We hear so much about self-love and the importance of taking care of ourselves these days, but what does that really mean? What does it look like and how do we truly embody loving ourselves fully? With anything, there are many different components and levels of creating healthy daily self-love practices to maintain a well-balanced lifestyle.

In this article, I’m going to share with you the importance of a holistic approach to self-love and self-care, and my favorite daily self-love practices you can start today!

We consist of three major aspects: mind, body, and soul. It’s important that we address each one of these aspects as a whole.

Some things are commonly well-known facts and other things I will be sharing may come as a surprise. My intention in writing this article is to inspire, educate and to provide reminders of the benefits of creating very doable healthy habits of self-love.

6 Self-Love Daily Practices

1.Mindfulness

A great place to start in creating a self-love/self-care routine is MINDFULNESS.

Everything starts within. Our minds literally dictate the outer reality of our worlds. When our minds are filled with senseless ramblings, toxic conversations, non-stop stress and worry, repetitive thoughts from the past and obsessing over small things it affects our overall health tremendously.

How you think and how you feel creates your state of being. Be intentional in your behaviors, actions, and reactions.

Set the intention for yourself to expand your awareness and knowledge of being mindful and watch how quickly information comes into your sphere. Make a commitment to loving yourself on a deeper level.

A great resource on ways to unlock your brain’s full potential is Dr. Joe Dispenza author of “You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter“.

His studies have proven that meditation and mindfulness when well-practiced can put us on the path to understanding and breaking deep-rooted bad habits and even illnesses.

For more about mindfulness and learning to cultivate a practice see our article “Meditations For Beginners: Best Ways To Start Your Practice” to assists you in beginning and maintaining your meditation practice.

Learn about the Law of attraction and how it works and how you can work with it.

2. Spiritual and Physical Diet

What you feed your spiritual body and your physical temple is as important as mindfulness.

Many religions and spiritual communities speak of the importance of maintaining a clean healthy diet and the reason for that is because our vessels operate more effectively when we are free of toxic chemicals and processed foods. We thrive with living organic whole foods that are free of pesticides and endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors consist of synthetic chemicals that are in products like plastics and fragrances can mimic hormones and interfere with or disrupt the delicate endocrine dance. We’re exposed to these chemicals daily.

Here’s a list of things you can do to lower your exposure:

• wash your hands frequently avoiding fragrances and anti-bacterial soaps;
• avoid perfumes and highly fragrant cleaning products and soaps. Use therapeutic grade essential oils instead;
• use glass instead of plastic. Any time you’re in the market for something plastic research for safer alternatives;
• dust and vacuum floors and furniture often;
• try to avoid cans and canned foods, instead choose fresh, frozen or dried foods;
• filter your tap water;
• rethink your cosmetics and buy from companies that are dedicated to creating clean, non-toxic and cruelty-free products;
• clean smarter, buying from companies that voluntarily disclose their ingredients look for the “Safe Choice Label” or make homemade cleaners using baking soda and vinegar which are healthy and effective cleaners.

Spiritual Diet

Now let’s talk about a spiritual diet! It consists of anything you take in through your five senses: smell, sight, sound, touch, taste.

You may ask why is this so important to our journey of self-love? Here’s why; everything we take into our spiritual bodies gets stored and recorded in some fashion.

For example, if you watch a scary movie filled with lots of violence you may often find yourself having nightmares and this is because we have fed this into our psyche and it gets stored in our subconscious.

When we listen to hardcore lyrics and that are filled with violent suggestions and disrespectful lyrics we are more inclined to be aggressive and desensitized to things that are harmful to our spirit.

It’s important to fill your spirit with loving, positive and kind images, sounds, smells and tastes.

We live in a world filled with violent and depraved imagery that our television shows, movies, and video games are full of. It has quite frankly become the norm but in reality, our bodies and nervous systems respond to the hurtful and violent imagery as though it is real.

Develop a practice of tuning into pleasant and more palatable information.

I’m certainly one to practice moderation in all things and I’m not suggesting that you can completely shield or rid yourself from unpleasant sights, sounds, tastes and smells, but what I am suggesting is to be mindful and set personal boundaries that ensure that you are feeding your soul food that is enhancing as opposed to limiting or harmful.

