We’ve all heard it before; finding love starts with loving yourself first. But, easier said than done, right? Learning how to love yourself feels like an endless process. That’s because it is.

Think of loving yourself as an ongoing journey—a spiritual practice that requires consistent nurturing to embody your highest self. It takes practice, regular self-care rituals to restore and reconnect with the mind, body, and soul. It means mind-body awareness, to nourish yourself through daily habits. It means healing from wounds of the past, to move past the traumas of our childhood, past lives, and ancestors.

Although it might sound like a lot, introducing self-care rituals and healing practices into your routine can have a powerful impact on your life. It’s never too early to start. Step into your personal power. From daily practices to sacred rituals, discover these habits to learn how to love yourself.

Create a self-care toolkit

If you find yourself spiritually stuck, it can feel like a major challenge just to get out of bed, let alone take care of yourself. So start simple. Fake it until you make it. Sometimes going through the motions of self-care will get you there, even if difficult at first.

Choose a few habits to include in your “self-care toolkit”. You can always turn to these go-to healing activities for self-care, especially on days when you feel a little blue. It can start with just going outside: try hiking, biking, walking, or paddleboard. Even just a 10-minute walk in the sunshine can boost your mood.

Turn to spiritual activities, like sisterhood circles, meditation, or yoga, to nurture the soul. You can also practice self-care rituals, like a Full Moon Meditation to heal energetically and release negative patterns. Or, treat yourself to healing experiences, like soaking in a hot tub, enjoying a massage, or relaxing in a sound bath. Even spending time cuddling with your pets or sipping tea with friends can count as an act of self-care.

Remember: Self-care is personal. You can decide for yourself what to include in your self-care toolkit. Experiment with new activities. And if a self-care ritual doesn’t work for you, try something else instead.

Return home to your body

In an interview, Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh says, “How do you love yourself? The first act of love is to breathe in and go home to your body… To be aware of your body is the beginning of love.”

In our busy lives, it’s easy to get caught up with schedules, appointments, and commitments. Sometimes you need to take a step back and check in with your body. Bring awareness to yourself, to your body, to your spirit. Practice guided meditation, like Yoga Nidra or mindfulness, to scan the body and reconnect.

When your mind becomes aware of your body, you are fully present for yourself. Experience the miracle of your body. You might notice a few things. You realize that your body is an amazing miracle. Your feet carry you where you need to go. Your lungs support the breath of life. Your eyes perceive the brilliant lights and colors around you. Your ears hear music and laughter.

Practice mind-body awareness regularly. Cultivating gratitude for your body helps align your actions to support your health. Over time, your thoughts will support a healthier attitude toward your body. Instead of focusing on your physical flaws and comparing yourself to how others look, you breathe in and appreciate the beauty of your body.

Heal the wounds of the past

We need to FEEL to HEAL.

But when traumatic events happen, it can feel so painful that we lock away our emotions deep inside. They become our wounds. When you don’t take the time to heal these wounds, the emotional pain stays in the body. It can manifest into negative thought patterns and even physical disease.

What does it mean to heal from the past?

This can mean taking the time to unravel your traumas. As you develop self-awareness, you can recognize negative habits and thought patterns, their sources, and how to heal.

You can work with a therapist or practice journaling to heal. Spending time with a sisterhood can also help work through painful experiences together.

Spiritual practices, like mindfulness meditation, help release habits of clinging to the past, and past traumas, by focusing on the present. You can break through the layers of illusions and experience your highest self. It means letting go of the thoughts patterns and perceptions imprinted upon you, the illusions of self, based on external factors. A spiritual reconnection goes inward, to connect with your soul, limitless and eternal.

Sometimes traumas can travel with us from one lifetime to the next. Self-destructive patterns often reveal the trauma carried over from a past life. The karma of your past lives continues to echo into the present moment. Look at the patterns you experience now. In order to break free, you first need to recognize the patterns and heal. Spiritual practices, like past life regression or soul healing, help recognize the karmic patterns from previous lives so you can finally move forward.

Heal the Divine Feminine Wound

Because society has suppressed the Divine Feminine for so many years, it has caused a wound to the feminine aspects of ourselves. For women, this can cause shame of the feminine, like stigmas about body image, hormonal fluctuations, and menstruation. For men, it can manifest in the suppression of feminine qualities, like intuition, sensitivity, and collaboration.

Self-love means full acceptance of ourselves as a whole. But, when we deny the Divine Feminine within, we deny half of who we are. Healing the Divine Feminine wound means restoring the balance of the feminine and masculine.

Divine Feminine healing is for everyone, regardless of gender. For men, it may mean connecting to the sensitive side, to allow yourself to feel and express emotions. For women, it can mean letting go of shame—to embrace the sensual side and embody the feminine power openly.

To understand your feminine wound, ask yourself which feminine qualities made you feel ashamed? Examples of these qualities include intuition, creativity, empathy, compassion, sensitivity, communication, acceptance, collaboration, forgiveness, and living from the heart.

Go on a Sisterhood retreat

Much of practicing self-love means doing the work on yourself, to heal internally and show up fully present to the world. But that doesn’t have to mean doing it alone. In fact, having the support of loving, like-hearted people will enhance your journey to self-love.

What better way to practice self-love than a luxurious wellness retreat surrounded by your sisterhood? Fall in love this Valentine’s Day… with YOURSELF. Be Love! Reclaiming Sacred Self Love Jamaica is an inspiring 6-night, 7-day wellness retreat at an Oceanside Boutique Hotel on Treasure Beach.

Self-care is the foundation of self-love. If you find yourself overwhelmed, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, then a complete reset can provide the transformation you need to experience the joys of loving yourself.

Develop a deeper relationship with yourself surrounded by supportive sisters. This women’s wellness retreat offers a week of heart-centered guidance, spiritual practices, yoga, sisterhood, and sacred self-care. Space is limited. Reserve your spot today to reclaim your self-love and learn how to love... YOURSELF.