5 spring affirmations to get you ready for summer

Spring and summer signify renewal, with vibrant greens, colorful blossoms, and the return of life. Anne-Mari Viviers, owner of Heavenly Healing in Benoni, believes this season offers an ideal chance to alter the dialogue we maintain with ourselves concerning our bodies, pleasure, limits, and intimacy. Affirmations serve to enhance self-care, not just during spring and summer, but throughout life.

Viviers emphasizes that individuals should embrace their bodies as they are, not as they aspire to be by December. Many tend to delay pleasure and intimacy until they achieve their desired physical changes, but Viviers argues that there is no need to wait for a body transformation. Instead, she advises looking in the mirror and asking how one can be present in their body today, rather than fixating on what requires modification.

Open communication with partners is crucial. Expecting someone to instinctively know your desires can hinder effective communication. Viviers highlights that this is about emotional courage. Start with simple statements like "I'd prefer this," "I feel uncomfortable with that" or "I would appreciate..." to ease more significant conversations.

A "no" should not be misconstrued as rejection. Viviers states that people often perceive a boundary as personal rejection, making intimacy unsafe. Conversely, a genuine "yes" is more powerful when the other person feels free to say "no." The warmer season presents more than just a desirable summer physique; it holds deeper significance.

Viviers encourages incorporating slowness into daily routines, as phones, deadlines, and busy schedules leave little time for relaxation. Engage in activities such as taking longer baths, eating without distractions, sitting outdoors, walking without haste, or allowing conversations to meander. This teaches the nervous system that productivity isn't the sole measure of value.

Pleasure is not a reward to be earned; it is an inherent aspect of being human. Viviers reminds us that pleasure isn't exclusively sexual and can stem from various sources, including sunlight, music, laughter, food, massage, dancing, creativity, nature, connection, or simple moments of enjoyment in bed. By choosing one small, pleasurable activity each day without attaching productivity or guilt, the affirmation becomes an actionable cue, leading to behavioral changes, new experiences, and eventually, a shift in beliefs about oneself.