A Guide to Self-Love
There’s always a feeling around Valentine’s Day that love is in the air! But once the chocolate goes on sale, the paper hearts have been taken down, and cupid has shot all his arrows, that doesn’t mean that the love has to fizzle out. In fact, now is the perfect time to take all that love and turn some of it inwards.
There are all sorts of reasons why we may find ourselves needing a little extra loving from ourselves. Maybe you’re doing some inner healing that is taking a lot out of you right now, or maybe there have been changes in your life that have taken you away from you. Maybe you’re feeling like you’re lacking peace of mind, focus, energy, or confidence. Whatever it is, we can all use a little extra self-love. Here are some simple ways you can show yourself a little extra care and affection.
Stop Playing the Comparison Game
Have you ever found yourself scrolling through social media or watching TV and comparing yourself to whatever it is that other people are putting out there? Maybe their hair looks shinier, or their house seems like it's magically just always clean, or they have the job of your dreams and still find time to travel the world. Sound familiar? If you find yourself playing the comparison game, this is your cue to take a break. Change the channel, hit the unfollow button, or even delete the app. It doesn’t have to be forever, but it can be very liberating to remove that messaging and imagery from your line of sight.
Allow Yourself to Put You First
This one is for you people-pleasers. Now I know that it can be really tough to put yourself first, especially if you are in a position where there are people in your life who depend on you, but it's important to show yourself the same compassion and hold the same space for yourself that you do for others. Maybe it looks like at least one night a week where you don’t have to be in charge for an hour and you can take a yoga class. Maybe it's saying no to your boss when they ask you to stay late for the third day in a row. Maybe it’s 30 minutess to read a book, or watch an episode of your favourite show uninterrupted. The two strongest words to have in your arsenal when you’re exploring this step are “please” and “no”. It’s okay to ask for help, and it’s okay to refuse requests that you don’t have the time and energy for. Allow yourself to put you first.
Surround Yourself with People who Encourage Self-Love
At some point in our lives, we’ve all come across someone who doesn’t do much for our self-confidence. Whether intentional or not, the people we surround ourselves with can influence how we look at, speak about, and feel towards ourselves. That’s why it’s crucial to surround yourself with a community that cheers you on rather than tears you down. The Aura House has been built upon that essence of community — it is our foundation, our purpose, and our goal. We gather under our roof (or on our screen. Don’t worry, virtual friends. We could never forget you) to help hold each other up, to hear the stories that have until now been untold and to learn to live our lives unashamed. It’s the beauty of a studio community— we’re all there to learn to love ourselves a little more each day.
We’d like to send you off with a little self-love mantra to keep in your back pocket from our lovely founder and everyone’s top cheerleader, Lisa.
“I vow to become untethered from the patterning that no longer serves me. The love I have for myself is unbound.”
From our Auras to yours <3
Blog Post Written by Maya Price-Baker