3. Sleep Well

In the last few years, there has been a surge of information coming out about how critical it is that we get the proper amount of rest required for high functionality.

In today’s world, it has become fashionable to work and play as hard as you can push yourself. It’s become unpopular to sleep. It’s been programmed in our society that we should be pushing ourselves to do more, to take on more, to keep pushing through our exhaustion at the cost of our health.

We have to begin re-writing this program. We have to educate ourselves and develop healthy practices that allow us to get the optimal amount of rest needed for us to be able to live in our highest expression.

4. Physical Exercise

In today’s world, we see such a polarity where exercise and physical activity is a concern. It seems like people are either fitness fanatics or extremely sedentary. It’s vital that you create a well-balanced exercise routine that is customized around your interests and things that inspire you.

One of the reasons I feel getting inspire to be more active can be such a slow process is because people tend to think in limiting ways of being active. It does not always have to be a gym membership or a yoga class, although those activities are great too if that’s what you’re inspired by. I find what works best is doing things that make you happy while you are participating in them and things that give you a sense of stress release. Ideally, you want to do things that give you a well-rounded exposure to increase your heart rate, blood flow, moving energy through your body, increasing flexibility, sense of calm and creating joy.

There are so many healthy activities that increase your self-care practice.

Here is a list of things that may pique your interest:

• dancing;
• swimming;
• aerobics;
• pilates;
• tai chi;
• martial arts;
• walking in nature;
• yoga;
• sports;
• stretching;
• calisthenics;
• jumping rope;
• skating;
• hiking.

My point here is that if you get involved in something that you really enjoy vs. just straight forward exercise you will be more likely to be consistent and it won’t feel like a chore that you dread. We all go through times of feeling unmotivated or sluggish. A great suggestion is to remind yourself that you deserve to live a healthy lifestyle in a healthy body.

Also trying new things and learning new skill sets will enhance your mindset towards getting involved in exercise activities.

If you are on a tight budget and can’t afford classes, memberships and extracurricular things YouTube will be your best friend. There’s a teacher with free content for literally everything you could possibly be interested in. Research your App Store it’s a great tool for finding apps that help you get involved and track your progress as well.

5. Expand your knowledge

By expanding your awareness you will naturally enhance your vitality. Sometimes we get complacent in what we think we already know. We are stuck in limiting patterns and mindsets.

Challenge yourself to grow! This can also be done in so many ways. Here are some things that really aide in strengthening your self-care practices:

Journaling

• allows you to express emotions
• self-dialogue
• enhance writing skills
• promotes inner creativity
• personal growth
• memories to remember
• increases abilities to problem solve

Drawing, painting and creating art

• Improves memory
• Release of hidden emotions
• Stress relief
• Increase of emotional intelligence
• Improved communication skills

Reading self-help books or hobby related reading

• Puts you on a path where you can read, practice strategies learned, and make improvements in your life without having to ask others
• Creates inspiration
• Fine-tunes your hobbies and skill-related activities
• Increases your intellect

Learning new languages

• Makes you a more effective communicator
• Could improve memory
• Encourages cultural appreciation
• Enhance concentration, better listening skills, increases the ability to multi-task
• Boost your confidence
• Gain new perspectives
• Awakens neural pathways

Learning how to play instruments

• Reduces stress
• Produces patience & perseverance
• Increases memory capability
• Uses almost every part of the brain
• Develops music appreciation
• Cultivates creativity
• Strengthens immune system

Taking voice lessons/singing

• Singing is a natural antidepressant
• Improves your posture
• Singing is a workout
• Lowers your stress levels
• Singing aids in good nights rest.

6. Pamper Yourself

Pampering yourself may be one of the most pleasurable self-care acts to make a priority in your life. Treating yourself to a variety of self-loving actions to improve your overall well being is very important to your vitality.

Many of us make excuses that we don’t have the time or extra money but in fact, there are many inexpensive at-home therapies you can do for yourself and you have to prioritize your me-time. Maybe instead of watching your favorite tv show or working an extra hour on a project, you can choose to give back to yourself first.

You can do small self-care acts daily as well as setting aside at least one day a week that is purely dedicated to pampering yourself.

Small acts go a long way. Daily presence with yourself takes little effort.

