For me the main characteristic of self love is accepting ourselves as flawed human beings and still loving ourselves. Self love is NOT necessarily a feeling although that may arise. It is a commitment that takes as long it takes from moving along a scale. Some people must begin with self loathing, others self hatred, others perhaps just a mild dislike for certain aspects of their personality. It does not matter where one starts, merely that one commits to slowly unravelling all the kinks which occurs by FEELING in the body whatever arises. This simple act is unbelievably powerful. Then shower yourself with kind acts to yourself which may initially be as small as kissing your own hand or sitting down for a few minutes when tired. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Begin now, begin with kindness. Over time a feeling may arise that feels like what you imagine love should feel like, yet this is not the point. The greatest act of self love, for me, is to embrace, to accept the most challenging aspects of ourselves. But this is graduate school work. Begin slowly and it will snowball, eventually shifting your entire reality.
remembering the joy of being
