Our Journey
Photographed by Shomei Tomatsu
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
— Rumi
Our Journey
We are starved for love, surrounded by tales of love in TV serials, movies, books, and songs, yet seldom do we pause to consider that love is something we can truly learn and nurture within ourselves.
The culture we’ve fashioned around love and relationships often focuses on how to be loved and how to be perceived as loveable, rather than teaching us how to love and how to authentically be love.
Our Journey of Love offers a profound transformation—a voyage through three essential stages: Embrace, Explore, and Embody. It’s a path of self-discovery, a celebration of passions, and a return to our true essence.
Embrace invites us to turn our gaze inwards, planting the seed of self-love and nurturing it with acceptance and compassion for every facet of ourselves.
Explore encourages us to tap into our creativity and embrace the rich diversity of life, unearthing our unique gifts along the way.
Embody beckons us to reconnect with our innate state of unconditional love and radiate it outward into the world.
Join us on an exploration of the heart, as we delve into these transformative stages, each bringing us closer to the boundless love within and around us.
Photographed by Noémi Ottilia Szabo
Embrace
Photographed by Anderson & Low
“One of the best guides to how to be self-loving is to give ourselves the love we are often dreaming about receiving from others. There was a time when I felt lousy about my over-forty body, saw myself as too fat, too this, or too that. Yet I fantasised about finding a lover who would give me the gift of being loved as I am. It is silly, isn’t it, that I would dream of someone else offering to me the acceptance and affirmation I was withholding from myself. This was a moment when the maxim “you can never love anybody if you are unable to love yourself” made clear sense. And I add, “Do not expect to receive the love from someone else you do not give yourself.”
— Bell Hooks
Embrace
Embrace is the first stage in Magic Valley’s journey, inviting us to turn our gaze inwards and uncover the depths of our being.
We begin by recognizing and embracing all aspects of ourselves— the experiences, the fears, the doubts, and the insecurities. All of those aspects must be embraced, they must be listened to, they must be felt, they must be expressed and they must be brought into our awareness so that they no longer come out unconsciously when triggered. All of them are a part of us, and all of them are beautiful.
Picture your life as a colourful story, with ups, downs, and everything in between. Embrace is about accepting all of it, even the parts you might have thought were flaws, with kindness and understanding.
Photographed by Dmitry Maximov
This is our initial step toward self-love, understanding that every part of us, even the shadowy corners, deserves acceptance and compassion. It’s as if we’re tending to the soil of our inner garden, creating the optimal conditions for the seed of self-love to take root and sprout.
As we journey through Embrace, we start to unravel, unlearn and release the habits, beliefs, and thought patterns that have perpetuated self-doubt and suffering. Making way for new habits that fill our heart with the love we undeniably deserve.
The key here is to treat ourselves with the same love and acceptance we wish to receive from others. When we love and accept ourselves, we can extend that love to create a more loving world around us.
Embrace is the act of planting the seed of self-love, with the understanding that it will eventually blossom into a magnificent tree of love, offering fruits and shelter to all who enter our embrace.
Photographed by Desdemona Dallas
Explore
Photographed by Takako Noel
“You’ve been somebody long enough. You spent half of your life becoming somebody. Now you can work on becoming nobody, which is really somebody. For when you become nobody there is no tension, no pretence, no one trying to be anyone or anything. The natural state of the mind shines through unobstructed - and the natural state of the mind is pure love.”
— Ram Dass
Explore
Explore is the second stage in Magic Valley’s journey of love, where we embark on a journey of self-discovery and personal fulfilment. Let’s imagine ourselves as a blooming flower, ready to share our unique gifts with the world. At this stage, our focus is on uncovering what truly ignites our hearts with joy and passion.
Just as a flower unfurls its petals to reveal its vibrant colours and fragrance, we begin to explore the myriad ways we can express our creativity and love. Whether it’s through painting, dancing, gardening, or any other pursuit that resonates with our soul, these activities become our tools of self-discovery.
While each person’s path to love is unique, it all revolves around exploring our creativity and connecting with the present moment. These activities serve as the nurturing sun and rain that help us flourish.