It could be something as small as having a cup of herbal tea and enjoying a few moments of silence. Taking a short walk and saying affirmations. Taking a nap, listening to relaxing music, reading a few chapters of your favorite book, pulling weeds in your garden, planting seeds in your garden, spending quality time with your pets, cutting fresh flowers and making floral arrangements to beautify your space. There are literally endless amounts of things you can do.

Here are some of my daily and weekly go to’s :

#1 Gua Sha Facials

#2 Exfoliating

#3 Salt baths

#4 Ocean swimming/floating

#5 Fascia rolling

#6 Self mani/pedicures

#7 Deep hair conditioning

#8 Face masks

#9 Home yoga

#10 Organizing my home

#11 Decorating my home

#12 Decluttering

Other really great things that you can do to pamper yourself is getting reiki, massages, acupuncture, cupping, floating in deprivation tanks, and getting network spinal treatments, the lists go on and on!

The Bottom Line

The beauty of self-love is that you get to choose how you show up for yourself and the choices are limitless and the benefits are profound. Self-care is anything that enhances your mood increases your vitality supports your well-being.

I hope you find inspiration and motivation to create a routine of positive self-loving things you can get excited about and experience the goodness of how it feels to look and feel good in your body, mind, and soul.

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In everyday communication, it is not so important how smart, wise or spiritual we are as much as what frequency the communication takes place on. The frequency of communication is influenced by many factors such as the emotions and feelings we express, the words we choose, how we build phrases, our intentions, our energy, mood, and more. In this article, I will share with you what conscious communication is and effective tips you can use to master it!

What Is Conscious Communication?

Conscious communication is a way of talking and listening that is focused on growing strong, mutually enriching relationships.

A key principle of conscious communication is to make it as easy as possible for the other person to satisfy your needs by asking for a specific behavior that will fulfill it.

When people feel vulnerable, they usually often try to compensate for it by becoming demanding and threatening. They are convinced that forcefulness will increase the likelihood of getting what they want. However, this approach usually has the opposite effect, leading to conflict situations and misunderstandings. Some people feel unaccepted. Others feel pressure and violation of personal boundaries. As a rule, such things lead to ruining relationships.

The Secret Of Conscious Communication

So what is the secret of conscious communication?

According to Yogi Bhajan, we need to strive for pure, intuitive communication, without hidden meaning and desire to benefit from dialogue, without trying to convict the interlocutor of falsehood or being wrong. We also need to elevate people around us, to give them a chance to see and be aware of themselves from the outside on their own.

“When you speak unconsciously, you represent your emotions, your feelings, your neuroses, your handicaps, your shortcomings, and your insecurities. When you speak subconsciously, you are a con-person, you are a thief, you are a cheat, you manipulate, you are dishonest. All you want is to win the moment or impress the moment. Such people are never true to a bigger picture; they are never real in their lives. When you speak consciously, that which you speak about happens. When you speak super-consciously from the supreme self of you, that becomes the guiding line for the Universe. Then the akashic record has to move with that angle.” – Yogi Bhajan

8 Tips On Conscious Communication

Tip #1: Practice Self-Observation

Conscious dialogue, first of all, involves observing yourself during the communication process. It includes the understanding of what emotions and feelings are hidden behind each spoken phrase. Moreover, we need to be aware of what exactly motivates us to be involved in this dialogue and what we want to achieve as a result.

All these factors affect our voice tone, facial expressions, and gestures. Therefore, it is very important to monitor the reaction of the body, to feel the emotions that guide us in the process of dialogue.

Tip #2: Keep Emotional Neutrality And Inner Silence

Neutrality does not mean that we need to get rid of feelings, but it means that all our emotional manifestations are under observation. It is like control, not in the sense of “I restrain myself,” but in the sense of “I observe myself from the outside.”

You might notice how radically your speech changes if you conduct a dialogue from the point of irritation and fear. I’m sure you know that feeling of how it is difficult to agree when there are a hidden resistance and unwillingness to compromise.

Therefore, internal neutrality allows not only to say the necessary words but also to monitor everything you say, every influence on the change of the mood of the dialogue.

