In The Mastery of Love, self-love is not merely an act of kindness towards oneself but a spiritual journey towards self-realization and fulfillment. For Don Miguel Ruiz, self-love is not isolating or narcissistic but foundational to authentic relationships. Without unconditional love for oneself, individuals are prone to dependency. Overall, self-love is an antidote, a transformative force that enables individuals to navigate their lives with clarity, integrity, and genuine happiness. To make this antidote, one must develop self-awareness. The book encourages individuals to reflect, to confront constructed narratives about themselves and their trauma. Furthermore, this process is a path towards liberating oneself from the constraints of societal norms.

The book expands the notion of self-love to encompass a spiritual dimension, portraying it as reverence of the self as divine. This internalization transcends external constructs, advocating for the self as more than physical or psychological. Self-love elevates self-care as something akin to marriage, a union of self and divine. In this spiritual paradigm, every individual is seen as a microcosm of the universe: “You are that force that moves the wind and breathes through your body. The whole universe is a living being that is moved by that force, and that is what you are.