Cultivating Self-Love and Self-Care
Getting Ready
| Duration | 15 minutes |
| Materials |
|
| Treatment Modality | Individual and Group |
| Frequency | We recommend practicing this activity at least 3 times a week. |
| Other helpful topics to use this activity for |
|
The What
Cultivating Self-Love and Self-Care is a quantum-based meditation to help develop a positive attitude, raise self-confidence, and become more compassionate as well as empathetic. The importance of self-care cannot be underestimated. Increasing research suggests self-nourishing practices can prevent or reduce the duration of colds and the flu, improve recovery from cancer treatments, promote focus and attention, and most importantly, promote healthy self-esteem. To get started with self-care, the mind-body connection needs to be strengthened. The stronger the mind-body connection is, the more responsive and effective self-care practices will be. Therefore, mindfulness practices greatly help self-care become a habit while aligning the energies of the body.
The How
When you first begin this meditation process, you may feel your mind wandering, certain parts of your body experiencing discomfort, thoughts distracting you, twitching, etc. These are all completely normal and natural reactions in the beginning. When you find yourself feeling uncomfortable or distracted in any way, bring your attention to your breathing. With enough practice, you’ll become an expert at this! Until then, only do what you can and keep returning your attention to your breathing. When breathing, remember that with each inhalation, fill your lungs to capacity, expanding your belly and diaphragm to take in as much air as possible. Then slowly exhale, gently contracting the muscles in your abdomen to remove every last bit of air.
Location: Choose a space with a minimum of distractions. If possible, make the space dim. If using this meditation process at home, choose a private place in the house where you could return to practicing this meditation all the time. There’s no problem with background noises or music in your location, just as long as you hear it more so as background noise rather than active noise that you find distracting. As you continue to develop your practice, your ability to tune out background sounds will likely improve. One day noises that you find distracting may become
Position: Sit upright/straight on your chair with your feet touching the ground or limbs crossed (Indian style) on the floor. You can grab your headphones if you have them. If not, play this meditation on your electronic device so that you can get the best sound system.
Let's Begin
Gentle reminder: This is a guided mindfulness activity using audio and video. You do not need to print or read the following instructions. The steps to this activity are provided to you in written form, only should you wish to read through them voluntarily. In other words, reading the following activity instructions and steps are optional. They are written in ‘casual’ and ‘conversation’ language in which it was recorded.
Thank you for choosing this quantum mindfulness session.
This activity is designed to help you cultivate the feeling and the sincere belief of loving and caring for yourself.
When you’re ready, take a seat on a chair in a quiet and safe place.
Tap the top of your head three times with your right hand: you are acknowledging and activating your mind/brain energy.
Tap the center of your chest with your left hand: you are acknowledging/activating your heart energy.
Squeeze the center of both of your hands and your fingers: you are acknowledging/activating the energy of your ‘giving- and receiving’ hands.
Place your hands on your lap with palms facing up. Keep your legs uncrossed at all times.
Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth/ your pallet behind your front teeth.
Close your eyes, sit upright, with your arms resting on your thighs or onto the arms of the chair.
This is primarily a time in your life to learn to develop the skills to be the person you are purposefully and authentically built to be. And to do that, you must care for yourself first before you can care for others. Self-care is any activity that we voluntarily and willingly do to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Understand that self-care isn’t a selfish act either. It is not only about considering your own needs; it is preferably about knowing what you need to do to take care of yourself so that you can take care of others as well. That is, if you don’t take enough care of yourself, you won’t be in the place to give to your loved ones either.
Self-care means:
- Avoiding toxic people.
- Not feeling guilty and shame.
- Not apologizing for standing up for yourself and for what is right.
- Learning to say no sometimes when you feel uncomfortable and pressured.
- To express yourself unapologetically in a safe and appropriate environment.
- It can also mean trusting your heart and your intuition to guide you in the right direction in life and taking the time to listen to your heart and your intuition often.
- Sometimes it is being able to say no to something because it will overwhelm you to take on one more responsibility.
- And sometimes, self-care is knowing what truly supports you and fills you rather than what drains you.
This meditation will help you cultivate more self-care and self-love.
Let’s begin and to turn off all distraction by doing a quick relaxation exercise first.
When you’re ready, bring your awareness to the natural rhythm of your breath. By having your eyes closed, your attention moves inward. Begin this meditation with the intention to fully accept who you are now, where you are right now in life.
As you focus your attention on your breath, begin this process of relaxation. Take two deep breaths, in through your nose, move the breath all the way up to the top your head and exhale out of your mouth.
Accept all your strengths, weaknesses, your perceived flaws, your mistakes, your failures. Know that you are enough just as you are.
Self-love is about accepting yourself just as you are: your thoughts, natural feelings that arise within you, your actions, your choices, your decisions.
Know that all of your potentials are within you and waiting to be brought to life when it is the right time. And know that you will know when it is time to do something when it comes to that time. Right now, you are where you need to be in life, and you’ll figure things out and know what to do when it is time.
Bring your attention first to your feet.
Ask for a softening of the soles of your feet, toes, and ankles.
Let go of any tension in your calves, knees, and thighs.
Relax the muscles around your hips, and lower back to be entirely supported by the surface below you. Feel as this relaxation moves up your body into your abdomen and your chest.
This comfortable heaviness, moves into your shoulders, into your neck, arms, all the way down to your fingers. And finally ask for a release in your jaw, and tiny muscles around your eyes, and your scalp.
