Welcome to Wellness Weekly coming to you every Wednesday. This will be a weekly series, sort of like a Letter from the Editors that will rotate between Morgan, Lara and Luigi with the occasional guest. We’ll hold space on the Dirt to check-in on our Sixth Sense: the term we use to refer to our spirit, our intuition, our inner power. And because while we exist in the world alongside our other Five Senses, we’ll do a check-in of those, too.
Hi Smudge Universe! Fresh off the heels of our first Smudge Session where we used a Selenite Crystal Grid to set some intentions around the concept of Self-Love, I’m thinking a lot this week about just how personally powerful it is to ground my action and behavior in compassion and affection for who I am. Armed with Self-Love, I feel more confident, authentic, and honest about what I want, who I want to be for myself and others, and -- importantly -- what I don’t need.
One of the intentions that I set during this workshop was around the intention of Release and, specifically, what I choose to let go of when I am grounded in a world of self-compassion, acceptance, and understanding. And what came to mind, what I wrote on my piece of paper, and has stuck with me these last few days is the following:
I am releasing the Energy Vampires.
For those unfamiliar, Energy Vampires are those people in your life that suck you dry. You spend time with them and when they are gone, rather than feel boosted and satisfied, you feel exhausted and depleted. Energy Vampires forget to ask you how you are, they have the unique ability to make any situation about themselves, and drama follows them everywhere. They ask so much of you and rarely return the favor. They overstay their welcome or, worse, are never there when you need them. You are better off without them, and yet, they are an incredibly hard beast to shake.
Enter Self-Love, the Energy Vampire Slayer. Better than garlic, sunlight, or a stake through the heart, Self-Love deals in the currency of confidence and in boundaries -- giving you the courage and ability to recognize the Energy Vampire for what they are and giving you the strength to say no thanks. Self-Love gives you a protective armor of self-worth and the permission to know that if a person is not giving in the same measure they are receiving, they are not deserving of your love and attention. Talk about a Super Power!
Before I really got in touch with the notion of Self-Love, I was a people pleaser who rarely walked away from relationships that in hindsight checked off all the boxes of Energy Vampires. My identity was all too often tied up in being the easy going person of least resistance. I always made time for the Energy Vampires, even if it left me feeling tired, uncentered, and often without any reserves to spend on the things and people I really cared about.
Emboldened by Self-Love, I feel more prepared than ever to follow through with this intention of Release. I know where to draw the boundaries around me and who to let in. And rather than feeling closed off, I feel more open and free than ever before -- because I am creating the kind of sustainable personal power source that regenerates rather than dies out. In other words? Let Self-Love slay and you will too.
Here’s what’s going on with my other senses this week:
Sight --
A few weeks ago, I listened to the Daily’s deep dive into the strange and wonderful world of the Cloud Appreciation Society. And ever since then, my head has been in the clouds, dreaming and marveling at how soothing, inspiring, and energizing it can be to simply look up more often.
Sound --
Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia got me through most of 2020. That she has bestowed upon us a new and very fun single, We’re Good, feels particularly generous. I have listened to this roughly 173645672 times this week with no letup in sight.
Smell --
I was going to say the herbs in my garden, which are really thriving right now and seem like a very grown-up answer. But to be honest, the real smell ruling my world currently are Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, an old school fave that my children request every morning for breakfast. If I could bottle this smell, I would!
Taste --
One of my best friends baked some Alison Roman’s Tiny, Salty, Chocolaty Cookies this week and I would just like to go on the record saying that the only thing that would make them better is if they were called Large.
Touch --
I had my first massage in over a year this week. Double-masked with multiple air filters blasting couldn’t dampen my gratitude for the healing touch from an expert on my sore and tired muscles. Human connection -- what a novel and miraculous treat that I will never again take for granted!
xxoo
Lara
