February is the month of love. Expressing to those special people in our lives just how much we love them with gifts, cards and dinners. Maybe it’s those people we walk hand in hand with daily, others that have cared for our well-being some time in our lives, or even our kids.
We all have a cup filled with love. Each day we pour love out of that cup to those around us. Pour a little love here, then a little there. Eventually, that cup runs low and then runs out. Then what do we do? How do we fill that cup back up so we can continue to love the special people in our lives?
Self-love is how we fill our cup of love back to the top. So often we forget about loving ourselves first and treating ourselves in the same way we would a good friend. Fill our own cup up, so that we can pour that love to someone else. Fill a little to give a little.
The ability to love others greatly isn’t the only perk to self-love. It’s been shown to lessen anxiety and depression, better recovery from stress, better adherence to our own health and wellness and have more optimistic thoughts.
Love in and of itself is an emotion. We feel love by doing something first. So how do we access self-love? It’s through self-care.
Self-care looks different for everyone. Maybe it’s through journaling, getting a good sweat at the gym, taking your favorite yoga class, or even getting a massage. Self-care doesn’t always have to cost money. It can be something as simple as taking a nice, long bubble bath. Whatever it may look like for you, self-care unlocks our own self-love so that we can love and serve others at a higher level.
This month, the year one Yoga In The Schools Project students are learning about Metta Mindfulness. Metta is the practice of sending love and kindness through visualization and phrases. Students learn to send love and kindness to themselves, someone very special to them and someone that may have not been kind to them. They learn to love themselves first so that they can love others and know that those that have been unkind may not feel happy, loved or safe.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be loved.
May you be safe.
Namaste.