FEATURE - February 2019

Loving Yourself More

 

By Therese Inzerillo

 

Genuinely loving and nurturing ourselves is vital to creating healthy, balanced lives in which we thrive and flourish. When we neglect to love and care for ourselves, we are not capable of giving fully, both in our relationships and to the world. Loving ourselves means to truly care for all aspects of our being and to honor our talents and abilities, even when the world around us negates our value and tries to tell us otherwise. True self-love is listening to our own hearts and following our own truths. 
 

So, when life becomes overwhelming and you forget to care for yourself, it’s useful to stop and hit the “reset” button. One great way to do this is to create your own retreat or spa day so that you have time to release and rejuvenate. Allow yourself to slip away into the silence for a day or even just a few hours. This routine of home remedies can help revitalize your body, mind, emotions and spirit. 
 

Pineapple and Olive Oil Facial Mask

Begin with this fabulous healing facial mask. Mix four large chunks of pineapple or a half cup drained canned pineapple and three tablespoons of high-quality olive oil. Puree this mixture in a blender until almost smooth. Apply the mixture to your face with your fingers and leave on during the healing waters soak described below. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.
 

The bromelain in the pineapple helps rid the skin of dead cells and dirt and counteracts histamines. Anti-inflammatory properties serve as a mild astringent and skin freshener, while olive oil is a good source of Vitamin E to restore the skin’s surface.
 

Healing Waters 

Next, create a luxurious bath using two cups of Epsom salts and a few drops of your favorite essential oil for a relaxing experience that will help ease pain and release harmful toxins from your body. Soak for 15-20 minutes with the facial mask on. Apply two slices of frozen or cooled cucumber slices to your eyes to sooth and depuff.

As the salts shift your energy physically , use this time to purify yourself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Take a few deep cleansing breaths, breathing deeply into your diaphragm. Hold each breath to a count of five and tighten all the muscles in your body. As you release the breath in one slow quick exhale, relax your muscles, allowing all tension to be completely swept away. Repeat this technique two or three times and allow yourself to become completely relaxed. 
 

While soaking in the “healing waters,” take this time to do a mental and emotional inventory of your life. What is working in your life and what is not? Are there people who always drag you down and who “suck the life” out of you? Have there been things that you know you need to do that would be good for you, but you’ve been procrastinating because you’re “just too busy?” Part of loving yourself is letting go of harmful people and situations and nurturing the healthy things. Make a mental list of people and/or things that you’d like to release from your life and another for the people and things that nourish you. 
 

Powerful Meditation

Visualize a radiant white light at the top of your head. (If you are a kinesthetic person you may “feel” or “sense” this energy instead.) See this light cascading in and through you, cleansing and purifying you, gently pushing out all the things that no longer serve you that you want to release. See the light/energy gently move through your body and out the bottoms of your feet, like little roots going deep into the center of the Earth, where the energy is released, dissolved, and transmuted. As you experience the release, physically experience a deep, profound peace and tranquility. Allow yourself to feel loved, cared for, and nurtured. When you are finished, pull the light/energy back up into your feet, through all parts of your body, through the top of your head and out into the ethers. This light/energy flows both directions simultaneously and balances the polarities of your body. 
 

Now visualize a radiant pink light all around you. This is the unconditional love of the Universe. Allow yourself to soak in this unconditional love and fill yourself up with it. Allow yourself to feel completely loved and nurtured by the Universe and by yourself. You take a few moments to recall the positive attributes about yourself that you love—your physical qualities, your spiritual nature, your personality, talents, and abilities. Bask in the glow of this feeling, knowing that this deep sense of love, peace, and joy is your true state of being. Choose to stay in this state at all times. Any time you feel this feeling beginning to slip away, gently remind yourself of this moment and call yourself back into this joyful, love-filled state of being.
 

Rehydrate and Replenish

After relaxing in your bath for 15-20 minutes, rinse well. Drink plenty of water for the next 24-48 hours to flush toxins and rehydrate. Because the salts can be drying, protect your skin by finishing with a delightful sweet orange moisturizer. Mix two tablespoons hazelnut oil and one tablespoon almond oil with 16 drops of sweet orange essential oil. This oil helps rejuvenate and revitalize the skin and is especially effective against wrinkles caused by sun exposure. It’s also is a mood enhancer that can bring cheer to your day.
 

Hopefully, you will feel revitalized and nurtured after this spa routine. Create an affirmation for yourself that expresses all the wonderful qualities and attributes you bring to the world and, as you repeat it to yourself numerous times throughout the day, know that this is the truth. Continue to love yourself more each day!

 

 

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