With Valentine's Day approaching, it's important to remember that love extends far beyond just romantic relationships. This year, let's shift our focus to the most essential and transformative love of all - self-love. Nurturing self-love is the key to honouring your true essence and thriving in every aspect of life. Whether you're single or in a relationship, embracing self-love is a beautiful way to celebrate you.
In this blog post, we explore 10 practices that can help you embrace your worth and cultivate self-love. Self-love is an ongoing journey of self-discovery and growth. By incorporating these practices into your daily routine, you create space for self-love to flourish and radiate in all areas of your life. Embrace the beauty of self-love this Valentine's Day and every day - you deserve it!
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In this blog post, we'll explore the incredible benefits of appreciation and how to incorporate gratitude into your daily life. Appreciation allows you to shift your focus from scarcity to abundance, bringing joy and a new perspective. By practicing gratitude, you start noticing the little things that make your heart happy and experience the magic of appreciation.
OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW
I love this quote by Dolly Parton. My daughter Chloe found this while making a collage for our family as a Christmas present this year. It’s amazing that I’m taking inspiration from an 11 year old. Makes me a proud mama! 💕 I also love this picture of my daughter Samantha when she was only 4 years old. Very fitting for Dolly’s insights don’t you agree? This quote is a wonderful metaphor in reflection of this tumultuous 2020 as we head into a brighter 2021! We’ve had a lot of ‘rain’ in 2020 and I think we are looking forward to the ‘rainbows’ up ahead.
Sometimes it’s hard to see beyond the rain. It’s dark and gloomy and we don’t want to go outside, be uncomfortable or get wet. So we wait for the rain to pass until we can enjoy the sunshine again. Sometimes, it’s in those moments of being uncomfortable (“rain”) that we realize our greatest strengths, or find ways to do things a little differently. Of course in those moments, it’s a prime opportunity to find things to be grateful for.
The rain and rainbows can have different meanings for everyone. One may look at this quote and think that you have to suffer to be worthy of joy. I personally don’t look at it that way. I think when we realize it’s raining, it gives us an opportunity to shift gears, reflect and make changes so the rainbows can appear.
For me, my rain is my emotions. I hold onto emotions that keep me scared, nervous and living small. So, my rainbow appears when I let go of my own limiting beliefs.
AN EXERCISE TO HELP YOU LET GO OF WHAT’S NOT SERVING YOU ANYMORE
Here is a great exercise that I’ve led in past workshops. This is perfect to close out the year and start a new one!
Take a piece of paper, and write down what no longer serves you (your rain). These could be emotions, habits, relationships or anything that you don’t want to take with you into the new year. These are some of mine.....
- Once you’ve written them down, say goodbye to the paper, rip it up and throw it away. If you have a wood stove or fireplace going, you could toss in the paper for added drama 😉
Now, write down your rainbows 🌈 Here are some of mine.....
It helps to put your rainbows in a place where you can see them to remind you everyday what you want to focus on. A great way to do this would be to create a virtual or actual vision board. This helps to visualize the life you want to live!I hope you enjoy this exercise. It’s not something you have to save for the end of the year. You can do this anytime you need to let go of something.
Wishing you a joyful, happy, healthy and abundant new year! 👏🏼💕
xo,
Bonnie
By the way...if you liked this post, click the link below to get access to my FREE Yoga Nidra Guided meditation for relaxation.
The information presented here is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The information in this post is subject to interpretation and is an expression of opinion. It is not intended for, and does not replace professional, medical, legal, business, and/or health related opinions and advice. It is not a substitute for counselling or any other type of therapy, or medical advice from qualified professionals.
These days it's tough to be thankful for things when you're so limited as to what you can and can't do. We're struggling because we can't visit family and friends and get together like we used to. Even shopping is a scary experience. I used to love shopping, now I feel like my homemade mask isn't haute couteur enough and my hands are so sweaty wearing those uncomfortable plastic gloves that I only used to wear when I used to dye my hair....
All grey hair kidding aside, this is also a time to be grateful for the things we do have. Being home with my husband and daughters has made me realize that gratitude is something we need to practice now more than ever before. For years, I've always told my kids that when you complain, you'll have more things in your life to complain about; BUT, when you're grateful, you'll have more things to be grateful for.
Below are three simple ways to practice gratitude with your own family.
1. If you're like my family right now....you're probably eating three meals a day together.....At your next meal, go around the table and have everyone state something they're grateful for and why. It's a fun way to think about what you're appreciating in that moment, and I guarantee once you start doing this, you'll come up with more than just one thing you're thankful for. Try and practice this approach to gratitude at least once a day.
2. Find a journal (this is easy....like how many empty notebooks are lying around your house right now....you know you've got 'em). Your kids can make this a special gratitude journal by painting or colouring the outside, or even putting stickers on it. When putting them to bed at night, together, write three things you're grateful for that happened that day. You may think that you'll repeat the same thoughts, but you can always find different things to be thankful for - like the sunshine and air we breathe or how about the fact that routine bed times are a thing of the past.....
3. Make your next family game night a game of gratitude where you state something you're thankful for but hasn't actually happened yet - this sounds crazy, I know, but hear me out.......Example, if you wish you were in sunny Mexico right now, you could say "I'm so grateful that I'm in Mexico on this beautiful beach enjoying my delicious pina colada". Or maybe one of your kids wishes they could have a big pool party.....it could be something like this..."I'm so thankful that I'm doing cannon balls in the pool with my best buds" You get the idea. This is a fantastic way to get your family's spirits up and imaginations flowing. Sometimes just thinking we are in those situations and being grateful in that moment can shift our energy to feelings of joy and excitement. And who doesn't need a positive shift right now - am I right, or am I right?
I hope you can find ways to cherish the time you have together. We always want more time to spend with our families, so if you're home now with your family, take this opportunity to express your gratitude; and your time together will be so much more enriched and enjoyable.
xo,
Bonnie
By the way...if you liked this post, click the link below to get access to my FREE Yoga Nidra Guided meditation for relaxation.
The information presented here is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The information in this post is subject to interpretation and is an expression of opinion. It is not intended for, and does not replace professional, medical, legal, business, and/or health related opinions and advice. It is not a substitute for counselling or any other type of therapy, or medical advice from qualified professionals.
