It is my deep, hot, and holy conviction that the body of every woman is a living, breathing altar.

Yes, I mean you.

Overworked, underloved, insubstantially paid you.

Yes, even underworked, overloved, exaltedly paid you.

The question is-

Do you treat yours as such?

Think about it. There is no human alive today who was not created and held inside the living altar of a woman. We are the place where the human and the divine collaborate in creation.

Just as an altar in a sanctuary requires upkeep and maintenance to feel sacred, so does the body, woman.

It is our sacred responsibility to look and feel as beautiful as possible to connect to the sacred within ourselves and shine our radiance on the world.

Yet, exquisite self-care is the easiest thing to toss aside when the mundane aspects of daily life take over. Compared to everything we have to do, and everywhere we have to be, attending to ourselves occurs as frivolous, indulgent, and irresponsible.

And, sisters, there are consequences.

If we disregard the sacred within us, we cannot connect to our ability to turn on.

And when we are not turned on, we are not connected to our life force.

And if we are not connected to our life force, we are not moving from our sacred center, not experiencing the essential raw goodness of life, and not owning our power.

And, if we are not standing in our power, we perpetuate the sense of ourselves as a victim, rather than the heroine of our lives.

Self-care is a pathway to power – unimaginable power.

What would it take to get there?

How does a woman practice the art of reteaching herself to her beauty?

How does she bow before what is, and still open the doors to what she might become?

How does she reconsecrate her altar daily?

She has to feed the beast. She has to tend the fire of her radiance, no matter what.

Oh, yes, she does.

And she won’t ‘feel’ like it.

She will think pleasure is foolish and a waste of her time and effort.

Suffering will seem much more relevant and valuable.

It will make so much sense. And everyone will agree it is the best choice, which perpetuates the cycle.

Instead, a woman has to vault herself into her radiance, choosing the effort of stepping in the direction of pleasure.

I have been learning and living the experiment of connecting to my divinity as a daily practice. Some days I am better at it than other days. I have found certain daily practices to be beneficial, and I wanted to share some of them with you today.

Here are some of  my daily practices:

1. I take a bath instead of a shower because it makes me feel more relaxed and beautiful. I use eucalyptus-scented Epsom salts and essential oils because they smell lovely.  After the bath, I use coconut oil on my skin; it feels delightful and nourishes the skin deeply.

3. I dance to whatever song suits my mood or helps me move my waking emotions through my body. Moving my feelings through my body is a way of honoring them and honoring my design.

4. I do a small gratitude ritual at my altar. I have a series of stones, small objects, and gratitude cards. I have collected over the years. I light a candle, and pick up one of the cards or rock, and whisper gratitude for different aspects of my life.

5. I write in my journal. Every day is a different prompt I start with. (e.g., What am I grateful for?/ What is one positive thing that happened to me today? / I am proud of myself because?)

6. I prepare my breakfast (avocado and eggs) and sit down at my dining room table with real china and real silverware. I do my best to eat slowly and with gratitude. Taking food into our bodies and using it to nourish us is a sacred act. It takes enormous effort on my part to not rush – and not to distract myself with electronics – especially when I am dining alone.

7. My next move is earthing in my yard or in the woods.  As I do, I embrace my toes in the grass and walk chanting to the earth for all its wonder.

8.  I practice yoga and meditate every day. Yoga helps me improve flexibility, balance, endurance, and physical strength in my body.  While meditation helps to keep my mind sharp and clear, relieves stress, and improves overall well-being.

So, throughout the day, I  emptied my charge, moved my body, honored my emotions, nourished myself, connected with my gratitude, and expressed my most deeply held desires.

This practice is a way that I stay centered, grateful, and filled up with love and attention, so I can open myself to whatever the day brings with the thick padding of self-love in place.

I have reconsecrated my altar. This makes me far less vulnerable to losing my sanity!

Each of these steps requires a certain amount of effort, but the result is so worth the investment. Treating yourself like a goddess is not easy but so deserving.

Every woman can and will design her version of how she reconsecrates her altar. Your version of tending to your radiance might be completely different from mine.

The object here is that you choose to create a wide landing strip for your connection to your divinity to inhabit your day, your life, your body.

Always work on strengthening your self-esteem and confidence. Self-esteem and confidence not only make you glow; it brings out the best in you. You’ll be in a better mood and more grateful to be yourself.

Turning on is tuning in. And it turns a woman on to feel beautiful and beautifully cared for.

Now I want to hear from you.

What are your self-care rituals, particularly as you start your day? Or, what is one practice you will start doing, to honor and adore the altar of your body? I love to hear from you!

~Diadel Kimberlee