When was the last time you said “I love you” to yourself? Are you hearing crickets? Not to worry….I think most of us struggle to answer this question. After all, self love is not really something that we are taught, yet learning how to fully love and accept yourself is perhaps our greatest life lesson. When we embrace a sense of unconditional support for ourselves, we open our hearts to a new level of compassion, happiness and overall life satisfaction. This all sounds so great, but practicing self love can be challenging for many of us which is why I want to share a really simple way to incorporate self love into your life everyday. And all you need is a mirror!
If you think about it, you are probably already practicing some form of self love. Our actions most certainly exemplify our love. Eating whole foods, exercising, getting enough sleep are all ways to show your body some love. I know they say actions speak louder than words, but when it comes to self love, I think our words pack a much bigger punch! For example, when you look in the mirror are you being kind to your body and soul or do you beat yourself up with critical thoughts? Lately, I have beating myself up. When I look in the mirror, I go straight for the jugular! I start critiquing everything from my sagging eyelids to the dark circles to the drooping jowl lines and that is just my face!! Once I start down that rabbit hole, my whole demeanor begins to change. My shoulders slump and I start to feel grumpy. Has this ever happened to you? What if we simply changed our inner dialogue? Think about how different we would feel if we stopped the criticisms and started saying “I love you” every time we looked in the mirror. Those 3 little words have the potential to change everything!
That is the theory behind the water crystal experiments conducted by Masaru Emoto. Dr. Emoto is a Japanese scientist who brought to light the idea that our thoughts and intentions impact our physical being. In 1994, Masaru started to study the crystals in pure distilled frozen water. He observed the development of crystals in four ways – placing letters under the water; playing music; showing pictures and praying to the water. When the pictures, words, music and prayers were loving, the result was the formation of beautiful white crystals. On the other hand, when the pictures, words, music and prayers were sad or angry or hateful, the crystals were jagged, dark and disfigured. Dr. Emoto’s life work spanned over 20 years until he passed away is 2014. He published many books during this time. In fact, The Hidden Messages in Waterwas a New York Times bestseller.
When I first learned of these experiments, I was fascinated. I started to write words like love, believe, hope, and happiness on my water bottles, but I never made the connection with my own inner dialogue. If thoughts and words can change the structure of water, think about the possibilities in your own body. After all, our bodies are made up of mostly water so it makes sense that we have the ability to create our own beautiful “crystals.” And, it is easier than you think!
Recently, I discovered something called “mirror work” and I have been doing it for about a month now. Here’s how I do it….when I look in the mirror first thing in the morning, instead of judging myself, I look directly into my eyes and say “I love you.” This may be a challenge….it certainly was for me. In fact, the first few times I did this my body felt rigid and I struggled to say the words. But after a day or two, my body relaxed and I got really close to the mirror so I could look directly into my eyes and I repeatedly said “I love you.” I watched how my face lit up and my whole body softened as I said those three simple words. I no longer focused on my imperfections. Instead, I went beyond the surface and embraced every part of my being. Now, whenever I feel a negative thought creeping in, I simply say “I love you” and it overrides the negative thought. Trust me…it really is that easy!
Are you ready to give yourself some lovin’? Are you ready to let go of the judgments, open your heart and fall in love with who you are in this very moment? When we accept ourselves exactly as we are and embrace self love, it becomes easier to love and accept others exactly as they are. Isn’t that what it’s really all about? To love and be loved. So, let’s change that inner dialogue and tap into the deep reservoir of love that exists in all of us. All is takes is 3 words!!
