enclosed in a moment {self-portrait challenge}
This month’s topic at self-portrait challenge is enclosed spaces. I have been exploring the idea of being enclosed in my body.
Today I was enclosed in a moment with my body.
In this last week, my energy around the reflection meditation has become a bit more about “oh I forgot again and it is 11:00 p.m.” and less “this is the time I have set aside to do this.”
Today, I changed that. I created a practice. My plan is to partake in the extended version I did today at least once a week. But each day, I will do at least a piece of this practice.
I created a space for myself in our family room. Propping up the mirror that usually sits on our mantel, using a small stool as a table, changing into something that makes me feel good, putting on a little make-up. I made a pot of tea for one and a small plate of treats.
I sat down in front of the mirror and lit a candle and stated my intention.
I chanted to Shiva, hoping to gain strength and the ability to detach from all that flits back and forth in my mind.
I opened my eyes and looked at my reflection.
I had a tea party with my own reflection, eating a little chocolate, some walnuts, and rainier cherries.
I took some pictures of myself.
I watched myself in the mirror, noticing how it felt to be in my body, in these clothes, in this day.
I honored my body and its curves.
I acknowledged a power greater than me and blew out the candle.
This meditation is about accepting that my outer self and my inner self are one. It is about being as gentle with my physical body as I believe I should be with my emotional body because they both make up me.
Is there a separation between the outer and inner physical self? Do the voices of others speak so loudly in our heads that we forget to honor that inner beauty is the outer beauty? Will we allow the expectations of the “shoulds” to take over who we want to be? These are the questions that swirl around me tonight as I sit here hoping you are being gentle with yourself. That you are honoring your physical and emotional bodies. Hoping you are owning your beauty.
mirror meditation, self-portrait in breathe.
Reader Comments (15)
this is so beautiful.
you are so beautiful.
i love how you are honoring yourself, taking gentle, creative time to set up a tea with self, dressed all pretty and feeling more fabulous.
i love the composition in this photo.
love you Lizzy...thank you for being my inspiration on this meditation/acceptance journey.
love,
boho
A gentle gift to yourself - this meditation is taking you to kinder places. And what a lovely ritual you've made.
you absolutely fill my heart, liz elayne. i hope you realize what a beautiful inspiration you are. this photo of you filled me with such warmth and admiration; you are truly a blessing...
Daaaaaannnnnnngggggggg Liz. I was doing my nightly (oh and do this daily too!) voyeristic blog snooping ritual (up too late as usual...) and when I got to your blog - I almost fell off of my EXERCISE BALL. Ya, I like red - my favorite color and ok talk to you later! Julia
oh my beautiful friend - this is such an arresting portrait of you - wow... so sensual and feminine - i *love* it. honouring ourselves is so vitally important. you remind me of this today. love to you xx
Liz,
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful moment. after having 5 beautiful children, my body has been through so much...thank you for reminding me that I should honor it and invite the beauty that is mine, inside and out...that when those moments come of self doubt, I should be as gentle to myself as I would anyone else.
i love how
you offer
calmness
and invite
deep breath
from me
every time
i read what
you have written.
Sweet, sweet you!!
I love this post and the idea of a practice (not to mention that yours sounds absolutely divine - walnuts and chocolate and cherries? Yum!). Most of all I like the message you are struggling to accept for yourself, the same one I struggle to incorporate in my life.
Self love is so easy to profess and so hard to truly, deeply feel.
What a great journey we are on, you with your mirror in the Pacific Northwest and me with my morning meditation on a balcony 3 blocks from the Indian Ocean. I think of you - and many of the other lovely women I've met through blogging - quite often as I sit and have a cup of tea in silence.
I love seeing glimpes of the inside other people's homes. Even when we take a walk or a slow drive I peak in. I felt I got to know you more with this intimate photo.
this post, for some reason, made me really emotional.
i think it was the lines,
"I watched myself in the mirror, noticing how it felt to be in my body, in these clothes, in this day. ...
It is about being as gentle with my physical body as I believe I should be with my emotional body because they both make up me."
you are so on course, liz, and write about what you're experiencing so very beautifully.
thank you.
I like the idea of a tea party with yourself and the self-portrait is beautiful. I especially like that is says "LIVE" above the mirror!
wow, this is so moving and inspiring. that is a beautiful, sensual, rich being looking out at us from that mirror.
I feel a wee bit ridiculous writing about meatball cupcakes in my latest post when I read something so beautifully meaningful and thoughtful as this post. The photo is so moving Liz, and I love the gestures of self-love-the tea, treats, the open-ended questions- Keep evergrowing, ever sparkling, ever striving! You are a marvelous inspiration and gift in the blogging world.
Beautiful place and soul :)
beautiful shy and accepting portrait and post, the letters strung across the mirror not unnoticed. x