It's time to bloom: Top 10 Tips for Practicing Self-love this Spring!

Spring is upon us and it's time to say good-bye to Winter but not without first showing gratitude for the time it gave us to go inward, reflect, contemplate, plan and regroup. Winter is a beautiful and cozy time not only physically but emotionally and as we jump into Spring, let's take the wisdom we gained and walk into this next chapter of our lives with appreciation and confidence! 

In early march we experienced the Spring or Vernal Equinox and the first New Moon of Spring and it was in the sign of Aries which is in the element of Fire and this probably infused you and your projects with a new burst energy! And many cultures still consider March as the actual new year which explains why you may be feeling new year vibes all around you and have the desire to go out and make things happen! 

Spring is here and the energy is in the air!

Use this energy to fuel your desires. The beginning of a new season are a perfect time to plant new seeds.

You can review your vision board, see what you've already accomplished then journal, make a list or create a mind map of what you want to create next. 

As you soak in all this new energy, its a perfect time to instill some new self-love practices or strengthen ones you already have.

Here are my Top 10 Tips for Practicing Self-love this Spring!

1. It’s natural to have self-doubt, especially if you feel you’ve made a “mistake.” The best thing to do is to keep your head up. You are only able to make mistakes if you are taking steps towards something, so acknowledge yourself for having the courage to at least take the steps. “Sometimes you just gotta choose to treat yourself like you would treat your own best friend and keep moving forward.” 

2. One of my best tips if you slip up on something is to practice self-compassion and recommit. As easy as it might still be for you to get stuck in a spiral of negative self-talk, it’s important to start interrupting this pattern that doesn’t serve you. There’s nothing worse than beating yourself up for making what you think now is a mistake. “What you think is a “mistake” might be the best thing that ever happened to you.” 

3. Curate who you follow online: You don’t have to unfollow all the stereotypical indulgences you might partake in but follow those who demonstrate the values or goals you aspire to and soak in the wisdom that will benefit the steps you are currently taking on your journey. 

4. Set aside some alone time — A time to disconnect from work or social obligations and enjoy quiet moments with yourself preferably with a good book: two of my all time favorites that I always recommend are, "The Power of Now" by Eckart Tolle, and "The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer." 

5. Add an indulgent self-care practice to your routine. Find yourself a masseuse: allowing yourself to receive care and attention is an excellent way to express self-love. Trust me, what you think is indulgent now will soon become a staple in your life.

6. When it comes to exercising, just do it: People exercise for all kinds of reasons, but it's not about “working out” more than it is about movement. Moving your body regularly is what to focus on vs just losing weight, for example. If you’re having trouble finding something active to do, pick something you enjoyed when you were a kid, like dancing.

7. Drink more water! Sometimes self-love isn’t sexy at all. “Honestly, does anything feel better than being hydrated? Some days that’s my biggest win!” 

8. Dive into what it would feel like to live your dream life: Do this everyday even if for just 5 minutes. Use all your senses while you envision it. Start getting used to what it feels like to be there because you will be there soon enough! Allow yourself to dream free of any judgment or limitation.

9. Run your own race! It’s really easy to compare ourselves to others when we look around, but you gotta remember that they have completely different circumstances and opportunities. Besides, haven't you noticed when you compare yourself to others you are usually comparing their best qualities against your average ones? “Always remember that the thing that you’re better at than anyone else in the entire world is, being you!” 

10. Clean out your space! They don't call it Spring Cleaning for nothing! Now is the perfect time for this. By bringing your dwelling spaces into full integrity it raises your vibration, fuels your motivation and brings you joy!

Ultimately, self-love is about you, and no one knows how to love yourself better than you.

If anything here doesn’t work, try something new. Everyone is different and requires a different formula for what makes them feel good.

“There’s a quote I refer to often which goes, “follow your bliss.

It reminds us to follow what makes us feel good and I believe if you do this, eventually you will land on the perfect self-love practices for you. Sending you all my love during this Spring season! I am rooting for your success!

What it takes to bring Happiness into your Everyday Life

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life. To be happy. It’s all that matters.” – Audrey Hepburn

My definition of what happiness means has evolved over the years and now for me it means feeling healthy, feeling loved and feeling peace. Ten years ago, I would have read this quote and thought happiness meant grabbing my high heels and pulling an all-niter or seeking attention from unavailable men but all these activities just left me feeling empty and drained. A weekend of so called “happiness” would send me reeling into a week of sadness, loneliness, depression, guilt and unhappiness, of all things.

I would wonder, “Why do I feel so bad if I just did all the things that were supposed to make me feel good?” I slowly began to realize that the things I had chosen and the ideas that I had inherited about happiness did not work for me anymore. After finding myself in enough compromising situations, I began making small shifts.

The first and most important shift I made was to set the intention that I loved me more. I decided no matter what, that I loved me enough to put myself first from now on. Little by little I began choosing activities that filled me up and scenarios that I wanted rather than those that were expected of me or requested of me.

I began choosing me first and although it was difficult at first, the more I did it, the easier it got. Little by little, I began carving out a life for myself. A life that I was happy living, day in and day out, all the time. That’s the type of self-generated joy that created a deep well of security within me that keeps my soul nourished.

But it takes effort. It doesn’t just happen. I had to fight for what I wanted and put myself first even when I had to go against the grain. And it paid off. I wouldn’t trade what I feel inside today for a million dollars.

Nourish yourself and your desires. Find happiness within. Begin your journey.