Tag: Love

Connecting to the wonder we are, Health, Life

Show Your Body Love: Creating a Ritual of Tenderness and Self Love

Erin Keane

Your face holds the stories of who you are, and where you’ve been. They are the stories that lie deep within your bones, your cells, your very being. These stories might not be visible to the eye with a look or a glance; those who see you may be completely unaware of how much you hold inside. Of course your whole body holds your story, but there is something extremely tender about how your face holds your pain,your joy, your excitement, your fear,  and so on. When you cry, the tears fall down your cheeks. When you laugh the sound comes from your voice, but your smile lights up your face. When you give and receive love, so often your face is a deep part of that connection.

Do you truly take time to notice yourself and tenderly care for your body?

I see myself in the mirror every day. I comb my hair, brush my teeth, wash my face, put on my make-up and go about my day. And I think very little about my body, nor how much better I feel after I care for myself, because doing these things are a normal part of the day and often done in a rush. But today, I paused for a moment as I dabbed the face-soap onto my hand and looked at my face, and said to myself,”Hey, there.” As if it was the first time I’d seen myself in a long time. And I thought,wait a minute why does this feel so strange? 

I looked down again at my hand with the soap, and came back to reality: the task at hand: Washing my face. I had to think for a second though, how do I do this, wash my face? Usually I turn the water on first, rinse my face off, and then put the soap on my fingers. But not this time. Maybe I was being more intentional about connecting with myself because of my glance in the mirror; or maybe it was the sensation of splashing water on my face with one hand. Whatever it was, I paused, gently began to rub the soap along my cheeks, and suddenly became profoundly aware of the  connection between my fingers touching my cheeks and my face receiving the tenderness of my touch.

As I stood there with my eyes closed and moved my hands around my face I began to have a knowing of my face through my finger tips: my cheek bones, my brow, the softness of my skin. The touch of my fingers awakened me to understanding why my glance in the mirror stuck me. I so often forget to take care of myself, and offer myself gentleness and love.  Touching my face with this love, intentionality and awareness connected me to my life, my story, who I am right now. This is the face people look at, and see through their eyes. My face quite often is how people remember me and make sense of who I am at first glance. But as I washed my face, I realized this wasn’t what was speaking to me. Touching my face with this gentle love, became less about how I was going to look to the outside world, and more about the deeper parts of me.

Love and connection.

  • Touch your face and be mindful about each and every bone, curve, bump
  • Hold your face in your hands for as long as you need to, to really feel and be aware of your story within.
  • Send yourself love, reverence, compassion through your hands, and thoughts

I’m learning and working on loving myself better every day. Sometimes I’m not so good at it, other times I get a gold star for effort. Today, I learned something important for me. To release the pain, the stress, tension I need to touch my face with intentionality and compassion. I need to hold my face in my hands and focus my heart and my thoughts towards self-love and reverence.

Usually, washing my face is a daily task, but I am going to be better at being mindful to practice it as a ritual. (I’ve included washing my face as part of the ritual to help me sleep at night, but never with the intentionality and mindfulness I am starting with today). Not only will washing my face be a ritual of letting go of the things that I want to wash away, so that I can find peace, but it will also be a symbolic action and mindfulness towards self-love.

Ahhh…I am already beginning to feel better.

How about you?

What do you do to offer yourself self-love: loving your mind, body and spirit?

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All rights reserved.

Connecting to the wonder we are, Spirituality

Your Glow is Still on My Life even after Death

Erin Keane

Touch me and I will follow in your afterglow
Heal me from all this sorrow
As I let you go I will find my way, I will sacrifice
Now I’m living in your afterglow  —INXS “Afterglow”  

Whenever I lost some amazing person at the hospital I would listen to this song, and savor his/her memory. I often feel a  glow upon my life after a special person has died. Sometimes when people I cared for died, and I wasn’t there, they have come to my thoughts (even those who have suffered greatly) and tell me, they are okay, with a smile on their face. (This has actually happened to me a number of times.)

In my work as a spiritual counselor, people will often tell me stories about encounters they had had with a deceased loved one. Frequently, they will say, “I don’t know if you’ll believe me but…” And of course, I tell them I believe them. The power of the spiritual world and individual connection to it is very personal. I deeply believe that connection with the deceased does happen. It is real.

How about you? Do you ever feel the presence of someone you love, or dream about him or her? What has this experience been like for you?

I was moved to share this story with you because of Memorial Day*, but also because many of the people I follow and share in conversation with here, have expressed the loss/death of someone they have loved.

I invite you to open your heart and hold all those who are grieving right now in your heart, and send to everyone of them, and even to yourself if you  need it, a prayer of love and compassion.

I open my hands to catch your tears, and hold the sacredness of who you are and who you have loved within my arms. I ask the benevolence of the earth and all of creation to touch you with a gentle presence of grace in ways that you can understand and feel.

