Be kind to yourself
An easy thing to forget
Here in France we have one of those perfect spring mornings. A light frost, a slight haze in the distance but everything is clean and clear right in front of your eyes with bright blue skies and the first blossoms coming into colour.
The ducks had escaped the cold shade of the pond and were sunning themselves on the old woodpile at the bottom of the garden this morning when I made my way to open the chicken house. I also heard the first cuckoo - what a welcome sound and one I didn't realise I'd been waiting for.
Going outside today as my cup of tea brewed was a wonderful reset. A much needed few minutes of breathing in the fresh air and feeling the early morning sunshine on my face.
“Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat” - Laura Ingalls Wilder
This perfect scene is a far cry from what was inside my head first thing this morning and the contrast today stunned me. When I woke up there seemed to be a million things rushing round my head - 'don't forgets' and 'to-dos' - but as soon as I stepped out of the door and breathed in the fresh air and felt the sunshine on my face something changed. I realised that a lot of those things could wait a while longer and although they felt important, they no longer felt quite as urgent.
These are usually the kind of days where once I relax into the day and start to enjoy the little things, the big things magically seem to take care of themselves, but without the stress and overthinking which I am prone to.
It made me think about how important it is to be kind to ourselves.
I think sometimes we forget or we feel that we don't deserve it with all that is going on in the world. We somehow feel that treating ourselves harshly, pushing ourselves and doing more makes our lives more justified. But really, how can we help others and do good when we are not in good shape ourselves?
Even when we are compassionate and kind to others we often forget about treating ourselves with the same compassion and kindness. That annoying little voice (or gremlin on our shoulder) beating us up and telling us unkind untruths.
As I wrote this we were heading into a partial solar eclipse and all the powerful and sometimes unpredictable energy that comes with it. It was also a new moon (as it must be with a solar eclipse) which gives us the chance to slow down, reflect and set intentions for the month ahead.
One of my intentions this next month is to be kinder to myself. To stop beating myself up about things I can't do anything about and to focus instead on the joy of small moments.
💗
Be kind to yourself
If you also find you need a little more self compassion and kindness in your life and would like an essential oil to help you breathe into this feeling or meditate on, then Rose essential oil - Rosa damascena - is one of the best for this, but I also absolutely love Helichrysum (also known as Immortelle or Everlasting) - Helichrysum italicum - it grows wild in parts of France and smelling it always takes me away to hot sand dunes and lazy barefoot beach walks.
Or if herbal tea is more your thing then why not make your own? If that’s not possible then this one from Pukka is a good one to try: Love Organic Herbal Tea | Pukka Herbs