The three most important practices that allow us to grow in self love are:

• cultivating compassion for ourselves and others
• radical self acceptance
• forgiveness for ourselves and others

There are so many internalized voices and programming that block us from our original heart that was there at the beginning of our physical existence. And yet underneath the blocks, underneath the layers of programming, thought patterns and principles, lies a judgment free zone. That is why we hear sayings like: “Unless we become like little children, we cannot enter the kingdom”. Children are naturally free of judgment when they are very young and this is so life giving for us. It reminds us of our own original essence.  This kingdom is in our own heart.  And we can only enter it, when we feel safe, free of judgment and worthy of this LOVE.

Here is a beginning practice to cultivate connection with your original innocence and childlike heart.

Find a photo of yourself when you were very young, perhaps a newborn photo.  Allow yourself to connect with your original innocence and purity. See it. Feel it. Contemplate that part of you.

See yourself as whole and complete.

Now practice seeing all of the ways that that original purity and innocence was influenced by the world that you were born into and the experiences along the way that damaged you and caused you to close your heart and develop protective mechanisms.

Cultivate a practice of compassion for the little one in you.

You can even talk to that part if you would like. Talk to that part like a wise loving angelic presence. Tell that part you are sorry that he or she was hit with so much pain, loss, trauma, programming, etc. but that you are here to help free him or her.  Tell that part that despite all of the ways he or she is acting or appearing, you KNOW that underneath he or she is whole and complete.  Notice how you feel when you do this.

It may feel uncomfortable at first, but in time, you will grow to love that part of you and this will create a loving relationship with your “young self”.  Perhaps you can have a journal where you write to that original self everyday and have that part write back to you. Some people try writing to that child part with their dominant hand and have the child part write back with their non dominant hand.

You will be amazed at how much that part may want to tell you!  I would love to hear how your journey back to your original self goes.

I am here to support you!