Some plants lose their leaves during winter, flowers shed their petals and trees stand skeletal, haunting the dark. And yet they breathe, their inner core functions, albeit at a different, arguably lower frequency. Twigs break, flowers are plucked and leaves fall; and yet they pulse energy and life, breathing in and out with the vibrance of light. Perhaps as humans we forget that we too move in and out of varying states of conscious and unconscious being. We bounce from one energy system to another, whether it is medicinal, prescribed, legal or otherwise. Perhaps we ride on the tailwinds of others, picking up scraps of energy along the way, not realising until we are empty of fuel that this is not sustainable. But we try again. ‘This time will be different.” We promise ourselves that we have learnt our lesson, that we will be better at prioritising and taking care of ourselves, we will love ourselves differently, love ourselves harder, better, longer.
What does that even mean? What does loving ourselves even mean? Is it achievable? Social media, self-help gurus and anyone else who jumps on the bandwagon of promoting ‘self-love’ and ‘health’, tell us that we should truly love ourselves. But I would argue, by whose truth? Yours, or mine? Defining what it means to us first would perhaps be the first step to this destination of ‘self-love’? To me, it means taking care of myself, even in moments where I don’t like myself too much. When shame interrupts my thoughts, in loving myself I respond in loving to my shame, and still fuel my mind, body and soul in a way that is healthful to me. Running 10km is not healthful for me, but for you, perhaps that burn in your lungs lights the fire in your belly and you’re reminded of what an incredible human you are. For me, I prefer to lift something heavy, or do some yoga, or even hangout with friends. It really depends what love means to me and how best I can love myself in that moment.
When I think about the bones of a tree in the middle of winter, and the small buds ready to blossom in spring, it makes me think of how a tree embraces the elements and knows when to reduce its energy expenditure and when to increase its vibes and spread its vibrancy. Even though it withdraws from the heat, it is still able to flourish, because of its ability to use the energy it has within and draws from appropriate sources. Trees communicate through a variety of pathways and if one tree is being attacked, other trees will release hormones and chemicals to protect that tree. Trees will even give their life for the masses, spreading their vitality to other trees rather than allow their diseased bones to spread infection. I’m not saying humans should do that, but I do see how we can learn from the life of plants. Keep energy sources simple and nutritious. Spread love and positive vibes. And if loving yourself means taking a time out to rejuvenate and rebalance, then do it. xxx
Polar Beats 