Self Love

For much of the world, the month of February is associated with Valentine's Day. A day to acknowledge those we love around us with flowers, candy and other gifts of affection. 

But in the pursuit of mindful awareness, we understand that we must love ourselves before we can truly express our love for others.  Otherwise, our preferences, expectations and motives create detours and distractions from our efforts and we find ourselves looking outside for answers, affection and love rather then sharing our love from inside.

This month we'll address the ego's need to focus on the "other" or outside of ourselves rather than focusing inside on our self love so we can share our true, lovely self. 

Competition such as sports or job advancement, shows this outside focus. There is a need to "beat" or defeat an "opponent" rather than a focus inside on the self and being the best regardless of outcome.  And when an effort fails as it often does, the ego creates a need to blame the failure on someone or something else. We'd ever so much rather someone else to blame.

It can help tremendously to know that our ego reaction to our past existence, which for many was challenging or threatening, can made us extra cautious about avoiding danger and harm now.  

Because of past trauma held deeply in the 4 human planes we'll keep focusing outside trying to identify any danger (or opportunity) that can affect us. If we felt threatened or in danger in our past such as childhood  trauma we don't trust the outside and we want to keep it from hurting us again. 

Rather then feel safe enough to focus inside and trust the process, we only focus on the outside world looking for answers and love. We keep looking outside for potentials, both advantageous and harmful, as a survival technique. 

Our mind and ego remain over active looking to maximize success by identifying potential danger or opportunity. But this can become a full time job taking away our energy and sapping our ability to look inside and quite the mind, the body and the emotional self. 

The whole concept of mindfulness, consciousness and awareness is to be at peace with what is and flow in harmony and acceptance with what comes.  This  is diametrically opposite to the entrenched survival mechanism we have created to keep ourselves safe. 

Take a breath, take another. Let yourself relax and sink into being aware without having to control. Let yourself be conscious without fear. Be at peace without having the answer to everything. 

Allow yourself to be present even for just a moment and reconnect with your true self; aware, conscious and mindful. Only that. 

Next time, we'll offer methods and practices that can help us find the inner peace and self love we all seek.

Peace and Blessings

Acharya SukhiSarvAikya