Care for yourself - a practice

Welcome to February, when the shops are full of red hearts, flowers and chocolates. Yes, it is cheesy and commercialised beyond words but I feel Valentine’s Day offers the opportunity to show our love to those we care about. You have guessed it, I am a hopeless romantic. After all I met the love of my life in a turkey factory, so I have seen that love can be found in the most unexpected places!

While it is lovely to extend our love outwards, I want to use these words to encourage you to consider the quality of love you show to yourself. Do you find it easier to give rather than receive? Maybe you have realised that when we only give we become depleted and worn out? 

What is your inner chat like, especially when you make mistakes or your body isn’t quite how you want it to be? Louise Hay’s books invite the reader to make eye contact with themselves in the mirror daily and say the words “I love you”. If we cultivate the love we have for ourselves, surely the love we offer others is more likely to be authentic? How would our world change if each of us took time to genuinely care about ourselves?

So, the invitation is to consider what things you could do this February to show that you care deeply for yourself. Are you craving some time in nature? Does your body need more rest? When is the last time you had a good belly laugh? Perhaps the love for yourself will lead you to Maitri Studio where the brilliant team there offer classes and other services to help you carve out time to care for yourself.

To get you started the following is a gentle heart-centred breathing practice. Sit quietly, with one or both hands on the centre of your chest (or rest the hands in your lap). Feel the breath gently filling the centre of your chest from front to back as you breathe in and the chest relax as you breathe out. As you continue begin to notice the breath also moving into the sides of your chest, creating space between your ribs. After a few of these breaths sit quietly breathing normally, with a soft smile on your lips. How do you feel now?

Whatever you do this February I wish you every happiness and much love.

Maggie Mc Carney

(Maggie teaches Gentle Breath-led Yoga on Wednesday mornings and Chi Me on Friday mornings at Maitri Studio - read her profile page here)