How To Shower Yourself With Love, Literally!!

Hey Hey Queens!!

Well it’s been a while since I’ve written a blog. To be honest, I just haven’t felt like it. I haven’t had the motivation to write. So much has happened since 2020. Sometimes I feel like I am just trying to keep my head above water. The pandemic seems like a piece of cake compared to mass shootings, the reversal of Roe vs. Wade, and the hate and violence that continues in our communities, especially against our Black, Brown, Asian and LGBTIA communities. Like many of you, sometimes I feel hopeless. I don’t have all answers. 

Last year, I hit a wall. I was completely burned out. My anxiety, overwhelm, and sadness developed into medical issues. Thank God everything turned out to be okay. I got a clean bill of health. The health scare taught me to take care of myself. How could I be there for you, when I couldn’t be there for myself. I was preaching self-love, but I wasn’t loving myself. I thought I was loving myself  by riding my Peloton bike, eating semi-healthy, hanging out with my friends and family and writing in my journal. Once in a while I would get a facial or mani/pedi. It was not enough. I still crashed into a wall. It was more like a slow train wreck.

So what changes have I made in my life? The biggest one is being intentional about loving myself. Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. I learned that I need to incorporate self-love into my day-to-day life in order to feel good about myself.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not loving myself every day all the time. However, I am committed to being intentional about showing myself self-love each and every day. 

I really want to be committed to sharing my self-love practices with you. They are simple things you can do to show yourself love. You won’t need to be running around trying to book massages, facials, pedicures, buying expensive equipment, etc. You can love yourself in the comfort of your own home (or in your neighborhood).

My first self-love ritual is a shower. I used to recommend baths, then I realized that a lot of people don’t have bathtubs. So a shower ritual works perfectly.

First I have to tell you how this came about. Earlier in the day, I had a phone call that really annoyed me. I was annoyed and angry. I could have gone to the pantry and grabbed some chips and tried to “snack” my feelings away. As you know, that never works. Instead, I decided to feel the anger. I sat with every part of the anger. I did a body scan and felt it from head to toe. I did some breathing exercises in order to calm myself down.  Then I asked myself “what am I really hungry for?” I knew the answer. I was hungry for love and acceptance.  Sure, I could lean into my family or friends for love and acceptance. But what if they aren’t available? I know a lot of you may be single or estranged from your family. Or maybe you are not ready to be that vulnerable right now. This is why I want to teach you to take care of your own “emotional hunger” by loving you.
So after I realized what I needed, I decided to take a shower. I did not feel like a regular shower. I knew I needed more. I craved a shower that gave me love and acceptance. My self-love shower ritual is posted below. 

Self-Love Shower Ritual:
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Items:
-Facial Cleanser
-Body Wash 
-Essential Oil (any scent will work. Today I used Bergamot from doTERRA) 
-Washcloth
-Body Brush
-Chill Music (Apple Music/Spotify)
-Loving and Accepting self-talk
-Lotion

Shower Ritual:
-Turn on chill music.
-Turn on shower. 
-Add drops of essential oils to shower. You can use a cotton ball. I’ve also seen shower tablets. They are like bath bombs for showers. 
-Apply facial cleanser and wash face with washcloth.
-Apply body wash with washcloth.(I put a few drops of essential oil in my body wash too.)
-While washing face/body, you can say self-love affirmations (see below)
-Use the body brush to get the blood circulating while massaging your skin.
-Rinse body and towel off.
-Apply lotion. (say more self-love affirmations)

Self-Love Affirmations:
"I like me."
"I love me."
"I am beautiful."
"I will be okay."
"I got this."
"I accept myself as I am."
"I am grateful for.. (name body parts)."

So, are you curious about the photo at the beginning of article? It is me after my
self-love shower! Am I glowing or what?

I hope you get a chance to try this out. If you choose to take a bath, you can do the same ritual. Let me know how it goes!! 

Peace, love, and many blessings!

P.S. Just in case you are curious about the items I used, I have shared the links below. 
Disclosure: I am a Wellness Advocate for doTERRA, so I do get percentage of your purchase if you use the doTERRA link. 
Metene Body Brush
doTERRA Bergamot Essential Oil
doTERRA Daily Cleanser

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