Tip #3: Be Aware Of What Chakra The Dialogue Is Coming From

Every conversation we have is connected to a certain chakra. This energetical connection is very important since it affects the energy of the whole conversation and your interlocutor can sense it.

If we speak from the first energy center (Muladhara chakra), our speech can be unnecessarily cautious. However, in a state of anger, our speech can be rough.

When we speak from the second energy center (Svadhisthana chakra), our speech is soft, sometimes – sexual.

If we speak from the third energy center (Manipura chakra), the conversation acquires persistence, the effect of pressure.

When we speak from the fourth energy center (Anahata chakra), we present ourselves from the heart. In this case, our words are colored by emotions. Sometimes it prevents us from seeing the objective truth.

If we speak from the fifth energy center (Vishuddha chakra), we sound like diplomats with a structured analytical mindset.

When we speak from the sixth energy center (Ajna chakra), our speech turns into an endless stream. If communication is based on your Third eye chakra it usually brings more truth into conversation. This type of communication is based on intuition and empathy.

Tip #4: Surrender To The Circumstances

The main rule of tantric practices is: to win by surrendering to the situation, circumstances.

Use this rule in communication if there is a dispute. This will help to find the right words, build a dialogue. Release all emotions inside yourself, surrender to circumstances and watch the result.

Meditation is an important assistant in communication. Here we not only calm our emotions, reach a state of neutrality, but also learn to be aware of our space, boundaries, observe our reactions in the process of dialogue.

In this state of balance, communication becomes constructive, and there is a stable ability to timely select the right words and competently build the entire dialogue.

Tip #5: Take Responsibility For Your Feelings

When describing your feelings, choose words that express the sensations you’re experiencing, such as: “I feel sad”, or “I feel frustrated”, or “I feel lonely”, etc. Avoid words that describe you as a victim, such as: “I feel betrayed”, or “I feel rejected”, or “I feel neglected”, etc. These “victimizing” words suggest that someone else is responsible for your feelings. When you take responsibility for your feelings and emotions, you are informing rather than blaming the people.

Tip #6: Keep The Message Positive

Under no circumstances are you required to speak negatively. Make sure that your speech doesn’t sound offensive. Neither should you speak in a way that would be just buttering. Speaking should be neither overdoing nor under-doing nor super-positive nor super-negative.

Keep in mind that communication is just vibration. Therefore, pay attention to what frequency you are vibrating. Keep producing positive vibrations and don’t allow a conversation to turn to in a negative way. A conscious person talks with absolute dignity and faith.

Tip #7: Ask For What You Want

What specific behaviors or actions would fulfill your needs? For instance, if you want more attention from your partner, do not just ask him/her to spend more time with you. Instead, ask him/her to take you for a walk after dinner, or go to a movie on Saturday night. Express your need in the form of a request rather than a demand. Everyone has an inherent impulse to resist demands, whereas our self-esteem goes up when we’re able to fulfill requests.

Although using this process doesn’t guarantee that you’ll always get what you need, it will substantially increase the likelihood that you will spend more time feeling comfortable and at ease and less time in emotional distress.

Tip #8: Be Conscious Of Timing

Timing can make a big difference. Sometimes it can be just as important as how and what you say. For example, it is usually not a good idea to bring up sensitive topics right before a meal when blood sugar is low. It is also not a good idea to bring up issues in the heat of the moment when you or the interlocutor is angry and hurt. It would be a good idea to find a good time for both. This conveys mutual respect and sets the stage for a productive discussion.

Conclusion

Conscious communication is an inner driven focus to grow strong and mutually enriching relationships. Remember that conscious communication includes not just conscious speaking but conscious listening. Like giving and receiving, the effects of how you talk are inseparable from how you listen.

Have you ever met someone who made you feel like you are looking at a mirror image of yourself? That liberating and confident feeling that makes you forget, even for a moment what weighs on your mind when this other person is nearby. Could it be that there is a spiritual connection between you?

How can you tell?

Well, the spiritual bonds between people are more prevalent than you may think. In this article, we’ll share the tale-tell signs of spiritual connections. Let’s get to it!

11 Signs of Spiritual Connection

#1 You Feel Tranquil in Each Other’s Presence or Thoughts

Picture this: You are going through a nervous time and feel the urge to share it with someone. Who comes to your mind? Equally, you are eager about your current situation, but just one touch from this person makes you feel that all will be well.

