Tag: louise hay

Broken Open

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You have the power to heal your life, and you need to know that. We think so often that we are helpless, but we’re not. We always have the power of our minds…Claim and consciously use your power.
― Louise L. Hay

It was at the age of 21 when the foundations beneath her started shaking. Nothing like this ever happened before. Within the last year of University is when life got very real. The month was December; her grandmother had just passed away. She was in the midst of writing mid-terms, and on her way to a family wedding In Europe. She did not understand the implications of everything that was happening to her internally, until her body began to send her signs. All those events caused this soul to evaluate her life as she became broken open.

From the experiences in December, it caused upheavals to her mind, body and spirit. Things fell apart and needed to at that point in life. She was shattered into a million pieces. Fear and anxiety got a hold of her, and it felt like a lifelong sentence. This soul had to confront her past and make peace with it. She was quite good at pretending everything was fine and that nothing bothered her internally. It was now time to confront everything that she had avoided. It was essentially time to let go and walk forward.

What is anxiety? It is living in the past and not being centred in the totality of the present moment. Everything that happened to you is over now. I will not go into medical terms, physiological effects, or statistics; however there are many of us who have experienced these symptoms. You will rise from this and see the light, this I promise you. She had to stop carrying things inside her that were weighing her spirit down. Looking back she was holding onto experiences that were not serving her anymore. She had to set herself free like a bird, spread your wings and fly.

It is our birthright to uncover the soul—to remove the layers of fear or shame or apathy or cynicism that conceal it. —Elizabeth Lesser, Broken Open

She labelled herself and within the mid-twenties decided to go on medication. It worked for a bit but that even took a toll on her body as she felt the side effects internally. It affected her stomach, sleeping patterns and things just didn’t feel right. By her thirties she went down in dosages, exercised regularly, began to mediate and take control. She began to rise after the storm and shine like the exuberant sun. Coming off medication was the best thing she did for her soul. She was wide awake, and felt every emotion that she needed to feel.

How did I stay grounded and centered during this shift? I dedicated my time to spiritual growth – this encompassed prayer, reading material on inspiration which directed me towards yoga. I became a certified yoga teacher in 2014 and knew that my purpose was to help others heal. Yoga elevated my spirit and I wanted to share this gift. I had to confront parts of myself that I did not want to. It was terrifying , however I felt the veil had been lifted. This was my life and I needed to find peace and surrender to the circumstances. Faith, family, friends and having a clean diet are elements that assisted to healing.

This is my personal story, and what I want to reiterate is that you will rise. You are not alone; everyone faces challenges at some point in their life. Understand your emotions, they are here to guide you and help you foster internal growth. Uncover the layers of yourself, reclaim your soul and never lose faith. Do not see any setback as a limitation, you are braver then you know and stronger for everything that has happen to you, bless you.

I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
It’s gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day

Oh, yes I can make it now the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is that rainbow I’ve been praying for
It’s gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day

–Jimmy Cliff

Self-Love & February

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The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That’s what I hope to give you forever.–Nicholas Sparks

It’s February and we all know what happens on February 14th, Valentine’s Day! I’m a romantic at heart, I adore love songs, have watched every romantic comedy movie, and like all things love inspired. I cannot get enough of this topic. I often think what if Valentine’s Day was celebrated every day of the year? Wouldn’t it be so nice if we appreciated our significant other, family, friends, co-workers on a daily basis? The feeling of love would be shared everywhere and felt instantaneously. In essence, Valentine’s Day should be celebrated each day of our lives. This being said, let us not forgot the sacred relationship with ourselves. This is the most important relationship you will ever have.

Why do we need one day as a reminder to love others? This needs to be done every day throughout the year. Send anonymous notes, give hugs, smile, really listen to others when they talk to you and say thank you! These are all acts of love which will make your day and someone else feel appreciated. The objective is to be kind – to express love in any way or form. It is about giving love freely and not expecting anything in return. By practicing giving we allow love to flow within us and this creates those euphoric feelings of happiness and gratitude is felt. Do not let one day go by without expressing your love for someone else.

What is self-love? In my opinion, self-love is, unconditionally loving yourself just the way you are. Your personality, spirit, body, mind are all perfect. We are all here as a reflection of the divine. Love is spiritual energy it can transform lives and has a healing effect. When you love, value, and honor yourself, life really does change. It may sound cliche even selfish to be this way however, I cannot express enough how much you deserve your own love and light. No one else can support, complement, cherish and give you what you need but YOU. We are not taught the value of self-love in a formal classroom, however can learn ways to enhance this practice. It may take some time but I promise you that once you begin the journey inwards, you gain the strength to spread your wings and fly.

Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how you use it. — Anna Taylor

It was 2008 and after hearing so much about Louise Hay I finally read her profound book: You Can Heal Your Life. Reading this affected my life dramatically. I started to recite affirmations, really took the time to know myself and began a journey of self-acceptance. There was an exercise in particular in which you are to look in a mirror and say “ I love you”. I had never done this before and really felt awkward doing it. As soon as I started this practice, tears began to fall like rain drops on my face. I felt my soul was awakening and the process of self-love and healing began.

A few years ago I hit a plateau in life. Dating and relationships were unfulfilled, and l needed to make a change. After reading publications by authors Iyanla Vanzant and Gabrielle Bernstein I felt inspired to participate in a self-love project. I began a Self-Love project on myself!  For one month, I wrote love letters from the heart. I expressed how much I had evolved as woman, dreams that I had fulfilled and experiences that caused growth. I know it sounds a bit outlandish but it made me appreciate absolutely everything about “me”. Once a year, I pick a month and write letters to myself. This allows time for reflection, and gives that extra dose of self-acknowledgement.

When we fulfill our function, which is to truly love ourselves and share love with others, then true happiness sets in. — Gabrielle Bernstein

Valentine’s Day is a reminder to spread love outwards, but also remember to love yourself too!  Always treat yourself with kindness, admiration and respect.  You are the love of your life, the love you are seeking. Give yourself the love you deserve every day of your precious life!

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