Self Love ~ Why We Need It

Let’s Talk About Self-Love…

I googled “self-love synonyms” the other day and was appalled at what came up on my screen: words such as “vain”, egotistical”, "self-centered”, and “stuck-up” came up first in the search results, way ahead of the positive definitions, quotes, and affirmations. Wow, really? I thought we were past that ... I guess it can be easy to forget for someone like me who is immersed in the yoga and wellness world, but the truth is that, for a lot of us, the concept and term “self-love” is still, whether we are consciously aware of it or not, a taboo.

We have all heard preconceptions such as “loving yourself and taking time for yourself is selfish” or been told - implicitly or not - “how can you miss precious time with your kids to reconnect with yourself for a day/an afternoon/ an hour?”.

Most often, though, I’ve noticed that the negative, limiting beliefs we hear come from our own ego, our “mean girl,” so to speak. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you’re weak for having these thoughts or letting them affect you. You are simply human. I used to HATE myself. I used to say - and, worse, BELIEVE- things like: I’m ugly, I’m dumb, I will never find the right partner, professional calling, my body isn’t capable of carrying to term a healthy pregnancy, and even if it did, I would be a bad mom. Heavy, right?

Listen up, my friends: what I can tell you with 100% certainty is that we were not made to suffer.

We are here on this planet, in this lifetime to thrive, work our light, give, receive, and mostly, we are here to LOVE and BE LOVED, and that includes giving and receiving our own love too. Here is another thing I know for sure, because I have experienced it: CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.

It won’t always be easy. In fact, at times it will suck, and it will feel painful. However, I don’t know a single person who did this work and regrets it. My Friend, it is up to YOU to get curious, notice, and take responsibility for the way you treat yourself. Your words, feelings, intentions and actions, the way you treat your body through movement or lack thereof, what you take in in the form of food, substances you ingest or put on your skin, information you absorb through conversations with others or through media and social media consumption all have an impact on your sense of worthiness, confidence, self-acceptance and self-esteem.

The good news is YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE. As a Yoga Teacher and Movement and Mindset Coach, I have witnessed time and time again the incredible power of release and creation that happens when a group of people come together in a safe space of 0% judgement and 100% compassion.

Love and Light, Cecile