by CASSIE MCINTYRE
CTFashionMag.com
Everyone expresses love in different ways. Some of us give gifts, we can express our love by physical affections, we can express our love by giving our time to spend with someone, and we can express our love by simply listening and being there for someone. Taking the time to reflect on how you give and receive love is often an important step for your inner yoga journey and for your life in general. This month, I ask you to define your own way you can give and receive love.
February is associated with Valentine’s Day. That means flowers, chocolates, gifts, and whatever else we think we need to go about showing our love to the people around us but February itself is not the only month we should be focusing on this concept of love. In what way do you receive love and are you receptive to it? What is the best way you give and receive love? Then ask yourself, how do people around you give and receive? By becoming more aware and open to receiving acts of love you are connecting better with the people around you. Whether it be with your partner, child, parents, or friends, understanding how someone close to you is giving and receiving their love can better your own expressions of love and deepen your connections.
Love itself is the greatest gift we can give. One of the most caring things we can do as humans is let someone love you the way they know how. There is elegance in simply receiving love. For example, if your parents or friends love to constantly shower you with gifts, let them. If your wife, husband, girlfriend, or boyfriend loves to simply hold your hand, let them; even if you’re not naturally physically affectionate. To put it simply, let yourself be loved. We are complicated people who all come from different backgrounds, languages, and lifestyles and yet we love with our whole and broken hearts. Maybe we aren’t comfortable with letting others in yet you are receptive to those positive words or actions. And maybe it comes down to worthiness. If you don’t feel worthy of love you’ll never let love in not matter how much you intellectually understand how to express it. Worthiness isn’t tied to a physical action its integral and unchallengeable. You are worthy of love so never forget that you are.
Love can be overwhelming at times and we can feel smothered because people are constantly creating that needy feeling. Assuming their affections are creating no harm, try and be receptive to letting them in. Time is our greatest downfall when we don’t take that time to spend it with the people who love us and who we love in return. Every single person has loved something or someone at some point in their lives. So again, how are you giving and receiving love?
Presence is really something to take advantage of to let the people around you know you love them. Try to focus this year on looking towards the bigger picture on being with the people who care about you. Immerse yourself into the conversation, deepen your connections, take the time to make plans and go on those adventures, and most importantly look up from your smart phones. Your time and efforts do not go unnoticed. Remember, everyone expresses their love in different ways like giving their time to be with you and their ears to listen so how will you take on 2018 in being more open to love? What will you do to be more open, more receptive, and more mindful of the people around you? Let love in and see how you can change your world.
Cassie McIntyre is a NASM certified personal trainer, yoga instructor, and nutritional coach. She works at LA Fitness.
