Musings on Love

Love is not simply loving another. Love is loving yourself enough that you can give and receive that love. Love is art. Love is being in the moment with presence and awareness. Love is everything that we are.

Do you love yourself? Or are you still working on it? Self-love is the practice of giving yourself the loving care and kindness that you may often show to others but struggle to show up for in yourself.

What are some ways to show yourself self-love?

1) Taking yourself out on dates. This is an excellent way to practice self-love. Take yourself out to dinner, go to an art class or walk along the beach and set up a little picnic for yourself. You don’t need a partner to have intimate and loving moments with yourself. If you’ve been waiting for a partner in order to go out on dates, wait no longer! I promise you it’ll be worth it.

2) Go get a massage. This is a phenomenal way to heal your body and practice self-love. It can improve circulation, lymphatic drainage, reduce pain and inflammation and leave you with a sense of inner peace and calmness. If you’re in Brisbane, I offer KaHuna massage and bodywork. Follow my Instagram to find out more information- @miamana.healing or my Facebook or Google- Miamana Healing.

3) Practice self-massage. This is a wonderful activity where you give love to yourself by massaging and kneading your body into bliss and serenity. It’s a very healing practice.

4) Treat yourself to a warm bath. Add in essential oils and allow yourself to surrender to the calmness and peace of immersing your body into warm, delicious water!

5) Go have a sauna. Saunas are a great way to recover sore muscles, detoxify the body, increase metabolism and weight loss, lessen muscle and joint pain, reduce stress and increase skin health and graceful aging benefits. It can also give you a better quality of life and a sense of rejuvenation and relaxation. If you’re in Redcliffe, Vibe Wellness has a lovely infrared sauna to treat yourself!

6) Try a cold plunge or go to a spa. Hot or cold water is great for the body and can increase blood flow or circulation. My favourite spas are Japanese style onsens and there are also a few in Australia.

7) Make yourself a nourishing meal. Food is good for the soul and gives our bodies vital vitamins and nutrients. When we cook for ourselves or for others (which I think is way better, food should be shared!), we provide our body with essential nourishment and energy. How good it feels after an awesome meal made with love shared with your loved ones!

8) Do a face mask and foot soak. This is a super lovely way to give love back to yourself. Taking care of your skin and your body. Your soles of your feet are your connection to the earth, give them some love!

9) Go get a manicure or pedicure. I’ve personally never done this but I’ve been considering it for a while now. I think it’s a great way to give back to yourself.

10) Do some grounding. What better way to give yourself love but to connect with mother earth. Grounding can improve your sleep, circulation, mood, energy and stress management and reduce fatigue, depression and insomnia. It’s a fabulous way to give back to your body and should be done daily for the best benefits.

11) Buy yourself some flowers. How often have you done this? Flowers bring fresh energy and a touch of nature into your home, what better way to give yourself some love.

12) Take yourself out into nature. Be with the trees and the leaves swaying in the breeze. Allow yourself to soak it up and relax into being lovingly held by nature. Mother nature gives us everything we need in life. Can you be thankful and grateful to her? Can you emit loving kindness into your surroundings and focus on your heart chakra.

How do you feel about giving yourself love? Does it make you uncomfortable to think about doing any of these things listed above for yourself? Can you pinpoint why this may be? Perhaps you feel you don’t know how to give or receive love? This could be a blockage in your heart chakra.

The heart chakra is the bridge between the more earthly elements in the body and the more cosmic focused elements in the mind. The heart chakra connects the body and mind. Root (earth), sacral (water), solar plexus (fire), heart (air), throat (sound), third eye (light) and crown (white light). Breathing connects us to our heart chakra, it connects our body and mind together in synergy. You can also visualise a pillar of white light entering your body through your mind and allow it to permeate your entire being, reaching down to the base of your spine and growing roots into the earth. This is a phenomenal practice for connecting your body and mind together. The heart chakra has the masculine and feminine side.

In KaHuna, the back is the masculine side of the body, along with the right side. If you think about the back body you notice all of the strong muscles and bones protecting the heart space. How we defend and protect ourselves. How we allow in love. When energy is blocked here you can feel it, are we denying ourself to receive? Are we blocking love?

I remember when I had chronic pain in my back and it eventually became unbearable. I didn’t know what to do to combat the pain, I used to use a meat mallet and bang my shoulders and upper back with it. This went on for months, thankfully not years, until I found acupuncture. Within about 5-6 sessions, I was pain-free. It was like magic. Energy is magic. If anyone reading this is in Redcliffe I can recommend 2 fabulous acupuncturists. I believe my pain was an energetic blockage that was sorted after releasing that energy through acupuncture and to get me flowing and functioning freely.

KaHuna can also deal with pain, inflammation and blockages. In KaHuna, we begin by massaging the back, the masculine, where most people have pain. To begin to work and soften those hard muscles that work so hard to protect our vital organs. To prepare the body to drop into the space and receive the aloha of KaHuna. To allow the client to activate their parasympathetic nervous system and switch off from the outside world and the stress of everyday life. To experience bliss. The long flowing strokes up and down the body send you into a state of deep relaxation, lulling you into a subspace of serenity and peace. It’s an experience unlike any other, one that must be tried at least once. But be warned, once you’ve tried it you’ll be hooked! It’s best to have a KaHuna every 6-8 weeks in my opinion. Perhaps even monthly if you’re on a big healing journey.

The front is the feminine side of the body, along with the left side. If you think about the front body you notice that it’s more soft, supple and vulnerable. All of the vital organs, breasts and genitals are more exposed on this side- we use a modesty towel and a sarong to cover you in a certain way so you feel more safe and comfortable.

You are treated with utmost dignity, respect and privacy throughout the entire KaHuna. It is a temple style massage and is very sacred. Your body is honoured and love is poured into you. When energy is blocked in the feminine side of the heart chakra, it shows up as issues with giving love. Are we denying ourselves love and connection? Are we dimming our loving expression? The front body calls for more softness and gentleness. But an equal amount of loving care, gentle kindness and awareness. By the time the client is getting their front body massaged they are in a complete state of calmness, being lulled into another level of consciousness and peacefulness.

Do you feel you are in connection with your masculine and feminine energies? We all have both inside of us no matter our gender. Perhaps you need to work on how you give and receive love. It’s one of the best things you can do for yourself. And the journey may be just beginning for you. The journey of opening your heart. It can be scary at first but what a beautiful adventure it is. I wish you all the best on your journey towards finding your loving awareness and healing your heart chakra. Please get in contact to see how I can support you through this process if that’s something that resonates with you.

Sending aloha,

Mia

~ Miamana Healing ~