Whenever you need to be near the ones you love who have died, open yourself and ask them to be near you, and when you are ready to receive them I imagine they will find a way to be near you or to let you know what you need to hear.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All rights reserved.

If you are interested in understanding connection or want to connect more, a wonderful blog to visit: Necole Stephens

Photo is from a wonderful Facebook Page called Heart Centered Rebalancing

*This Monday we celebrate Memorial Day. It is traditionally a day of remembering men and women in the Armed Forces who have given their lives for service. It is also a time when people visit the cemetery…and remember and celebrate life of those they love.

Healing, Spirituality

Sending Your Needs into the Arms of the Universe & Receiving Love in Return

Erin Keane

One of the most wonderful gifts of creation is the gifts of our pets. When we need a truly non-judgmental presence of Love, our pets are there to offer their unconditional Love. It certainly seems like there is truth in the belief that animals have a sixth sense…especially when you share your energy and love with them…they become uncannily in-tune with what you need. Yesterday, in the midst of my uncertainty I was graced by the Love of my cat, Max. He often comes and lays next to me in our bed, but yesterday he actually tried to sit on my head–as though he was saying, “Just relax your mind! Everything is going to be okay.”

The benevolent energy & love of the universe sent this little creature to be with me. I sent my need for a peace of mind into the arms of the Divine and creation. And my cat Max made sure I noticed that my need was being answered. In fact he was trying so hard to stay on my head, that I was having a hard time shaking him off. When I finally did get him to move, he came and sat right on my belly, and put his paws near my heart, and purred away—whenever I feel like my equilibrium is off it always comes from the center of my being.  So having my cat lay right in the center of my being and expressing his affection for me through his purring, centered me, and reaffirmed to me that, “Yes everything is going to be okay.” I just need to trust, and be open to being guided.

What has your experience of being Loved by your pet done for you in your life? 

Blessings, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All rights reserved.

Bella Bleue Quotes, Healing

A Message of Healing and Love

Erin Keane

It is a time to celebrate the gift of New Life.
When you share love you give others the gifts of healing, happiness and fulfillment, and in return you receive these same gifts.
Your feeling of bodily emptiness also becomes less because you become connected to the *Beloved, who is both beyond you and within you-
We are in deep relationship with the Beloved when we Love each other, and when we love ourselves.
This is when deep healing is possible and happening!
And New Life begins within you and for those who come in contact with you.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue

©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™

*Allow the Beloved to evoke whatever meaning you understand and need in your life.

Life

“If I Had My Life to Live Over”

Erin Keane

If I Had My Life to Live Over…

Courtesy of Wallpaper from Iphone

I’d like to make more mistakes next time.
I’d relax.
I would be sillier than I’ve been this trip.
I would take fewer things seriously.
I would take more chances.
I would eat more ice cream and less beans.
I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I’d have fewer imaginary ones.
You see, I’m one of those people who lives sensibly and sanely, hour after hour, day after day.
Oh, I’ve had my moments,
And if I had it to do over again,
I’d have more of them.
In fact, I’d have nothing else,
Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day.

I’ve been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute.
If I had it to do over again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over…

I would start barefoot earlier in the spring, and stay that way later in the fall.
I would go to more dances.
I would ride more merry-go-rounds.
I would pick more daisies…

~ Nadine Stair
85 yrs. old

You are alive right now! So make the most of your life starting today!

Ask yourself this question right now:

What would I wish I had done differently?“—Thinking ahead to your future, knowing what you don’t want to regret/or wish was different about your life will help you know now how to better live your present life:

  •  Write down your answers on paper
  • Set up your answers like a “Bucket-List”
  • Hang the paper up somewhere where you will see it so you can be intentional about your goals
  • Start making the changes you want to see happening in your life immediately! –“You can do anything you put your mind to!”
  • Change the way you live your life now!

So this becomes your answer when asked,”What would you have done differently?”

 ” I love the life I’ve lived. I love the life I’m living! There’s not a single moment of my life I’d want to change.”—because you made the effort to work on living fulfilled in your present life!

  • Give yourself the gift of being fulfilled starting today!

If you like the question/quote from Nadine Stair you might also enjoy the answer of Erma Bombeck,– it may give you some ideas of things you want to work on in your life.

You deserve to be fulfilled in your life every moment!

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™

Healing, Inspiration

Love Has Not Forgotten You Today

Erin Keane

Healing is a daily journey. If you have experienced dark places in your life, you know how challenging it can be to try to climb out of these holes. And after you’ve been there, you know how hard it is to feel love, receive love, and give love again….not only involving loving others, but most importantly involving loving yourself.