Slowly scan the body once more for any areas that may still be holding onto any lingering tension.
And once more, ask your body to let go of the need to control, or to be perfect.
Your mind and body are safe; and are supportive of who you are.
Your subconscious mind is aware of all the things that are important to you and is already working towards making everything possible for you.
Right now, the only thing that is important to you is loving and caring for yourself. Right now, it is essential for you to experience and embrace the feelings of unconditional love for yourself.
Now that your body and mind are calm, you are guided on a journey to experience and explore self-care and self-love in its most tranquil and blissful state.
Begin to see yourself on a beach, a beach that exists only in your mind. This beach has the whitest sand and the most transparent turquoise water.
It’s a perfect place for you where you can continue this journey to bliss and self-love and self-compassion.
Look out at the blue water, it’s crystal clear with gently crashing waves.
You can hear the calming sound of the ocean, noticing the gentle clean salted breeze of air on your skin.
You see the sky is bright blue with the sun shining down on you.
The surrounding nature is just what you need to relax and give yourself the care you need to replenish your energy and resources to feel joy.
You find yourself alone and safe on the beach.
Walk towards the beach, and there is a chair right by the water. Sit on this chair and put your feet in the water. The water is warm and light.
You are deeply relaxed.
You feel the tension melting away, your shoulders are feeling comfortable relaxed.
Let go of any expectations.
And you allow the outside world just to turn off and keep your attention to the ocean in front of you.
Now that you are entirely relaxed visualizing.
Take two deep breaths, allowing love to enter your heart, mind, and entire body. Once you love yourself, the world around will send love back to you.
Using your voice in your mind, repeat after me or listen to my words as though they are yours:
I am grateful for today and for this opportunity to love myself unconditionally.
I believe in myself and my abilities.
I am confident.
I am enough.
When I accept myself for who I am now, the world around me will gift to me the courage and the skills I need to become the best of me.
Therefore, I am ready to take care of myself, allow myself to be happy and loving towards myself; so, that I could also be a shining light in other people’s lives.
Bring your attention to the space between your eyebrows. With the index and middle finger of your right hand, tap the space between your eyebrows. Place both of your hands in the center of your chest and listen as though you are speaking to yourself:
I promise to fully love myself and let go of limiting beliefs.
I promise to educate myself so that I can expand my MIND, my SELF, and my WORLD.
I promise to open my mind, my heart, and my perception of all that is.
I promise to understand and accept the truth.
I promise to accept myself as I am right now.
I promise to accept the journey and place I am right now.
I promise to be giving without expectations.
I promise to be understanding and patient.
I promise to let go of toxic people in my life.
I promise to let go of shame and guilt.
I promise not to compare myself to others.
I promise to show more compassion and kindness to the world around me.
I promise to be grateful for all the suffering and pain I have experienced. I am who I am today because of my past.
I promise to forgive myself for the pain and suffering I have experienced.
I promise to forgive others for the pain and suffering they have caused me.
I promise to love myself, respect myself, and honor my choices unconditionally.
I promise to stand up for myself with love and kindness.
I promise to do what is right for me, rather than what is easy.
I promise to finish what I started.
I promise to evolve, shift, and expand as the Universe guides and supports me.
I promise to end patterns that no longer serve me.
I promise to break my unproductive habits with new actions and a new direction!
I promise not to seek approval of others. I promise only to seek my own approval of my highest self.
I promise not to allow others’ misjudgments of me to affect me.
I promise to take my happiness into my own hands.
I promise to be the keeper of my heart and the influencer of my emotions.
I promise to take nothing for granted.
I promise to be grateful for who I am.
I promise to trust my intuition, my heart, and my gut.
I promise to take action towards making a difference and having an impact on myself and the world around me.
I promise to trust that I am a Divine Source of Healing for others.
I promise to contribute in my own way to the better of others.
I promise to find purpose and beauty in every experience in this life.
I promise to love being me with ALL OF ME.
I promise to forgive and surrender. For it is in the art of surrendering, that I will experience unconditional love, connection, prosperity, and freedom!
Now slowly bring your attention back to your body. Begin to move and awaken your toes gently, and moving to the soles of your feet. Take a deep breath as you wiggle your toes and move your body slowly. Feel the energy rush back into your body like a warm wave coming over you, as it is moving up to your ankles and lower legs are awakening your body; slowly energizing feeling continues up to your knees and thighs. Encourage this warm energy to move through your hips, lower back, and abdomen. Notice all the discomfort that has released your neck, shoulders, mind, forehead, hips, feet, lower back.
You know that from now on, you choose to open your heart and mind to living life in love with all of its adventure, magic, and beauty. You have a deep understanding of life: that it will naturally bring you opportunities for growth in the hardships, mistakes, failures you will experience and overcome. Nothing will ever be too hard and difficult to handle from this point on because: Life is now full of opportunities for growth, compassion, abundance, joy, and love.
And lastly, let’s activate the muscles in your face, and around your eyes with a genuine, joyful smile.
Feel the smile wash over your face. Notice what a simple smile can do for how you’re feeling.
Continue to smile for a few more moments.
And bring some gentle movements to your fingers.
And when you’re ready, open your eyes knowing that you are the most significant source of love in your life and other people’s lives.
Thank you for listening. We wish you joy, love, and abundance.