Self-Love as a Practice, not a Luxury

Oftentimes, we correlate February and the Valentine’s holiday with romantic love between partners. While this can still be an accurate connection, it is also true to recognize that self-love is equally as important, as an ongoing, intentional practice- rather than an indulgent, selfish act. In fact, taking care of yourself ensures you have the capacity to provide appropriate attention and connection to those around you. If you are feeling unattended to, how can you attend to others? As it goes, you cannot pour from an empty cup.

In actuality, self-love can look like: setting boundaries without guilt, listening to your body (symptoms are cues for your needs!!) or making space for emotional awareness, rather than avoidance. Self-love is not flashy; it is quiet, consistent, and intentional.

Physical and mental health are deeply interwoven and connected. Our thoughts, emotions and stress responses aren’t just in the mind; they take up space in the body as well. Migraines? Can be caused by stress. Low mood? Could be a lack of prioritized nutrition, as serotonin is developed in the gut. Heightened startle response or explosive mood shifts? A possible explanation is that your body is constantly in fight-or-flight mode. Our nervous system learns these patterns and response accordingly; if we condition ourselves to believe that everything and everyone is a threat, that’s where the emotional dysregulation, muscle tension, shallow breathing, and fatigue come in. And this is where one can stop and say, “this is just how I’m wired,” however, we can rewire the circuitry. Practices that support regulation and presence, such as mindfulness, movement, and intentional breathing, all send signals of "safety" to the brain and nervous system. A powerful example of this sort of practice can be yoga, which encompasses all of those intentions.

Our friends at the local studio, Soma Yoga Healing Center, facilitate a space that allows opportunities for rewiring with group classes, educational workshops, and private sessions. Soma Yoga offers a welcoming, community‑centered space for movement, breathwork, and meditation. The studio provides classes ranging from foundational yoga to mindful flow, all designed to support students of every level in reconnecting with their bodies and cultivating inner balance. With a focus on safety, accessibility, and genuine connection, owner Sarah DeBlock has curated Soma Yoga into a home away from home for many practitioners in the area. The practice of yoga, complemented with the mental work taking place with therapy, encourages a stronger mind-body connection by providing insight into personal experiences, patterns, and relationships, and opens the door for greater self-compassion. When combined, these approaches encompass a more holistic form of self-care that honors mind and body and reinforces that self-love is most sustainable when both are nurtured together.

I encourage you to ask yourself, “What does self-love look for me right now?” and “When was the last time I did something for myself?” Maybe “What would it feel like to prioritize myself, and what could be the ripple effect on the relationships around me?”