Self-Compassion: Dear Self, I love you.

Hey there! I hope everyone is doing well today, I know I am! I had a really great morning despite a severe lack of sleep and a pretty gnarly fall in the middle of my run...yikes! Anyway, I'm getting off track. Today, I want to share a technique that I discovered for practicing some self-compassion. Basically, we're going to be writing compassionate letters to ourselves for when we're feeling down. There's something that happens in the brain when we write things down that causes our mind to retain the information better, so written information is more likely to manifest more quickly than thoughts alone. Scientists don't really understand this phenomenon just yet, but the data all points to the same conclusion: writing=manifestation. I hope you enjoy!

1. Get Into the Vortex!

The Vortex is a concept created by Abraham Hicks, a profound spiritual guide who is constantly providing all kinds of incredible insight into anything esoteric or spiritual. It's basically the place, the mindset, or as Tony Robbins calls it, the State, where you feel amazing. You feel empowered, unstoppable, and you feel aligned with everything that you want.This is the place where manifestation is practically instant and where you feel at home in yourself and in the world.

2. Make a List!

Make list of some low vibrational feelings that you want to avoid. Being in the vortex is very important for this piece because if you're not already there, it becomes pretty easy to let this piece of the puzzle bring you down and mess up your mojo for the whole day...Of course, it's always possible to get out of a spoiled place, but better safe than sorry, right? Some examples that I have for this are loneliness, boredom, depression, anger, and anxiety.

3. Write it out!

The next step is the big one and, depending on how much time you have, you may want to do this part in sections (this is especially true if you feel yourself beginning to slip out of the Vortex because we can't stay in there forever!). All you do here is write yourself a letter for each negative emotion. It doesn't have to be super long, but make sure that it's written from the perspective of someone who loves you, like a best friend, a sibling, or a parent. And if you don't feel like that would be a good experience write from the perspective of someone who would love you the way you want to be loved. Be gentle, kind, and encouraging. Forgive yourself for mistakes, but don't dwell on them.

When you're done, store them however you want. I like to put mine in envelopes with labels that say "open when you're feeling..." so I know which ones are which. That's it! Again, it doesn't seem like much but if you're like me and you like to write, make sure that you pay attention to your mental and emotional state while you're writing and don't deny yourself breaks to re-establish your spot in the Vortex if you need to!