Loving all parts of yourself
Do you love yourself? This may seem like a simple question but it is one that many battle with.
Many of us have had many subconscious blockages towards loving ourself wholly and completely, judging ourselves too harshly, acting a role to fit in, hiding or masking your true feelings, and deep down not truly feeling worthy of an easy, abundant and love filled, enriching life. From childhood, and other lives, we can become fragmented, meaning that pasts of ourselves have been left outside, (judged, not loved, condemned for not being good enough), and thus not fully accepted and loved by yourself. Do you resonate?
To become whole again, we must learn to love and accept all parts of ourself, not simply the parts we like, but also the parts you believe you dislike or that are not good enough and are not worthy of love. You may begin firstly, by identifying these parts, and looking at where this belief came from, tracing it back to when you first felt such a feeling. Once identified and recognised, create the space to welcome the fragmented part of you back home. You may do this by holding each part that you believe you dislike, or hold in contempt, in a non-judgemental, open hearted, loving embrace. It is through acceptance that we reintegrate our fragmented parts, and reform the unified whole that we once were.
As we go deep into the healing process, we begin to encounter our shadow self, the part of us that often remains unseen, unheard and unloved. We often try to push these parts of ourselves away, or under the carpet, but the shadow remains wherever we go, and manifests in a wide variety of ways that can affect our capacity to engage in healthy relationships, and to pursue our naturally orientated gifts.
The process of loving one’s self again is not an overnight job, but rather a brick by brick task. We can come into harmony with our mental, spiritual, physical and emotional bodies and make peace with the past and the future, if we are ready to face our greatest shadow - ourselves.
A recommended daily practice is to ask
1) What do I need today to feel fulfilled?
2) How am I feeling today?
This begins the process of identifying your needs, which have often been cast aside for years, decades, so it will take some time to learn to identify yor own needs. We then progress to meeting those needs, no longer avoiding what has been called for, but giving yourself what is needed. It may be anything from giving yourself a hug, speakin gout about something you were scared of before, cooking a nice meal, sitting with a painful emotion, creating a beautiful painting or piece of art, meditating with crystals, connecting with friends or connecting with yourself, sleeping in later, learning something new. Generally, real self care work is much more than bubblebaths, good food and movies, but one step at a time. As we begin to meet our basic needs we can begin to identify our deeper needs which were previously obscured due to the basic ones not being met. As you go further and deeper into this journey, it is truly amazing what can be uncovered, as you become gradually more conscious of the unconscious. You can see where you have been simply living through conditioning and programming from society, family and other surroundings, and begin to identify which is you, and which was simply a learned behaviour, belief or way or being (reacting).
Questions as we go deeper in?
1) What belief systems have i adopted that have negatively been affecting my life? (money, relationships, genders, struggle)
2) What is really serving me and what is not?
3) What have I not been facing and why?
4) Is there anything about myself I am not happy about?
5) What do I really think of myself?
Self inquiry goes deeper and deeper, and to an open mind and a genuine truth seeker, layers and layers will be peeled back, and it will not be easy.
We may begin to observe our thoughts and emotions gradually over time rather than engaging or being consumer by them.
Self love and self care are far from selfish - quite the opposite really - because you can never really fully love and respect another until you truly do so of yourself. You can never fully be present with another until you are so with yourself. If you really wish to support others, it starts with supporting yourself. Pouring from a half empty cup - as so many of us have done - giving when we ourselves are depleted - is not serving anyone, but depleting all ultimately. The best thing you can do to contribute to global peace is through finding peace within yourself.
For some tips on self care, please check out here
Check out my Instagram page for more such tips. @artascensionbyjane