Celebrating Love of the Soul

Isn’t it funny how our perception of Valentine’s Day, or mine, evolves and grows as we age? It usually centers around the one we love romantically, our children, friends and pets of course. But today I want you to remember that Valentine’s Day is about all kinds of love. All kinds. Today I want you to specifically think about the Valentine you will give to your soul. I believe many of us sometimes forget about another love… self - love and self -respect. I want you to honor yourself, not only tomorrow, but as many days as you can. I’m not naïve enough to say we should honor ourselves every single day, that is unrealistic. There should be self-respect every single day, but I know that life, our children, our jobs and our loved ones will take priority on many of our days, and well they should . But it is so important that we remember that our inner spirt needs to be loved as much as we give out to others.

Honoring your spirit, listening to it and acknowledging your heart’s desires, are, in my opinion critical to living a fulfilled, happy life. I also fully believe, keeping our souls filled with our personal joys can be life changing for the people around us also. For as well all know, the jug will soon be empty if it’s not refilled. Loving yourself isn’t as simple as pulling out your credit card. Although I’m all for retail therapy, especially country craft creations retail therapy. It’s literally holding your own heart as you challenge yourself to step into your needs and dreams.

It’s amazing how the simplest things can bring you the greatest and deepest happiness. Spending time with a child or a friend you truly love can make your heart swell with delight. Snuggling with a dog, cat, baby sheep in pajamas, a horse, or llama, that’s dear to you can fill you will such a deep sense of peace and calm. Walking early in the morning, or at sunset, while taking in your surroundings, the colors and smells of nature, can delight your inner self. For many of us, the gentle breeze against your skin as you stroll along the oceanside, can uplift you like nothing else.

Ultimately, what your heart desires,  is to feel your connection with all of life. To give and receive love . . . to share your passion with others . . .to inspire and share your gifts, this is what it means to love yourself.

Loving yourself takes practice and a strong resolution. It’s the strength and will to pick yourself up when life throws you a curveball. Even when you’re hurting—lifting yourself up as if you truly were your own best friend and reminding yourself how strong you are.

 Self-love is looking up to the Heavens for support and knowing that you are never alone. It’s breathing and sitting patiently instead of raiding the refrigerator or going to bed In the middle if the afternoon,  because you are feeling spent and alone. To love yourself is to whisper into your heart, “I love you always,” as you gently coax yourself to take the next right action in the mystery of your precious life. And to know that if raiding the refrigerator feeds your soul, as well as your tummy, then it is OK- it's simply ok.

Most of the time, when we're being too hard on ourselves, we do it because we're driven by a desire to excel and do everything right, all the time. This entails a lot of self-criticism, at times with that inner voice that sometimes tells us how we could've done things better. I think that is one of the traps of our crafty world/  Comparing… Try not to compare your work To others- is to be celebrated because it came from your own hands- from your soul- no one can take that.

Carley and I took a beautiful yoga class Tuesday Night. It was in a salt cave, not really a cave, but you actually felt like you were in one. It’s a gorgeous room totally made and covered in Pink Himalayan sea salt. Of course I researched it before I signed up and found out that’s it’s a holistic trend increasingly found at modern spas called halotherapy, or salt therapy where the breathable salt particles you are surrounded by, supposedly improve breathing and have strong healing and calming properties. It seems back in 1843, a Polish physician by the name of Feliks Boczkowsk, noticed that salt mine workers did not experience respiratory issues or lung disease vs other miners. Almost a hundred years later, a German named Karl Hermann Spannagel noticed that his patient’s health actually improved after hiding out in the salt caves while avoiding heavy bombing during WWII. The news of the benefits of salt therapy spread across Eastern Europe where you can find many locations offering these giant salt rooms today, from Poland to Germany to the UK.

The workshop was called GODDESS BEAUTY RITUALS. Not something I would usually be drawn to, especially with the word Goddess is in it. But I loved the description: “A night of pampering, skincare, beauty rituals, guided meditation and PURE SELF LOVE!!!! I thought it was a great thing to do with Carley, and it was. I wish I could’ve taped some of it, for her words remind us to be mindful of the importance of nurturing our souls. I only started going to yoga a few years ago, I used to think it was for the ‘weird ones’. But I was hooked on my first visit. If you haven’t tried yoga, I urge you to give it a chance, even if it’s once a month, for I believe this experience truly feeds your inner soul and spirit. It forces you to calm down and remember how important you are to not only everyone around you but to yourself.

It is my hope, that tomorrow, Valentine’s Day, you stop and give yourself as much love as you give out to others. I will continue to remind you that life is short and very fleeting. Your life, your mind, your spirit deserves a Valentine too!

Will you be my Valentine?

Namaste!

Don't forget to fill your soul with lots of scrapping pretties at our favorite soul filling place... Country Craft Creations! 

And.. if you can find a way, one day, to go to one of Tamras Retreats- I so encourage you to so... talk about food for the soul.....