“In a society that profits from your self doubt, liking yourself is a rebellious act”
– Guerilla artist Caroline Caldwell
The idea of self-love isn’t a new concept. Yet somehow, it has become revolutionary in our modern era of fast-paced, rat-race supremacy culture where overworking oneself to the point of exhaustion or breakdown is praised – even expected. Most of us have been taught from a young age to put other’s needs before our own, and acts of heroic martyrdom pepper childhood books and movies. We wax poetic about “the grind” and “the hustle.” But how true to yourself do you feel while stressed and exhausted? What joys come from comparing oneself to others? Do we show up as our most authentic and open-hearted while berating ourselves for our perceived shortcomings? Loving yourself as you are and not conditionally, not only when you act, look, or perform the way you think you should, is both radical and rewarding. When we love ourselves, we are at peace with the present moment. We’re not beating ourselves up for some past transgression or feeling anxious about meeting future expectations. We’re free to experience contentment and make authentic connections with others and our world.
Self-love looks different for everyone because everyone is different; there isn’t a one-size-fits-all silver bullet. However, fulfilling your fundamental needs, like sleeping, eating, and breathing, is a good place to start. Creating small rituals to honor your physical, mental, and/or emotional/spiritual needs can be helpful. Picking one ritual to stick to and build from is easier than trying to make big changes all at once. For many of us, though, trying to find a sense of calm and center to begin to make even small changes can be challenging.
Calling on herbal remedies during ongoing or intense stress can make all the difference. Many excellent herbal allies can help with stress, and CBD (Cannabidiol), a non-psychoactive extract from the Cannabis plant – is one widely available and particularly soothing phyto-friend. CBD and Cannabis medicine, in general, have an expansive range of applications and have been used effectively for issues that range from anxiety to eczema, from seizures to cancer. One of the main benefits of CBD is, arguably, its versatility. There seems to be an application for nearly everybody and nearly every symptom, whether oil taken sublingually, concentrates inhaled, capsules swallowed, edibles digested, salves, and patches put directly on the skin.
CBD has exploded in popularity recently, and for good reason: not only has it aided so many in managing their disharmonies, diseases, and symptoms, but it has provided a held space, a calm center, from which to heal ourselves, from which to love ourselves. CBD and Cannabis medicine work directly with our endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS) to down-regulate inflammation, moderate immune response, and maintain overall homeostasis in the body. Homeostasis is the state of balance and equilibrium our bodies always strive for, always fine-tuning to achieve. Our lifestyles of excessive stress, poor nutrition, and exposure to environmental toxins make this process quite difficult. Much of our trauma, overwhelm, and feelings of frustration or inadequacy manifest somatically in the body. CBD helps to unwind some of that tension so we can more effectively find our own homeostasis. It’s not a silver bullet but a worthy companion on our journeys to healing and self-love. If you find yourself lost on the path, don’t get upset! Just as our bodies constantly adjust to find homeostasis, we can continually rediscover and uncover ways in which to love ourselves.
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Check out The Alchemist’s Kitchen’s collection of healing CBD offerings here, and check out The Alchemist’s Kitchen’s Season of Love Collection of herbal offerings here!
