Give yourself unconditional permission to exist exactly as you are in this moment.
Tag: Self Love
Sweet things
Sweet things I did for myself this weekend include..
– Finally trying out the pool at my gym. I’ve been saying I would take a dip for about 9 months, but I was always too intimidated and lazy to really force myself to do it. I’m not a great swimmer, though my back stroke and doggy paddle are on point, so I feared that I would be surrounded by hardcore aquatic pros. A conversation with some ladies in the sauna convinced me to take a walk over to the pool. I started out in the slow lane, trailing a line of septuagenarians before working up the courage to upgrade to medium. Ended up having a fab time and getting an excellent workout. I look forward to doing this more regularly.
– Speaking of working out, I was really proud of implementing my new present-moment approach to the gym. Instead of planning everything out or doing the same ol’ routine (stretching, cardio then more stretching), I decided to go with the flow and just do whatever felt right. After my pre workout stretch, I did upper and lower body strength training, then felt compelled to use the rowing machine, which I haven’t attempted in over a year. Then I did some stretching, light yoga and a session of hydro massage. I followed this up with sauna then that courageous dip in the pool. Fabulous workout.
– Thrifting. Need I say more?
– Cleaning. I really needed to straighten up and organize my laundry room and closets. Mission accomplished.
– An evening at my cigar lounge. I hadn’t been in about a month. I’d go more often, but I have this thing about wanting to smell like ylang ylang and roses and somehow cigar smoke interferes with that.. I like this particular lounge primarily because of the staff and the clientele: most of the guys there are professional, friendly and interesting. We have conversations about the damndest things. Yes, there are Playboy magazines lurking around (though, I’ve never actually seen anyone “reading” them, thank God) and it’s basically a man-cave, but they generally make me feel super welcomed. It’s the kind of place where I can come in, plop down on one of the plush leather sofas, pull out my copy of “The Power of Now”, put “He’s Not That Into You” on one of the flat screen TVs, kick my feet up, chit chat about everything from work to sports to politics – or just be left alone.Tried a Griffen for the first time – wanted something mild and it hit the spot. Enjoyed a glass of Courvoisier and a taste of an amazing Louisiana whiskey – complements of some of the members there – and had great conversations all night.
– Errands. I mailed a package I’ve been procrastinating on for months, changed Zora’s litter, did about 6 loads of laundry, took out the trash, assembled a bag of clothes to donate to the thrift shop, bought groceries, finally packed my summer clothes away in the attic, cleaned my bedroom, and generally made my home a beautiful, comfortable space.
– For my own peace of mind, I finally found a brand of organic cat food Zora likes. She’s been on a bit of a hunger strike and I was starting to lose hope.
– For my spirit: Sunday morning satsang with Mooji. Meditation. Watched some vids by Eckhart Tolle about the ego and presence.
– Cooking! Made a fab dish: basil chicken with broccoli in a white sauce over whole grain pasta.
– Lit a fragrant candle.
– Continued my practice of body awareness and acceptance. Starting to feel increasingly more comfortable in my skin, even though I’ve put on about 3-4 pounds in the past few months. Feeling happy in this body. Enjoying it.
– Pampering: L’Occitane facial mask, self massage with my hands, theracane and a tennis ball, aromatherapy and lounging in my fave baby blue satin robe.
– Getting to bed early. And on that note, I bid you zzzzzzz.
Acts of kindness
Kind things I did for myself today:
– made a cup of keurig coffee in the morning
– paid a bill
– took out the trash
– cleaned up apartment so things would be neat when I returned home
– styled my hair the way I like it (as I do everyday..)
– conscious breathing and meditation throughout the day
– packed a full day’s worth of nutritious meals and snacks to take to work
– drank several cups of raspberry tea for medicinal purposes instead of coffee while in the office
– paid attention to moments of anxiety and relaxed
– crossed several things off my to do list
– wore a fabulous outfit.. and topped it all off with a very sharp black leather jacket/boots/gloves/attache ensemble
– morning, afternoon and evening aromatherapy with ylang ylang and eucalyptus essential oils
– 20 minutes in the sauna after work
– drank water
– took my supplements
– called my grandmother and my actual mother
– laid out my lovely new Christian Dior robe so it was waiting for me to slip into when I got home
– remembered to affirm acceptance of my body throughout the day
– kept my hands/body moisturized
– spruced up my office
– washed and dried a load of laundry
– made my bed
– organized my remaining blocks of work time for the week
– enjoyed hot chocolate and a delicious brownie after a long day
– self massage
This is how I love..
I come home after a very long day of teaching back-to-back classes, followed by mentoring a black women’s student group. My commute is 45 minutes. When I look at the clock, it’s well past 9 pm.
Weary, I make my way up the stairs. My eyelids are heavy. I’m starving – and running on fumes.
And then, to my great delight, I find:
– a clean apartment
– my favorite satin pj’s arranged on my bed, waiting for me to slip into their luxurious embrace
– a gourmet dinner, ready to pop in the microwave: homemade mango sticky brown rice with organic sirloin stirfried with onions, bok choy and garlic in a wickedly decadent teriyaki glaze
– my favorite trashy, mindless Monday TV show (90210) recorded on the DVR, waiting to be played
And now I recline by candlelight, blissed out, nibbling on one of my favorite goodies — milk chocolate studded with almonds. All of this, courtesy of Crystal-of-Sunday-Past.. thoughtful gestures of my prior self to my current self.
There will be a foot massage happening any moment, then some aromatherapy, conscious breathing, a little Mooji and reflection on the day ahead. A good night’s rest and an early morning that will start with meditation, perfectly brewed keurig coffee, a workout session, hydromassage and sauna before heading to the office.
God, I love myself..
Aware of Awareness 