Self-Care is one of the highest forms of love

​We are approaching our national holiday of love. It's a whirlwind of buying flowers and chocolate. I happen to be a card person, and I'm having trouble resisting getting yet one more each time I walk into a store.
 
Lately I've been thinking about an aspect of love that often gets overlooked. This is self-care -- the act of putting time and attention to make sure that YOU are living a healthy and happy life. Self-care is one of the highest forms of love.
 
It took a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for me to wake up to the fact that I was not taking care of myself -- body or spirit. I was working long hours at a job that didn't fulfill me. I was in default mode, doing what I was told to do, not what I really wanted to do.
 
The illness was my body speaking to me, saying that the life I was living wasn't right for me. Because I had limited energy, I had to make choices about what was most important. I had to slow down and listen. In this process, I discovered acupuncture and the idea of living a life in balance. I changed what I was eating, who my friends were and my profession. I got out of a relationship that wasn't right for me.
 
But most of all I started a journey to become and stay healthy. The limited resources that I had went to doctor's visits, acupuncture treatments, psychotherapy and studying acupuncture -- one of the oldest and most widely used health modalities in the world.
 
I learned about these five aspects of health that correspond to the Five Element/Five Organ system that is part of the practice of acupuncture.

• Nourishment -- principles for healthy eating (Spleen/Earth Element)
• Immunity -- using the breath; protection (Lung/Metal Element)
• Resilience -- rootedness; core energy; meditation (Kidney/Water Element)
• Direction -- movement; ability to plan and follow through (Liver/Wood Element)
• Connection -- gratitude, joy, relationships, celebration (Heart/Fire Element)

 
Using these principles my life changed in ways that I could only imagine.

• I found work that I loved.
• I met the man of my dreams.
• I stopped dieting, stopped weighing myself and started eating nutritiously.
• I found a spiritual community that supported me and fed my soul.
• I started spending more time outdoors, cooking, reading and connecting with friends.

 
All these things were acts of self-care. They are things that I continue to practice to this day. Even when I get off course, when things get busy and life gets stressful, these are things that I return to time and time again.
 
Out of this experience came a desire to help other people, possibly you, live healthier and happier lives. If this journey interests you, consider signing up for my Roadmap to Health 6 Week class. This is for you if:

• You want to get healthier, but are not sure where to begin.
• You have tried various diet and exercise programs, but none has stuck.
• You are interested in learning more about Chinese & Japanese medicine.
• You experience pain & are looking for natural solutions.
• You are looking for a group to offer support and encouragement.

 
This class begins on February 19th -- it's been postponed one week due to snow.
 
For more information and to sign-up at a special rate, simply visit me at www.bonniediamond.com/roadmaptohealthspecial
 
This Valentine's Day do something nice for yourself!