2. Practice eye gazing

Another practice that I sometimes use with my clients is eye-gazing. When done in the mirror, this practice deepens self-love, eliminates shame, and opens the heart. Yes, it’s super weird at first, so be sure to go into it with an open mind.

Stand or sit in front of a mirror or use a hand mirror and look into your own non-dominant eye. (Your non-dominant eye correlates to handedness: if you’re right-handed, your left eye is the non-dominant eye.) First, take a moment to breathe. Then, as you gaze into your own eye, try to have a dialogue with yourself—out loud if you’re comfortable, or silently if that feels right.

Barbara Carrellas, author of Urban Tantra suggests using these “conversation starters” as guidelines during this exercise:

I love you for . . .

I forgive you for . . .

If I really loved you, I would . . .

Because I really love you, I will . . .

You might start hysterically laughing or feel really trippy. But it’s truly a transformative, intimate practice—a kind of self therapy or relationship therapy, depending on whether you do it solo or with a partner.