Because you are alive, and living be kind to yourself and bless yourself with these gifts:

Be ever so gentle with yourself today. Be kind to yourself and say, “It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to feel, even when feeling hurts.  I can breathe.      I am alive. I’m real. I am enough right now in this very moment. I am me. I am a gift unto the world. My life matters! And what I feel matters. And, now I’m just going to be, right here, right now, in this very moment.” -Bella Bleue

*Love/Light will always find you and carry you out of your darkness, if you allow yourself to be found. Love/Light is always there waiting for you even when you aren’t ready to see it or know it, but the moment you do want to know it, Love/Light is there to embrace you.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue
©Bella Bleue Healing, Health, & Inspiration for Your Life™

*Love/light in this context may evoke different names or meanings to you. Fill in the sentences with whatever word/name speaks to you!

Bella Bleue Quotes, Health, Life

A Formula for Health

Erin Keane

So one of the formulas for living Healthy:  

Live in the Moment: In the Here and Now and 

1.) Let wisdom guide you:

  • choosing those things in your life that are right, just and true because these choices will lead you to have deeper more meaningful relationships with others;
  • and  you will have less worry about the future because you know you are living life the best way you able to.from moment to moment

2.) Lead your life with your heart and mind:

  • living life the best way you can comes from deep within you. When you choose to be intentional about allowing wisdom to guide you, you are connecting to the deep truths about who you are as a human being.
  • Thus, you are not denying who you are, and therefore you become healthy in your daily life.

If we are not able to be healthy within ourselves then no diet, doctor, medicine etc. will be able to really help us.

And thus, the challenge is to really deeply love yourself,

and by doing so, nothing else at any given moment, will have the power to take You away from Who you are.

Look at yourself in the mirror today and know that you are BELOVED.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue

©Bella Bleue Healing, Health and Inspiration for Your Life ™ All Rights Reserved.

Bella Bleue Quotes

Hear Me Long Enough to Listen

Erin Keane

One of the greatest ways to connect to another person is to give him/her the gift of your listening ear. Every single one of us wants to be heard. We want our words to mean something to someone else, because the words we speak come from within our being. Just as you long for attention from another person, someone else longs for your attention. During my years as a chaplain, I discovered that listening, usually without saying a word, to someone’s story was most often the greatest healing gift I could offer.

When you feel listened to you are empowered to trust more deeply in the wonderful, amazing, incredible, fabulous, unique, (& so much more) person you are! -Bella Bleue

I invite you:

  •  To make an extra special effort to really listen to someone you care about.
  • After you walk away from this experience take some time to reflect on what you learned about this person that you hadn’t noticed before AND
  • Reflect on what it was like to be so fully present for another.
  • If you are the one who needs to be listened to: Ask that the other person to listen

It’s amazing how when we “Hear Someone Long Enough to Listen” we are giving an incredible gift, and at the same time receiving so much in return.

Blessings, Erin, Bella Bleue

©Bella Bleue Healing, Health & Inspiration for Your Life™ All rights reserved.

If you like to read more from Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., check out her book: “Kitchen Table Wisdom :Stories that Heal”.  The quote is from her message, “Just Listen.” I have more about her in my Blogroll. Blessings!

Inspiration

When Love Calls Your Name

Erin Keane

“I have called you by name. And you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)

Valentine’s Day is an intentional day of saying, “I Love You.” The You, is your name. Its amazing when I think of my name, ‘Erin,’ I realize that there can be ten thousand more women out there that have the same name as me, but their ‘Erin’ means something completely different than mine. When someone says, “I Love You,” what does that mean for you deep down inside? Who is this ‘Erin’, ‘Katie’, ‘Mary’ etc., who is being loved?

Trusting that I am loveable is a daily challenge for me. I don’t really know why. It just is. Quite often this belief defines my understanding of others’ abilities to love me as well. Each person is able to love me as much as he or she can. But what really matters is can I love myself? When this answer is yes, all the ‘I Love Yous’ from others become more sincere and real because I trust that I can be loved.

Loving myself is a particular challenge when struggling with depression. I mean am I really good enough to be loved? Do I deserve love, even though I’m not perfect? OF COURSE I DO! But of course I need to believe this in myself for these words to be true.

That’s how faith has been a foundation in my struggle with depression. I realize that our Creator knows us. God knows us. God knows each and every one of us so well, that God recognizes that we need to hear those words whispered in our ears, every day, “I have called you by name. And you are mine.”

No matter who we are, we cannot exist without someone else. We all need love; we all need to hear our name called out, tenderly:

So on this day, and each day may you say your name with love in your heart and remember that even when it feels so empty, there is a God who keeps whispering your name. “Do you hear me calling you? Do you hear my whispers of love surrounding you and embracing you? The earth is full of love, just look around and notice the harmony of the songs of the birds, the squirrel gathering nuts, the trees opening their arms to offer a home.” ” I am the stranger who offers you a smile. I am the customer at the store who says thank you. I am your coworker who shares a cake with you. I am the song on the radio that says, ‘Never give up. Just trust in my love.'” With love, your Creator, God.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

There really is healing with honesty. –Erin

ALL WORDS AND IMAGES ARE PROPERTY OF THE BLOG ‘‘BellaBleue”