Seeing Yourself With Love


Name

Seeing Yourself With Love

Purpose/Effects

Practicing Seeing Yourself with Love can help shift your perspective to see the good qualities within you that others see every day. Through this practice, you can begin to reclaim and embrace the good that you have overlooked, and see how lovable you really are.

Method

Summary
Imagine seeing yourself and good qualities through the eyes of someone who loves you. Then, come back to your own perspective and notice how it feels to possess these qualities.

Long Version

  1. Choose someone in your life who truly loves you.
    • If you have trouble thinking of someone, try choosing a person that you knew previously or briefly who made you feel “seen” and accepted. Or, try choosing a pet.
  2. Now, imagine you and this person sitting across from each other beholding one another.
  3. Begin to see yourself through this person’s eyes, focusing on the good qualities he or she sees in you, and this person’s love for you.
  4. Ask yourself, “Why does this person love me? What does he/she see?”
  5. Go slowly with this exercise until you can really see and feel what this person sees and feels for you.
  6. When you are ready, come back to yourself and notice how it feels to possess these good qualities.
  7. Really take in the good of this experience, savoring the love, worthiness, and good that exist within you.
  8. If you wish, write down these good qualities and read them daily to remind yourself of them.

History

This method was adapted from a practice created by James Baraz in his book Awakening Joy. For more information about Baraz’s work and courses, please visit:

http://www.jamesbaraz.com/

See Also

Self-Compassion Pause
Writing for Self Compassion
Lovingkindness Meditation

External Links

Interview with James Baraz about his book Awakening Joy

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