Ask any woman whether she’s happy with what she looks like or if she’s completely happy with her life and you’ll likely get a resounding “no.”

Ask that same woman, “When was the last time you did something really nice for yourself?” and you’ll likely get silence. After a few moments, she might come back with, “Well there was that day a few months ago when I had the flu and I slept in until 6:00 am.”

Sound familiar? It’s sad, really. Why can’t we as women take a day off or do something nice for ourselves?

Mary E. Pritchard, PhD of Awakening the Goddess Within poses these powerful questions in Aphrodite: Goddess of Self-Love.

Now is the time to do exactly this! There is an art and science to inviting Aphrodite into our lives, and I’m going to share incredibly effective ways to connect with and embrace your Inner Goddess so your brilliant light can shine.

I’ve decided to gift you with some members-only content from The Art & Science of Creating Sacred Space to jump start your journey.

These jewels are based on Kisses from your True Self – simple practices designed to inspire a deeper relationship with the wisest part of you. The best part is that each kiss is GUARANTEED to take 3 minutes or less – although you have total freedom to enjoy the goodness as long as you like!

The First Five Tips For Finding Your Inner Goddess

I’m presenting these tips for finding your inner goddess in three parts, so be sure to stay tuned, because we will be culminating with the best tip of all!

1. Learn to court yourself.

Remember what it was like to have someone pay attention to your needs, just looking for ways to shower you with kisses? As lovely as this is, life is Oh-so–much-better when we do this for ourselves. Gently allow yourself to become aware of what you would love to see, smell, taste, touch and feel. My guess is that you have many secret, sweet desires that are easy (even free!) to fulfill. Take a few moments to brainstorm ways to gift yourself with these small delectable moments, then make a commitment to do one or more for yourself today.  As you begin courting yourself, your vital life energy will begin to rise and allow you to thrive!

2. Decorate yourself.

Wear your favorite jewelry, flower crown, belly dance costume, whatever you love, to remind you of the beauty you already are. This is one of my secrets to giving myself strength when onerous tasks present themselves.  My Goddess garb is my real life version of a super hero cape!

3. Tend your essential bodily needs.

Recognize a moment in your day when you have a physical need that you’ve ignored. It will probably be something incredibly basic, like needing to get a drink of water, a small bite of food, taking a moment to use the restroom or pausing and resting for 3 minutes. You’re probably used to pushing right past these needs….and then wonder why you burn out. When you recognize one, give yourself a kiss by taking 3 minutes or less to DO something about it. Give yourself the gift you would give anyone else you care about and know you are starting a small habit that can add up to big rewards.

4. Touch yourself tenderly.

Take a moment (or three) and touch your skin with care and compassion, like you would touch someone you love. Our skin is the largest organ in our bodies. It does AMAZING things for us, but we very rarely touch it with tenderness. Let today be the day you caress yourself with gentleness and love!

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Choose a food that tastes really good to you that you have on hand (because this happens in 3 minutes or less, right?). Preferably something that has a delectable topping OR a succulent middle. This can be as simple as toast with butter and jam, a morsel with melted cheese or yummy sauce on the top or a piece of dessert that has the really great part anywhere but on the bottom (as, lets face it, most foods do).  All right, flip that loveliness on its head! That’s right – I want you to flip the food over before you take a bite. Generally, gravity will humor you for the second or two this takes to get into your mouth. If the best part is in the middle, cut into it and make sure THAT part hits your tongue first.

Want more? You’ve got it!  Sign up for my Weekly Kisses from the Alchemist to get all the best parts of my love delivered directly to your inbox .  Plus, be on the lookout  for parts two and three of Inviting Aphrodite for brilliant ways to fill your world with the alchemy of self-love and nourishment now.

And remember ~ Our lives are more beautiful because YOU are here.