Praise for You Are Radically Loved
You Are Radically Loved will gently guide you through surprisingly powerful practices to reclaim your body, energy, and truth.
Melissa Urban, bestselling author and founder and CEO of Whole30
Rosie is the true definition of an authentic leadervulnerable, grounded, courageous, and compassionate. You Are Radically Loved will open your eyes and remind you that transformation is possiblethrough love.
Sahara Rose, bestselling author of Discover Your Dharma and host of the Highest Self podcast
Rosie delivers authentic and practical wisdom that guides us to return to our most essential truth: We are Loved. These teachings are a balm for the feeling of being lost in the world; Rosies words lovingly guide us toward reclaiming our truth.
Tracee Stanley, author of Radiant Rest and creator of Empowered Life
Rosies story inspires us all to be more resilient, realistic, and creative at the same time. Her journey becomes yours through the universal experiences of fear, mistakes, and the road to self-discovery.
Ryan Harris, Super Bowl champion
You Are Radically Loved teaches us how to be the unconditional best friend to ourselves. Rosie is the friend that we all need in our lives to help us realize that we are enough and that we are never alone. Rosies story is not only inspiring but also teaches us that who we are is exactly who we should be.
Mike Bayer, bestselling author of One Decision and CEO of CAST Centers
Rosie Acosta is a caring host who keeps looking for how love can matter in the world. It is a joy to be in conversation with her. She is a welcome voice in the next generation.
Mark Nepo, author of The Book of Soul
Rosie is an author who has the ability to fill each word on each page of her book with rivers of kindness and vulnerability. You immediately feel less alone! You Are Radically Loved is an invitation to love ALL of you in a deep and profound way.
Christine Gutierrez, therapist and author of I Am Diosa
In You Are Radically Loved, Rosie reminds us that on our journey to self-love we often need a guide with a flashlight brighter than our own. Rosiewith her rare magic blend of vulnerability, honesty, and humoris that flashlight. If youve ever felt out of place in your life or in the world, this book will help you change your relationship with yourself so that you can live a life full of connection, love, and authenticity.
Tracy Middleton, brand director and editor in chief, Yoga Journal
Rosie has lived through a life of adversity; she has the unique talent of helping you to personally transform your whole life through practice and exuding more love.
Candice Kumai, bestselling author of Kintsugi Wellness and host of the Wabi Sabi podcast
With You Are Radically Loved, Rosie writes honestly, mindfully, and with purpose. She offers genuine insight on ways that we can feel more radically loved.
Ethan Nichtern, author of The Road Home
So many of us are in the process of healing our deepest wounds at this moment on the planet. You Are Radically Loved is a soothing balm for that processreplete with the wise, girlfriend-next-door vibes of the inimitable Rosie Acosta. Her spiritual insights come from a place of deep realness, personal practice, and an unwavering commitment to the best of all pathsradical love. I am a massive fan of both the author and the book, and will be reading and rereading these love-soaked pages.
Katie Silcox, bestselling author and founder of The Shakti School
You Are Radically Loved is nectar for your mind, body, and spirit. Wise, funny, and striking in its truth, this book calls us into more honest, whole, and real love within ourselves through both deeply spiritual and practical means. It is a courageous offering to anyone who is determined to love themselves no matter the depth of hate theyve experienced, internalized, or witnessed. It is for those willing and ready to answer the potent call Acosta puts forth within it, a call toward radical (self) love.
Octavia Raheem, founder of Starshine & Clay Online Meditation and Yoga for Black Women and Women of Color, and author of Pause, Rest, Be and Gather
In the pages of You Are Radically Loved, youll feel Rosie guiding you into a journey to uncover your self-love. As she shares her experiences from growing up in the midst of gang violence in East Los Angeles to teaching and speaking all over the world, she inspires us to overcome our challenges and return to our strength, resilience, and love. The gift of her wisdom infuses these pages to enrich our hearts.
Agapi Stassinopoulos, author of Speaking with Spirit
An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
penguinrandomhouse.com
Copyright 2022 by Rosie Acosta
Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.
TarcherPerigee with tp colophon is a registered trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.
Hardcover ISBN: 9780593330159
Ebook ISBN: 9780593330166
Neither the publisher nor the author is engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained in this book are not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician. All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this book.
Cover design: Jess Morphew
Cover photograph: Torry Pendergrass
pid_prh_6.0_139307961_c0_r0
Dedicated to
my gurus Chy and Chucky, for guiding me to the truth and to what it means to be radically loved.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Finding Our Way
At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.
Frida Kahlo
I read once that it takes upward of ten thousand hours to become an expert or master of a skill. I guess you could say that I was an expert at living in fear. Growing up, I wished I could be anywhere else but where I was. Other peoples lives seemed better than mine. Looking outward was easier. What if I had grown up in a nicer part of town? What if I had a different body? What if I h ad made different choices? What if I hadnt grown up where I did?
With all those years of study and practice, fear is very much a skill I mastered. Its a voice that begins in my mind that plays out worst-case scenarios. When Im on my morning run, I worry that someone could run me over. When Im in bed watching my favorite show, I think about how someone could break in and kill me, my partner, Torry, and the dogs. When I travel, I imagine the airplane crashing even as I dunk my tea bag in hot water and stare at a beautiful sunrise. When Im sitting outside staring at my orange tree, I catch a glimpse of the cracks in the concrete and think,