What is Loving Acceptance?
Unconditional love. Telling people they are accepted and respected. Being with others and not casting judgement.
Loving Acceptance Practice
Loving acceptance is a practice of letting go of thoughts and ideas and being present with your loved ones in a spacious way. This can help you respond to an individual instead of reacting.
For me, the practice has two significant components. One is contemplative and reflective. The other is the simple and direct action of being present with a loved one and extending kindness and warmth. This practice is especially supportive in strengthening relationships with family and friends.
The contemplative and reflective piece involves visualizing or thinking about a person you love and focusing on gratitude for their positive qualities and actions. It is allowing yourself to accept a person for who they are rather than who you want them to be.
This type of contemplation and reflection then allows for a more authentic expression of love and appreciation and warmth when you interact with the person.
When a person feels your acceptance, there is a more open and spacious quality to the interaction. And, it is more likely that you’ll listen to one another and seek to understand one another more deeply.
The Story Behind the “Loving Acceptance” Nature Mandala
I made the “Loving Acceptance” Nature Mandala after a walk with a friend that I had not seen for a very long time. Diverging life priorities and busyness had resulted in months of little to no communication and a feeling of disconnection. I wanted more from the friendship. But, it was clear that my friend really didn’t have the time, especially as a parent of young children.
As I was making this mandala, I dedicated it to this dear friend of mine and was able to hold her with love and acceptance and let go of my ideas of what I wanted our friendship to be like. I remember an incredible feeling of lightness and freedom just sitting in a place of love and acceptance instead of judgement.
Since then, this mandala has continued to be a significant reminder to me of the incredible beauty of truly holding the people I care deeply about with unconditional love.
Rosa rugosa gathered in June in Vermont.
ROSES and NATURE MANDALA ART
The “Loving Acceptance” nature mandala is made with a very special rose that grows wild throughout New England called Rosa rugosa.
Every year, I gather this wild rose in mid to late June. I save the petals and either dry them and add them to herbal tea blends or I infuse the fresh petals in vegetable glycerin for about a month to make a delicious syrup. I add the glycerite syrup to seltzer, water or dribble on fruit.
Rose has an affinity for the heart and the qualities of love, openness, and healing. The smell of rose evokes deep memories in our mind and body. The old time saying “stop to smell the roses” is an invitation to be present in the moment, breathe deeply and pay attention without judgement, with an open heart and with gratitude, kindness and appreciation for oneself and others.
The “Loving Acceptance” nature mandala is one of my more popular art greeting cards.
This nature mandala art card is a lovely way to extend love and appreciation, acknowledge another person for who they are and let them know that your love for them is unconditional.
Nature mandala art, photography and writing by: Michelle Wallace
Michelle Wallace is a visual artist living in Vermont. She has been creating handmade art designs called nature mandalas since 2017. You can find her art in stores across New England and via her online Nature Mandala Shop.