Sometimes I marvel at what we can do these days. I saw Love Yourself to Health by Giuliana Giuliano-Melo on Facebook one day, and the next day I had a paperback copy in my hands. Thanks, Amazon!
I should begin by saying that Giuliano-Melo and I are Facebook friends. That’s because we both received the Gaia International Alliance Humanity Leaders Top Pick Award and joined a Facebook group to meet others who received this distinction. A bunch of us friended one another.
There was something about her profile picture that drew me in… attracted me toward her. The things she posts are uplifting, spiritual, and wonderful. And, uh, she’s kinda beautiful herself… a true goddess. Well, you tell me! Isn’t she spectacular?
Giuliano-Melo has always been in a helping (medical) field but since a cancer diagnosis in the early 2000s, she ramped up (or mellowed down, depending on how you read it) her life’s work.
Like so many others, she got a wake-up call from cancer. But the diagnosis alone is not what changed her. No! That change occurred after significant surgery and chemotherapy.
In her own words: I remember lying on the couch, full of chemo, mad at God, and asking, “WHY ME?” And then something shifted. I suddenly thought, “WHY NOT ME?” Who the heck am I that I never thought this might happen to me? I am not more special than any other cancer patient before me or after me. And in that instant, I knew I had met my soul. I had an inner knowing that it would all be all right.
She is careful to say she was not resigned … it meant instead that she understood the cancer was a part of her path. At that moment, she knew she had to change her life.
“That meant loving myself to health,” she said.
This book is a tangible illustration of what she did… and continues to do… to remain healthy (in every way!).
It’s really a short guidebook/journal (128 pages in total) and written in a large-print style that feels so comforting to my eyes (I’m legally blind and struggle with tiny print). There’s lots of room for notetaking and exercises, along with 20+ pages of lined pages at the end of the book for keeping track of gratitudes.
There are some things you expect, like 8 Areas of Self-Care:
- Physical
- Emotional
- Spiritual
- Professional
- Environmental
- Financial
- Social
- Personal
(I’ll leave it to you to get the book and read what she says about each area. There are also 10 Steps to Self-Care you won’t want to miss!)
In between, there are some surprises! Like, a “Word of the Year”! You may remember I have been doing a Word of the Year since 2018 and this practice has been incredibly helpful on my journey!
Let’s see, there was…
But I digress. It’s hard not to jump up and down when I find myself in agreement with someone I admire. KWIM? By the way, Giuliano-Melo includes a cool list of one-word options, too. Nice touch!
There is a lovely section on “Sacred Bath Time” and I’m here for it! As you can see above (I knew it would be handy to include my own list!) Water was one of my first Words. I agree with Giuliano-Melo when she says that water is liquid light. There is a bath time ritual she describes that will clear “all that no longer serves you”. And of course, space to write how you felt before and after.
Spirituality is woven throughout this book like a golden thread. It’s the kind of spirituality that I appreciate with a path that welcomes all. There’s a neat section on working with the Angelic Realm with a hierarchy of angels. I love this! And, oh yeah, Jesus is here, too! I love how she describes Holy Spirit (Miracles, Mystery, and Magic). And, of course, there is the Divine Feminine with Mother Mary and Goddesses. I told you… her spirituality is all-encompassing.
In another section, we are reminded that signs are all around us and show up in all sorts of modalities. One way is through numbers. As I read, I looked over at the digital clock on my side table. It read 5:55. On page 82, we have an abbreviated guide, where I’m told that the number 5 means: “Big happy changes”. I’ll take it!
All that said, the length of the book might have some dismissing it as simplistic. I know, because when I first opened the package I was concerned! But make no mistake, there is a powerful punch in its pages and a lot to learn, especially for those new to self-help.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it as a gift for someone just beginning a scary health journey and/or needing some guidance on how to love self – especially when surrounded by perceived darkness.
It’s also a great resource for those interested in self-help and spiritual matters.
In short, this one’s a winner! It’s staying on my shelf for the long haul!
A couple of additional notes:
Link to contact Giuliana Giuliano-Melo
We were both also included in the Spiritual Leaders Directory 2018. Small world!
The Self-Help Whisperer® 