“Love is as critical for your mind and body as oxygen. It's not negotiable. The more connected you are to yourself and to others, the healthier you will be both physically and emotionally.”

Self-Love is fast becoming a lost art. It’s a sad statement when self loathing is more prominent than Self-Love. In honor of Valentines Day, I thought it would be appropriate to focus on the power of learning to love one’s self.

According to Psychology Today.com, “Self-love doesn't happen by luck or the grace of God. You have to create it. These are among the most important elements of it.

• Honoring yourself and who you really are. Love is your birthright. As Teilhard de Chardin said, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience."

• Telling the highest truth, which is that we are powerful beings capable of creating joy and success or pain and suffering in our lives. We are not destined to be victims. We have the power to choose, and this power is both the greatest responsibility we have and the greatest opportunity.

• Honoring who you are becoming. Self-love involves recognizing that you are constantly evolving and growing to become a more powerful and more loving being.

• Honoring your feelings and responding to those feelings. Remember, feelings are important signals, and even the so-called negative feelings of anger and fear serve the important purpose of alerting us to the obstacles in our life.

• Recognizing that the universe is literally made of love. "If we will just open ourselves to receive, like flowers opening to the sun, then everything is possible,"Ti Caine.”

Shamanism is an ancient tradition of knowledge of the unseen that is cross-cultural. It is thought to predate all known religions and philosophies. Each of us need to find our own path to health. Read Shamanic Healing & Soul Retrieval

Are you tired of fastening your jeans up with a clothes hanger? Have you ever been congratulated on being pregnant when you're not actually? Does it make you angry to look down and not be able to see your abs? Well, now is your chance to get the inside scoop on how to get rid of that stomach fat once and for all! Does Your Fat Stomach Bother You?

This is straight from the horse's mouth, Mike Hannon, a personal trainer gives us the low down on exercise and body fat. He asks, "are you one of the thousands of people that jump around, cycle and jog 4-5 times a week but still feel like they are impersonating Roseanne Arnold as opposed to Jane Fonda?" If so this is a must read article: Is Exercise Making You Fat?

There are some false truths floating around out there in regards to exercise, fitness and weight loss and it's high time they get cleared up! Find out from an insider, Mike Hannon, personal trainer, what myths you might be following: The Davinci Code of Fitness

If WWIII came knocking at our door would we be ready for it or would you find most of us struggling to get out of our recliner? Read this funny yet enlightening article: Are we ready for war?

Looking for tips on how to deal with stress at work? Check out this great article: 19 Battlefield Tips to Survive Stress at Work

Want to change your life? Finding one's authentic self is a journey we all hope to experience. This author was lucky enough to choose to challenge himself to find his true path in life. If you are looking for an inspiring life story this is a must read article: Journey from Pinstriped and Briefcased Banker to Janitor

You may enjoy reading the entire series of articles by Jim Wellington.

• Personal Journey - From Pinstriped and Brief cased Banker to Janitor, Part I

• Personal Journey - From Pinstriped and Brief cased Banker to Janitor, Part II

• Personal Journey - From Pinstriped and Brief cased Banker to Janitor, Part III: Why Did You Do It

• Personal Journey - From Pinstriped and Brief cased Banker to Janitor, Part IV:The Role of My Teachers

• Personal Journey - From Pinstriped and Brief cased Banker to Janitor, Part V: A Few Final Thoughts

~Unknown

Keep in mind...

Your primary relationship is with yourself- all others are mirrors of it. As you learn to love yourself, you automatically receive the love and appreciation that you desire from others. If you are committed to yourself and to living your truth, you will attract others with equal commitment. Your willingness to be intimate with your own deep feelings creates the space for intimacy with another.

Part of Healthy Living is being committed to supporting causes you are passionate about. If you are so moved, please support JustGive.org

JustGive is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase charitable giving by connecting people with the causes they care about most. JustGive offers services such as gift certificates, wish lists and a wedding registry to make giving a part of everyday lives.

One of the simplest ways to decrease your households “toxic load” is to leave your shoes at the door! That’s right, we bring in more chemicals on our shoes than you might think. If you leave your shoes at the door before walking into your house, you can reduce yours and your family's exposure to lead by 40%! And just imagine the decrease in dirt and dust that you track in on a daily basis! If anybody in your house suffers from allergies, you might just be surprised at how much this helps.

So, my tip of the month for you is “leave your shoes at the door” and if you just can’t seem to separate from your shoes get a good quality front door mat and wipe your feet at least 2 times!

Small changes can make a big difference! To learn more about healthy homes go to My Healthy Home

Listed below are some of my favorite products. One thing I have found with buying organic or all-natural products is that sometimes you have to try two or three before you find one that works for you. So hopefully I can help by making a few recommendations!