However, during this exploration, we might also confront aspects of ourselves that have long remained in the shadows. Similar to how a flower faces changing weather and challenges, we too encounter moments of self-discovery that can be uncomfortable.
Throughout our lives, we’ve constructed stories about who we are, and who we think we should be. Now, we begin to see that these stories limit us from fully experiencing life and being open to the unknown, to the mystery of life.
Photographed by Jalan and Jibril Durimel
Fear may resurface and try to hold us back with expectations and judgments or by clinging to the new habits and experiences we’re embracing. Much like a flower bud hesitates to fully open.
Explore encourages us to question: Who am I? As we continue our exploration, we discover that we are dynamic, and ever evolving beings. One day, we may find joy in painting, while another day, we prefer running. This diversity of interests resembles a garden bursting with various blooms, each unique and beautiful in its own way.
As we venture into the unknown, our heart fills with fulfilment, and we journey toward wholeness, freedom, and joy. Being open to possibilities allows us to explore all facets of life, pick up various trades and skills, and demonstrate our adaptability. We discover that we’re not confined by a single identity or talent; instead, we possess versatility and the capacity to explore life’s full spectrum of experiences.
Explore is about peeling back the layers of self-limitation and embracing our multidimensional self. Our heart opens wider, and our journey of self-discovery deepens as we continue to explore the garden of our own being, welcoming every aspect of ourselves with love and curiosity.
Photographed by Arianne Clément
Embody
Photographed by Sanja Marusic
“Every intentional act is a magical act.”
— Richard Rudd
Embody
Embody is the third and final stage in Magic Valley’s journey of love, akin to witnessing the fruit-bearing tree after nurturing the seed and celebrating the flower’s bloom.
The concept of embodying love is paradoxical because, at our core, we are love. From the moment we enter this world, we’re pure, unadulterated love. As children, we eagerly explore the world, driven by curiosity and joy. We don’t fear getting dirty or tasting life’s experiences. Our hearts are wide open, and love flows effortlessly.
However, as we grow, layers of conditioning accumulate. Well-meaning parents tell us to be cautious, to put on clothes, and to avoid strangers. Fear takes root, and we start perceiving the world as a dangerous place rather than a playground.
This fear compounds as we experience heartbreak and disappointment. We build protective walls around our hearts to shield us from pain. These walls isolate us, trapping us in our minds and disconnecting us from the beauty of life.
Our love becomes conditional: “I’ll love you if you don’t hurt me,” “I’ll love you if you take care of me,” “I’ll love you if you behave.” We’ve traded our open-heartedness for fear and caution.
Photographed by Matthew Brookes
To embody love means to choose love in every moment, to peel back the layers around our hearts, and to taste life fully once more. It’s a journey of returning to our true essence. It’s like rediscovering the world’s wonders and moving through life with an open heart.
To embody love means acknowledging that everyone is on their unique journey. By being the love we seek, we create conscious actions that align with our thoughts and intentions. We become a source of love in our own lives and in the world, sharing love with others.
However, to fully embody love, we must let go of the layers of fear and conditioning that have accumulated over time. These layers have trapped us in our minds, disconnected us from the beauty of life, and made our love conditional. It’s time to peel back these layers, releasing self-limiting beliefs and emotional baggage.
When we embody love, we approach life with curiosity, joy, and a sense of playfulness. We taste life fully. Living in awareness, we perceive miracles in every moment. A glass of water quenches our thirst, a gentle breeze soothes us on a hot day, and a child’s laughter fills our hearts. Love becomes the question, the message, and the answer. We move beyond understanding love as a concept and start living it as our truth.
Embody Is like returning to our childlike state, where love flows freely and unconditionally. In this state, we can recognize the miraculous nature of life and embrace our role as the creators of a world filled with love and joy.
Photographed by Nimrod Gross
We see love as an art, much like living. It’s expressed in a myriad of ways—from culinary creations to soul-stirring music, visual feasts to simply living our lives with authenticity and kindness. Join us as we embrace awe and wonder, and rise into play consciousness.