Most probably, you share a spiritual connection with this soul.

Admittedly, persons sharing a spiritual connection rarely experience that awkward moment when together. Instead, they are comfortable in each other’s presence.

#2 You Withhold Nothing from Each Other

Do you know a person who makes you feel comfortable in your skin? Regardless of how long you’ve been together, both of you seem to know each other inside out, literally. In turn, you find it hard keeping secrets from each other. This other person makes it easy for you to deal with a dark past that you have been avoiding throughout your life. This sign shows that the two of you have a spiritual connection.

#3 Intimacy Beyond Physical Intimacy

Often, when you meet your twin flame, you value your shared rendezvous equally as the sexual life. Hence, sex becomes only one part of the bonding. Others may mention that finding someone who grasps their intellectual outlook is enough or better than sharing a bed every night. For such persons, intimacy is knowing that they can be helpless in each other’s presence and feel safe about it.

#4 Time Flies When You Are Together

Who is that person you find yourself talking to and switching from one topic to another endlessly without any of you getting bored? Furthermore, you always mesmerize yourself how much pour out from your lips or thoughts when you are near this person. It’s almost like he/she taps into that part of your mind that translates your imaginations into flowing words. In turn, you find yourself losing track of time when talking to them.

#5 You Share Some Unique Virtues

When two people have a spiritual bond, they tend to be honest with each other. They listen to each other in an empathic way and have mutual respect’s limits. Furthermore, such a person easily interacts with the other through open and meaningful talks. Hence, if you find it effortless to share such traits with another, chances are you have a spiritual connection with that person.

#6 Have Similar Goals and Expectations

When two persons have similar life goals, they have the same perspective about their future. Hence, they build a sound relationship with solid family values. Moreover, having a spiritual connection makes it effortless to pursue a common goal.

On the contrary, persons who lack such a connection tend to work against each other’s efforts. With time, they find their careers and family life stagnating.

#7 He/She ‘Steals’ Your Thoughts

Persons with a spiritual connection may find that they come up with similar ideas and thoughts. Think about it: You come up with a creative idea. However, before you implement it, the other person will suggest something very similar to it.

Has he/she stolen your grand ideas?

No. It only shows the two of you are spiritually connected.  Knowing this fact will save you heartaches and misunderstandings in your relationships.

#8 You Communicate In Silence

Do you have this special someone who you feel can read your mind? He/she says what you are about to say or tends to finish your sentences. Persons with a spiritual connection tend to understand each other’s feelings without uttering a word. Often, they know how they feel about each other but may lack words to define it.

Besides, when something is not right with the other person, they can sense it even when they are miles apart. Such silent communication makes the spiritual connection very special between loved ones. They can comfort each other without interrogating one another.

#9 You Trust Blindly

If ever you find yourself giving into this other person’s advice or ideas without even blinking an eye, you could be spiritually connected. However, being naive should not be confused with a spiritual connection. Assuredly, the spiritual connection removes any doubt you may have about the other person. In turn, you find yourself submitting to him/her.

#10 Laughter in Every Conversation

Yes. You may not be talking about a jovial topic, but you feel your soul smiling back to every word you hear from this other person. It’s almost like the talks make you feel lighter. Hence, you tend to have a familiar sense of humor.

#11 Your Gut Feeling Tells You So

Sometimes, all you need to confirm a spiritual bond with another person is by following your instincts. What does your gut feeling say? Do you feel this is the person who fills the void you’ve been battling with all this time? Does their presence overshadow everything else? Do you see things falling into place with them in the picture? Then, you should trust your intuition on this.

Conclusion

Spiritual connection with another person is a plus in any conscious relationship. Still, whereas you can grow fond of each other, intimacy is no guarantee of a spiritual link between you. Persons relating in husband/wife, child/parent, or boyfriend/girlfriend roles may be tolerating each other to conform to the norms. In contrast, having a deep affinity with another is more profound than this.

Yes.

It goes beyond the gender and current relationship.  Plus, it can be formed or lost with time. Therefore, it’s necessary to know if you have a spiritual connection with someone. That way, you’ll strive towards growing this bond.