynamic balance of those two poles,
like some elegant Tai Chi.
Transcendence of the self is to be found in the center of the Self.
If I would have to define Self-love in a few words:
Self-love is a state of appreciation, acceptance, and compassion for myself, encompassing physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
It involves setting healthy boundaries, trusting myself, and accepting all parts of my being – flaws included – rather than pursuing perfection.
It is an active practice, not just a feeling, that fosters internal safety and resilience.
Self-love lives in the here and now.
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How to Self-love (in seven steps)
[ for a friend ]
Obviously the steps are not ment as a sequence from 1-7.
You may start anywhere, but don’t skip the steps that you don’t like so much 😉
Lets rather call it:
How to Self-love in 7 Layers
Layer 1 – SURVIVAL NEEDS
Eat well.
Sleep well.
Stay warm and care for your body.
Protect your health and physical well-being.
Self-love begins
with caring for your basic needs.
Layer 2 – CULTIVATING YOURSELF
Take care of your appearance and environment.
Expand your knowledge and perspective.
Appreciate culture, art, and beauty.
Develop good attitude and keep growing.
Self-love grows
when you invest in becoming a better person.
Layer 3 – ACCEPTING YOUR REALITY
Accept your family background.
Accept who you naturally are.
Accept your appearance.
Accept where you are right now.
Self-love matures
when you stop resisting your reality.
Layer 4 – OBSERVING YOUR EMOTIONS
Allow your emotions to exist.
Listen to what they are telling you.
Stop judging what you feel.
Let emotions move through you.
Self-love shifts
when you learn to observe, not resist.
Layer 5 – UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF
Look deeper into your emotions.
Understand where your reactions come from.
Recognize your fears and old wounds.
Connect with your inner self.
Self-love deepens
when you begin to understand yourself.
Layer 6 – LOVING EVERY EMOTION
Make peace with every emotion.
Each feeling carries memories within you.
Every emotion is part of your inner world.
When you love them, you love yourself more.
Self-love deepens further
when every part of you is welcomed and integrated.
Layer 7 – FROM SELF TO ALL
When you truly love yourself,
you begin to understand others.
You see that everyone carries their own pain and aspiration.
Love naturally expands beyond yourself.
True self-love
expands into love for all.
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SELF-LOVE is a life-long path to walk
Don’t get stuck at Layer 1.
Or any other stage of your default modes of being!
Many people spend their lives
just trying to survive.
With so many responsibilities to carry,
simply living already feels hard enough.
There seems to be no time
to truly love themselves.
But the truth is –
only when we take care of ourselves,
do we gain the strength
to truly love those we love.
And transcend what we think we are.
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Have a happy journey into the adventure of Self-love.
