Love is everywhere. It is the fuzzy feeling when you see your crush and the nerves that flow before a first date. It is staring into the eyes of a child, and feeling the warmth of their skin upon yours. It is returning home to your family after a long trip and falling into open arms. It is being greeted by your dog as you return from work and the feeling of saying goodbye in the morning. It is a compliment to our highest highs and what picks us up in our darkest times. It is supporting your family and the feeling of being appreciated. It is smiling at a stranger and receiving a smile back. It is knowing that someone will be there and feeling okay if there is not. It is making a mistake and finding forgiveness. It is the wind and trees. It is kindness and peace. It is accepting the unknown and finding joy in the journey. Love is everywhere.

No matter the size, colour, shape, background, location or composition, everything has the potential to be loved. When it comes to human relationships, love works in mysterious ways and sometimes cannot be explained. Naturally, we seek these explanations. We look for signs, overanalyse and sometimes obsess. We feel influence from media and fear a lifetime of loneliness. This causes us to settle and possibly hinder self-discovery, something that we should strive for. With self-discovery, comes learning and growth. With growth comes change.

The search for love should be taken lightly, it is something that comes naturally but people get caught up in the idea of a soulmate. Popular media, literature and fairytales make us believe that when we find the one, we will know it. Birds will sing, everything will appear in a shimmery light and you’ll ride off into the distance. Of course we are aware this isn’t true, but without knowing, we are being conditioned. We are made to believe that love should feel a certain way, that our partner should act a certain way and we get upset if it is anything less. We begin building walls, become judgemental and feel disheartened. It is important to set standards, but it is also essential to realise that a bond between two people takes time and nurturing. Whether we have one soulmate, multiple or none, we are capable of forming unbreakable connections with others. A happy relationship to you may seem strange and unfamiliar to another. What we need to realise is that no two relationships will be the same, and we must accept that.

I consider myself to be in an unconventional relationship. It has been growing and morphing for five years, and we have just now been able to find comfort in the chaos. We met when we were young and in college, which can serve as a challenging time for any relationship. We’ve had ups and downs, makeups and breakups, but something always brought us back together. It wasn’t until we acknowledged that we had been growing together for five significant years of development, that we realised we were one. Not one in the sense that I’m his soulmate and he is mine, but in a way that we had become reliant on each other. In order for this relationship to potentially have a future, we had to let each other go. This was not the desired outcome, but it was a necessary conclusion to come to. We needed time to discover ourselves without the other by our side. Of course, saying goodbye brought many tears and the thought of it being forever gulped up any ounce of hope. Our mutual understanding on this allowed us to maintain a positive relationship. After being apart for months, I can see the effect it is having on both of us. Our openness to allow the other to discover their path, individually, has evoked a feeling of love like no other.

My point in sharing this story is that before you can take in and accept the love that is all around, you must find love within. The love we have for ourselves is the driving force behind our motivation, decisions and the ability to give. Take the time to discover and try new things, and the rest will follow. Find love in all that is around and appreciate the little things. Sometimes going with the flow and following your heart is the key to unlocking what you desire. Life is unpredictable, but I promise that if you put love out into the world, you will receive it.

Much love & light!

Jess

CCT Partnership & Wellness Curator

At our women’s retreat in Morocco, we strive to embrace all that we have been gifted with and acknowledge what it has taken to get us where we are. Our events are more than a yoga retreat or fitness retreat, they are a contribution to our ever-expanding network of movers and shakers.