What if you could rewire your brain, without drugs, without therapy, but with three little words, “Good morning, I love you”? Sounds too good to be true? We thought so too until we got tipped off from clinical psychologist, professor, and mindfulness researcher, Shauna Shapiro, PhD.
We’re sharing this excerpt from GOOD MORNING, I LOVE YOU: Mindfulness + Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity + Joy where we learned a daily self-love practice that over time, is rewiring our brains for more happiness. Yes, come and get it.
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity—science already proves that simply expressing gratitude can boost the happiness hormone serotonin. If you’re not cultivating enough good will toward yourself, currently, you may want to start now…
How To Instill A “Good Morning, I Love You” Practice
I always do the “Good Morning, I Love You” practice first thing when I wake up. While lying in bed, I place my hand on my heart and take a moment to simply feel the connection; to receive this tender gesture of self-care.
+ Place your hand on your heart. Focus on your palm. Feel your heart pulsing through your chest.
+ Feel how your heart is taking care of you, sending oxygen and nutrients to the trillions of cells in your body. The heart knows exactly how to care for you—you don’t have to control it or even think about it. Simply receive the nourishment.
+ When you’re ready, take a breath, and say, Good morning, [your name] or Good morning, I love you, [your name].
+ Notice how this makes you feel. See if you can bring kindness and curiosity to however you are feeling. There is no right or wrong way to feel.
+ Trust that you are planting the seeds of presence and compassion for yourself and that these seeds will grow and strengthen the neural substrates of self-love.
+ Send these seeds of blessing out into the world, offering the phrase Good Morning, I Love You to anyone who comes to mind.
+ Recognize that we are never just practicing for ourselves. Everything we do has echoes in the Universe.
+ If we create a habit of greeting ourselves with love each morning, these first moments of our day can transform the rest of the moments of our day, our lives, and the lives of others.
