Breathe Beauty......
"Beauty is not in the face, it is a light in the heart." Kahil Gibran
"Beauty is in the heart of the beholder" Al Bernstein
We are as a culture obsessed with beauty- we are constantly seeking to make ourselves more beautiful. Beauty is a multi billion dollar industry. I am not impervious, I am a happy consumer of beauty- I am happy to play in the realm of make-up, clothing. style, image- but that is not all there is.....I love to play with as an expression of an inner beauty, as an expression of beauty not as a way to hide what other wise I might deem to be unattractive or ugly.
I have worked for many years with women and men on issues of attractiveness, body image, eating disorders, and other compulsive addictions aimed at trying to manipulate their bodies to be more "beautiful". More often than not- the procedures, the excessive weight loss, attempts to mask that which we don't like, results not in more happiness- but in more dis-ease. We are plagued with the compulsion and desire to change yet another aspect of our bodies to comply with the "idea" of what is deemed beautiful. And yet my experience, over the years, is that the obsession with the external 'beauty" or "perfection" is more truthfully connected to feeling ugly,unlovable , self loathing or self hatred on the inside. The obsession with trying to focus attention on making the outside look a certain way is simply a mask for the inside that does not feel well.... Not feeling beauty inside is the issue.......and being beauty is an inside job!
I had a young woman client, Stella,who was obsessed with the size of her breasts- so much so that she hated her body- would not date, let alone have sex, her "happiness' revolved around not feeling beautiful. Stella ended up, after much thought, having a breast implant surgery. After an incredibly painful recovery- she still was not happy. They were not big enough- they did not change how she really felt about herself....Stella still didn't feel beautiful.....
Real beauty is indeed a quest...and one that we are told is something that we can acquire- Certainly the right hair, make-up, clothing can all add to the visual image of beauty. I am all for a make-over and do not shun the fashion world-In fact i love it for its inventiveness, art and expression...However, I would much rather work with clients from the inside out. Beauty starts on the inside- breathing beauty means cultivating a place of beauty within.
So how do we really "feel beautiful"? For when we feel the beauty, we exude the beauty, we see beauty, we breathe beauty, WE BECOME BEAUTY.....
Whats the Biggest Beauty Secret of ALL?
One thing has become so very clear to me- the biggest beauty secret that any of us could ever wish to practice is the nurturing and cultivation of a peaceful, open heart. if most of use puts as much focus on the beauty of inner world as we do on appearing beautiful to the outer world the balance would shine from us. You know when you see the beautiful glow of a pregnant woman- as she walks around growing new life in her body- this glow certainly comes from the hormones that are being released in her body- but more than that it is also often times her inner state of loving her baby who is growing inside her that is creating an inner sense of beauty that is radiating out through her body. Thankfully this is not the exclusive right of only pregnant women- we can all choose to feel beauty inside...and to create the optimal inner universe which can be a fertile place for beauty to grow.....
We can create inner beauty- through choosing to Breathe Beauty- as we consciously choose to feel beauty inside by creating a state of peace and harmony, we quite literally are in the active process of renewing, revitalizing, relaxing and rejuvenating our energetic systems. The inner spa is one that of course comes shining through in our hair, nails, skin, eyes, and general health- Beauty is holistic- it is a state of being not a state of doing......
So how do we walk the beauty way?
There is a Navajo prayer:
Always walk in Beauty
ahead of me....
Always walk in Beauty
behind me....
Always walk in Beauty
above me....
Always walk in Beauty
below me...
And All around me...
Always walk in Beauty
I have added one stanza to this.....
Always walk in Beauty
within me.......
Practice #1 Feel the Beauty
Part of accessing a sense of beauty is to utilize all of our sense- Our five sense are what relay to us all the information about the world around us- they are what give us our experience of the world. Part of experiencing internal beauty is to be able to drink in beauty- This act of nourishing ourselves with the beauty of the world around us is one way to activate and cultivate a feeling sense of beauty. Once we have this sense we can start to practice looking through the heart of beauty at the world....
So......
Find a flower- could be your favorite flower - even if you think you don't much care for flowers find one anyway...and be open to the experience....
Take the flower- and first really look at it- the color, the shading, the way the petals curl or lay, the stem, the inside of the flower, see everything about this flower and let yourself really be moved by the vision of beauty..let yourself become intimate ( yes i did say that!) as Rumi would say allow yourself to be loved by the flower.....
Now- touch the flower, feel the texture of the petals on your fingers, go ahead and let your hands really feel the sensuality of the flower, the delicacy, the smoothness..whatever the sensation is enjoy it..revel in it and notice how you feel......
Move the flower close to your face--allow yourself to begin to notice the fragrance...how does it make you feel, what do you notice inside your body. Breathe in the beauty of this flower in its scent no matter how delicate or strong..allow it to inform you of beauty..it is telling you a secret of beauty that it wants you to have.....remember we are practicing the beauty way here....
You could also do this with the other two sense of taste and hearing- have you ever listen to a flower- may sound bizarre - but once again i invite you to really allow for the incredible to happen the unexpected.....many composers have written music about flowers, trees, clouds, beaches, oceans, stars , planets the list goes on- the natural world is resplendent and abundant with ways for us to feel beauty....inside out.....
This is but one of many practices that we can do in order to become beauty....For more please go to http://www.planetbreathe.com/
"Beauty is in the heart of the beholder". That which we see with the eyes of beauty becomes beautiful....and that starts with ourselves. Breathe Beauty from the inside out today and notice how this can change how you feel....
I am available for "Beauty-Inside-Out Make Overs" Where we focus on matching the outside with the inside...and dressing for an expression of authentic true beauty within...- please feel free to contact me with your interest:
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