A Minute in the Mirror, A Lifetime of Loving
I am forever grateful to a traveling group of workshop presenters who taught me to look in a mirror and love myself! For over thirty years, I have been using and teaching mirror work, just like Louise Hay suggests in her newsletter of yesterday morning. It made a profound difference in my life back in 1982, when I took a one evening workshop at the Religious Science church in Las Vegas. I have no clue any longer as to the name of this group or where they learned or developed their presentation including this simple but amazing strategy. But my thankfulness overflows to this day!
Many clients and probably over a hundred of my introductory psychology students in the last few years have also expressed deep gratitude for the process. I offered this technique as a possible strategy for use in a self-nurturing project to prepare for our required term paper. Of the numerous positive outcomes from mirror work reported in those papers, my favorite is the young woman who sashayed into my classroom, singing out, "Dr. Marrin, Dr. Marrin, I learned to love myself!" She dropped her paper on my desk with a flourish and swirled to her seat with a joy that touched everyone present.
How can you do it? This is very simple, takes only a minute, but requires consistent practice. I highly recommend that you do it every day for five weeks, which is what I asked students to do for their projects. This allows time to form and anchor a new habit of consciousness. Give yourself a sticker on a calendar, or some sort of check off in you smart phone each day to keep track. If you miss a day, start over on your five week commitment.
Each morning, look into your eyes in the mirror, tell yourself your own name and say, "I love you." That's it.
When I did it the first time, 32 years ago, the first couple of days were rather ho-hum. Then there was at least a week when I said those words and every unlovable thing I had ever said, thought or done tumbled to the forefront of my mind. As instructed, I said the words anyway. In a little time, I was looking in my eyes and saying, "I love you," with amazingly deep compassion and loving. Often, tears flowed gently from an infinite spring of loving within me.
Now, if I need a boost any time, I can look into my eyes and see the loving shining forth, say those words as a caring reminder, and watch my whole self light up from within.
Throughout my life, my personal and spiritual growth has come in small shifts from changing my thoughts and practices. This was one of the most profound of those small shifts, correcting the course of my inner life to greater alignment with the Oneness with Spirit, the heritage of each one of us.
Enjoy! Love and Light,
Ilenya
Many clients and probably over a hundred of my introductory psychology students in the last few years have also expressed deep gratitude for the process. I offered this technique as a possible strategy for use in a self-nurturing project to prepare for our required term paper. Of the numerous positive outcomes from mirror work reported in those papers, my favorite is the young woman who sashayed into my classroom, singing out, "Dr. Marrin, Dr. Marrin, I learned to love myself!" She dropped her paper on my desk with a flourish and swirled to her seat with a joy that touched everyone present.
How can you do it? This is very simple, takes only a minute, but requires consistent practice. I highly recommend that you do it every day for five weeks, which is what I asked students to do for their projects. This allows time to form and anchor a new habit of consciousness. Give yourself a sticker on a calendar, or some sort of check off in you smart phone each day to keep track. If you miss a day, start over on your five week commitment.
Each morning, look into your eyes in the mirror, tell yourself your own name and say, "I love you." That's it.
When I did it the first time, 32 years ago, the first couple of days were rather ho-hum. Then there was at least a week when I said those words and every unlovable thing I had ever said, thought or done tumbled to the forefront of my mind. As instructed, I said the words anyway. In a little time, I was looking in my eyes and saying, "I love you," with amazingly deep compassion and loving. Often, tears flowed gently from an infinite spring of loving within me.
Now, if I need a boost any time, I can look into my eyes and see the loving shining forth, say those words as a caring reminder, and watch my whole self light up from within.
Throughout my life, my personal and spiritual growth has come in small shifts from changing my thoughts and practices. This was one of the most profound of those small shifts, correcting the course of my inner life to greater alignment with the Oneness with Spirit, the heritage of each one of us.
Enjoy! Love and Light,
Ilenya
posted by Ilenya Marrin, DSS @ 10:52 AM
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