SELF-LOve through self-care

On Valentine’s Day we are prompted to think (and buy for) others… your partner, mother, best friend forever or your secret crush.

While sharing with others is a good gesture and creates positive vibes all around, it is important not to forget about yourself.

After all, the affairs of the heart can get complicated – as it takes two to tango. Instead, we can focus on something that we all can benefit from: self-love and self-control.

Here are two powerful visualization exercises to lift your spirit and get you back in touch with your heart.

Beautiful Self-Image

Self-love is self-care. Beautiful Self-Image is a visualization exercise where you use your breath and mind to accept yourself and your body.

Instructions

  1. Lay down or sit in a comfortable position
  2. Imagine that you are looking at yourself from outside or from above (birds’ eye view)
  3. Watch how your chest harmoniously moves slowly up and down
  4. Observe how peaceful and relaxed you look and feel
  5. Focus on your breathing: is it gentle and composed?
  6. If your breathing feels brisk or strained, imagine how you gradually adapt to a more relaxed, elegant breathing pattern
  7. Enjoy the moment of watching and observing yourself breathing in total harmony

Feel Your Heart

This powerful visualization exercise brings you in touch with the rhythm of your heart and, once in sync, let’s you lower your heart rate – with the power of the mind.

Instructions

  1. Feel your heart in your throat: place two fingers on the side of the neck where you can feel your arteries.
  2. Feel your heart by your ears: place two fingers on the side of one of your ears.
  3. Feel your heart in your temples: place two fingers on one of your temples.
  4. Feel your heart in the solar plexus: place two fingers in the pit of your stomach.
  5. Feel your heart in all ten of your fingers.

Now that you have a clear picture of the rhythm of your heart pulse in your mind – imagine that it gradually slows down. 

You will notice you will feel more calm, relaxed and at peace. Verify your pulse with a heart rate monitor or finger pulse oximeter, or placing your fingers on your neck again.

VALENTINE's DAY SPECIAL

Did you enjoy this exercise and would like to learn more relaxation, visualization, breathing and breathing exercises to improve your health, increase your energy, release stress and strengthen your mental resilience?

Check our Valentine’s Day Specials for our Breatheology ESSENTIALS course

A Gift For You

Give yourself the gift of better health, sleep and performance with indefinite access to the Breatheology ESSENTIALS Course 

A Gift For A Friend

Give a friend the gift of better health, sleep and performance with indefinite access to the Breatheology ESSENTIALS Course