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The Strange is Beautiful

Alternative self-care for mind obstacles.

self love

Zine Review: “Nurture Your Loneliness Like it is a Small Animal in Need of Being Held” by Lora Mathis

Posted by strange on April 3, 2019
Zine Review: “Nurture Your Loneliness Like it is a Small Animal in Need of Being Held” by Lora Mathis

My Own Loneliness


Loneliness is something I’ve struggled with for…majority of my life. I think to an extent everyone feels lonely from time to time, but the intensity differs. Mine can get, uhh, bad. Since I was in third grade, my friends have either moved away, decided to not be my friend anymore, developed romantic feelings for me that they couldn’t separate from our friendship, stopped hanging out with me when I stopped playing shows (I used to organize music shows and play them too), didn’t want to deal with my mind obstacles anymore, or I had put too much on them to take care of me. A therapist at the
Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Audre Lorde Health Program, Women’s Primary Care in West Hollywood explained that these consistent and repetitive events created a developmental trauma, and that is why the feeling of loneliness and loss for me can be unbearable. My fear of saying the phrase “best friend” out loud is synonymous to the intense fear Hogwarts wizards and witches have of saying “Voldemort” – except that instead of fearing that Voldemort will appear, I fear that my best friend will disappear. Anybody that called me their “best friend” I knew had signed our friendship death warrant.

Posted in: Media Reviews, Self Care, Shannen | Tagged: alone, fear or being alone, grief, grieving friends, guidance for loneliness, healing from loneliness, healing from loss, heartbreak, journal zine, loneliness, lora mathis, losing friends, loss of friends, mental health zine library, mental health zines, self care, self love, self-growth zine, sitting with loneliness, transition zine, zine, zine for anxiety, zine for depression

WOC Tarot and Magic Healer, Liliana Solorzano: Interview, Reading + Free Guide

Posted by Sanjana on November 19, 2018
WOC Tarot and Magic Healer, Liliana Solorzano: Interview, Reading + Free Guide

Liliana Solorzano is a 28-year-old tarot guide and magic practitioner living in East Los Angeles. Tarot and magic have been an integral part of Liliana’s life since she was young, and she views it as a way to connect with one’s innermost thoughts and feelings, and to care for her spiritual and mental well-being. Learn more about how Liliana uses tarot and magic for self-care, spiritual healing, and to care for her mind obstacles in the interview below. Also, download her free PDF guide on tarot for beginners, and experience a 3-card reading Liliana did for The Strange is Beautiful readers.

Posted in: Diana Flores, Healers, Interviews, Sanjana, Self Care | Tagged: #thestrangeisbeautiful, healer, healing, Liliana, Luna x Flor, magic, mental health, mind obstacles, Sanjana, self help, self love, tarot, the strange is beautiful, WOC healer

How to Self-Massage as an Act of Self-Love

Posted by strange on November 13, 2018
How to Self-Massage as an Act of Self-Love

Self-massage is one the greatest forms of self-love. Set aside time for date night with yourself, get naked (I’m not kidding), and simply use your fingers to knead and caress your skin from your scalp to your toes while talking to your body. Ask your body how it’s feeling, what it needs, what it wants, and tell your body thank you and I love you. I like to start standing up, and work my way down to my feet so I’m in a forward fold with my hands on top of my feet (see this link). Hang there and breathe in relaxation, bliss and love. You can use coconut oil, massage oil, or essential oils such as lavender to calm, or peppermint to open and bring down inflammation.

Posted in: Diana Flores, Self Care, Self-Care Practices, Shannen, TSIB Guide | Tagged: back massage, body love, body positivity, daiso, head massager, how to massage your back, how to massage your neck, love your body, massage for anxiety, massage for depression, massage your feet, self love, self massage

Diary Entry: It’s okay that I don’t talk to my brother, and it’s okay if I choose to later.

Posted by Janie Johnson Contreras on September 22, 2018
Diary Entry: It's okay that I don't talk to my brother, and it's okay if I choose to later.

Being decisive doesn’t mean being stubborn.

A year ago I made the decision to take a break from my relationship with my brother. I had reached a point where conversations with my brother became mentally and emotionally exhausting for me. Whenever we talked on the phone, I would hang up the phone feeling like I couldn’t be authentically myself. I couldn’t fully trust my brother and I didn’t feel completely supported by him.

Posted in: Janie | Tagged: childhood sexual abuse, depression and relationships, Family Issues, Family of Origin, family of origin problems, janie johnson, relationships, self care, self help, self love, sexual abuse, the strange is beautiful

5 Positive Thoughts of Self-Worth

Posted by Georgia St. Jones on May 9, 2018
5 Positive Thoughts of Self-Worth

On days where I feel doubtful of who I am and what direction my life is headed, I remind myself that I’m worth the time and investment, no matter how much. I say these things to myself as a mental note that I’m worth the progress I’m making.

Posted in: Advice for Mind Obstacles, Georgia St. Jones | Tagged: #thestrangeisbeautiful, affirmations, georgia st. jones, mind obstacles, positive thoughts, self help, self help tips, self love, Self Worth, the strange is beautiful
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