The concept of feminine energy has grown in popularity on social media over the last few years. Although variations of this movement including the “divine feminine” and the “dark feminine energy” have evolved over time to quickly become short-lived trends, cultivating the subtleties of feminine energy as a woman is a beautiful and messy life-long journey. In times when the overload of information and opinions on how to be a “feminine woman” overtakes your feed, it can be frustrating to find their own path to womanhood.
Here are a few practices that helped me cultivate the woman in me.
SELF-EXPRESSION
Whether it is through tears of frustration or laughter of joy, there is nothing more freeing than allowing your feelings to flow out of your system. The suppression of emotion has proven to be an unhealthy way to cope with the hardships of life. It can cultivate negative feelings of resentment and decrease your overall quality of life. Vulnerability has always been seen as a sign of weakness in society. But it’s only when you break down and rebuild yourself that you will understand the level of strength and courage it takes to allow yourself to let your guard down.
EMPATHY AND COMPASSION
When you are truly able to understand your emotions and what causes them, you are able to relate with others deeper and stronger than ever. Whenever I am talking with a friend, I genuinely make an effort to listen and understand what it’s like to be in their shoes and what led them to make the decisions they made. Asking these questions allowed me to really take the time to understand who they are. When you’ve lived in your own body for so long, you’d be surprised how easy it can be to lose touch with the people and the world around you.
SLOW LIVING
The moment you start working for another person, you subconsciously understand that your time is monetized. You consistently live with the burden to reach new heights in every aspect of your life. I sometimes catch myself putting the stove on too high because my pasta is boiling too “slow.” These small and seemingly insignificant habits are a reflection of my internal feelings. For the longest time, I’ve always had a habit of speeding things up. To be fair, it’s helped me be more proactive in my work, avoid procrastination, and get things done! But sometimes this same habit has led me to feel frustrated, and even angry when things are not going the way I had hoped. Instead of making to-do lists, now I make to-be lists. And suddenly, I didn’t have to do my laundry on Sundays, I got to be cozy while doing it. I didn’t have to finish writing this article, I aimed to be in the state of flow while doing it.
MOVE YOUR BODY
The physical manifestation of letting go is to move your body. This can range from going for a morning run, dancing while you make your dinner, doing some yoga, and going to the gym… Sometimes all you need is to get out of your head and connect with your body. I find that it creates more inner awareness of what is going on in my body. This helped me be more attentive to parts of my body that are tense.
SPEND TIME WITH YOUR GIRLFRIENDS
As someone who didn’t have a lot of girlfriends growing up, to now be able to connect with smart, beautiful and kind women who support each other, is the most healing experience. Finding women who also work towards being their best selves is the best form of therapy you can receive. Make the time to spend quality time with them regularly and see how your life changes for the better.
SPEND TIME IN NATURE
I’ve always found that being in nature can instantly change your mood. A simple walk by the canal in Ottawa can give you that instant dopamine hit. Pay attention to your environment. What do you notice? The leaves crushing against your feet, the birds chirping your way, the geese playing in the river… isn’t it peaceful?
RECEPTIVITY
When someone gives you a genuine compliment – accept it with a smile on your face and a warm thank you because you believe it to be true. Being able to accept the good things that come into your life is a form of self-love. When someone wants to offer you help when they don’t have any obligation to, that is a beauty in humanity worth recognizing and appreciating.
GRATITUDE AND ABUNDANCE
It’s very easy to fixate on what is going wrong in our lives and overlook everything else that is going right. Of course, it is important to acknowledge when things aren’t going so well in our lives. But it is also important to pause and reflect on all of the blessings in your life. Having a grateful attitude is the best way to welcome more abundance of joy, love, and happiness into your life.
In conclusion, these are a few of the practices that I have incorporated into my life to help me cultivate my spirituality and confidence as a young woman. They’ve also helped me be a happier and light-hearted person. I hope you find your own path to the woman you have always been.