Over the years, I have read many books for personal enrichment. Prior to my Reiki training I read Matt Kahn’s Whatever Arises Love That. For me, the book provided a lot of insight and led to several “ah-ha” moments while I was reading it. What I learned about self-love has helped to improve my thought patterns and behavior.
For example, sometimes I feel stuck with the negative thought patterns of judgment and fear. I tend to get down on myself for not quickly overcoming these feelings. I may do a bit of mental-bashing as I try to beat the negative emotion down. I eventually get around to sending positive emotions to myself, which releases my feelings of judgment and fear and helps me find balance. But, this can be a process, depending on the situation and how much attachment I have to my emotions.
In Matt Kahn’s book, he talks about loving the self when you think you can't do something, like overcoming feelings of fear or sadness. This is certainly a far healthier way to transform negative feelings. My ah-ha moment was when I understood that it is safe to feel each emotion, and grace comes from an open heart. He writes, “There is always a possibility of true heartfelt relief when loving yourself becomes your recurring response to any question or concern.”
So, I decided to do an experiment with self-love. Throughout my day, if a negative thought came up, I would tell myself how much I loved me. Admittedly, it was awkward at first. Additionally, I looked back at situations in which I could have used more self-love in how I worked through an issue, and I began offering love to my past-self. By telling myself how much I loved me throughout the day, I began to feel lighter. Silly things that might have been an irritant on a regular day, were not bothersome. I didn’t really notice the small stuff because my heart became filled with love. By the time I finished reading the book, I felt like a burden had been lifted. I share this story because I hope that you too can have a day filled with self-love.
If you haven't done so today, I would like to suggest you give yourself a big energetic hug and say to yourself, “I love you.” Since learning Reiki, I find that its positive energy can help remove negative emotional blocks. If you notice any emotional blocks, perhaps a Reiki session can help open your heart and offer release?
