22 Jan 5 Ways to Practice Self Care
5 Ways To Practice Self-Care
What Is Self-Care
Self-care is not fancy chocolate or a pilgrimage to the spa. (Although it can be). Sometimes it’s meal planning, giving yourself an early bedtime, or letting go of a bad friend. It goes as deep as forgiving yourself. For being perfectly imperfect. For not meeting your own impossible standards. Loving yourself completely.
Self-care is both a practice and a state of being. The practice of preserving one’s own health and well-being. It is a journey of seeking to love and accept ourselves as we are. To listen to what we need and to care very much about what we hear from the inside out. From these subtle and sacred messages, we can create and carry out acts of self-love. This is self-care.
Self-care is the act of having a good relationship and connection with oneself. It is not a luxury but a way of life that allows us to reconnect to something deeper and greater within and without. It is essential to vitality, longevity and wellness. There is no one right way to do self-care, and like you, it is a unique, ever-changing ritual that is quite simply acts of self-connection and, ultimately, self-love. It is a practice that promotes a lifestyle that allows magic and creativity to flow out of us like a sparkling spring. Let it flow, Dear One.
Why Is Self-Care So Important
When we deny ourselves self-care, something within begins to wither, leading us to dry out and thirst intensely. If we are not taking care of ourselves, sometimes we reach for toxic relationships or substances to fill the holes. This can be dangerous, soul-sucking, energy-draining, and ultimately damaging to our lives in all ways.
Our creative lives will suffer, and the ability to let our imagination and the connection we have to the source of all energy and creativity will dry up. Our emotions will either begin to scream and rage up, or worse, wilt and numb out, disconnecting from ourselves, others, and the natural world. We will see this expressed physically in the dullness of our skin, the sadness in our eyes, & the weight of the world carried on our shoulders without the right balance of rest and rejuvenation.
We will feel it in our feet, bellies, and menstrual cycles. The abuse we give ourselves when we neglect our well-being will come through and hurt. Our bodies are always present, always trying to communicate with us what we need, gently and sometimes loudly, asking us to listen and take care. If we are not listening with the care and kindness we deserve, our bodies will begin to scream.
- Take care, and be aware of this danger to your mind, body and spirit.
- It’s truly imperative that we incorporate the practice & lifestyle of self-care generously.
- If we do, if we nourish ourselves like the sacred beings that we are, we will thrive. We will radiate & shine and become more abundant in all ways.
- Our relationships, health, vitality, and gifts will blossom and bloom, our careers will flourish, and we will see and think more clearly.
- There are only benefits in taking good care of yourself. Your family, your community, and the planet will reap the rewards of the care you bestow upon yourself.
May the children of the world feel the security and well-being we create for ourselves. How can we genuinely care for the next generation if we do not know how to care for ourselves honestly? Reach in, dive deep, and listen well with all your heart. It is a journey that may involve significant changes as you re-prioritize your well-being. There is nothing more important in your life than you being well. All your loved ones will receive the benefits of each and every act of your journey to self-care—cheers to you. I raise my cup of hot lemon water in honor of you taking the time to love yourself. Soak it up, sister, like the sunshine that you are. May your cells be kissed with the care you deserve.
5 Ways To Practice Self-Care
Hydrate
Oh yeah. I’m starting with the base of life itself as it’s truly the most important and most easily neglected aspect. Grab yourself a cup right now, Dear One. A nice big glass of self-care, and drink up. I have some crazy stories about how powerfully healing it is to be well-hydrated and what happens when we’re not.
To keep it simple, let’s leave the stories and fill our awareness cups with water, tea, broth, and green juice. And when you drink, take this moment to rest. Sink in. Feel yourself and allow your cells to soak up what it needs. Water carries an energetic charge – the water is touched by what you think and speak. You can take sips saying, “I love you,” and “Thank you.” Or visualize whatever beauty and kindness you need right now.
Hydrate on both water and good vibes. It’s science, queen. For real, quantum physics has got my back on this one. But don’t believe me or any cool water-loving nerd for that matter; drink up and feel it for yourself.
Nurture Your Emotional Wellbeing
First, are you breathing? Become aware of your breath. If you’re not, relax for a few breaths. Your brain and body will work better. Along with water, unrestricted breathing, also known as full breaths, are essential to allow all parts of our mind and body to function well. So, inhale… exhale… and let’s continue.
Now ask yourself, “what do you need right now?” Do you want to turn on some music and dance? Go for a walk? Take your shoes off and stand under a tree? Have a cry, laugh or laugh until you cry? Perhaps you need to massage your own gorgeous feet with your favorite oils?
Whatever you need to feel what you’re feeling fully and relax into it, do that. The goal is to self-connect, experience and acknowledge what you’re feeling in this present moment, and gently center yourself using practices that vibe with you. Want some more ideas for centering practices?
Nourish Your Body
Now that you’re hydrated, breathing deeply and connected to yourself, I invite you to feel what would nourish your body right now. This is an essential first step. To ask your body what it needs, place your hand gently over your lovely soft tummy, “how can I nourish you?” or “what would feel good for you right now?” Then put on some good tunes, and make something delicious that you know will answer your body’s desires.
Depending on the moment, the time of the day, and what I need, I feel nourished by a simple green smoothie, cup of miso soup, savory tea, Ayurvedic Lentil Veggie Stew A.K.A Kitchari, or greens and eggs on toast.
And now, Dear One, the most crucial part: Eat it mindfully. Bite by bite, and see how much pleasure you can get from that bowl of goodness. Oh yeah, I said pleasure. Mouthgasms encouraged.
Journal
To acknowledge & feel into your emotions, I invite you to grab a pen and a pretty notebook and take a seat somewhere cozy and beautiful. I recommend starting with the heavy and moving towards the lighter things.
What are you feeling today? What no longer serves you? What are you ready to let go of? And finally, what are you grateful for? Let it flow however you need. Every way of expressing yourself is welcome, from classic diary format, list it out, drawings, words, haiku, the page is your ocean.
How I like to journal, especially if I start off feeling stressed or nervous, is to word-vomit my frustrations, and then I naturally find myself holding myself, like a dear friend guiding me back towards love and framing things in a way that really honors my whole experience. I start with the heavy feelings and allow them to purge out in words, and naturally, deep compassion for myself and the situation unfolds. I find this really supportive of my mental state, emotionally & physically relaxing, & ultimately gives me a clearer vision of what I need to do going forward. Sometimes, what I process is then complete, and I don’t feel the need to say or act on anything. Or it gives me the clarity I need to make solid changes or requests in my life & relationships. May you find what you need in your deep and pure wells.
Water Therapy
I invite you to take an intentionally mindful shower or bath. Get yourself ready for a nurturing experience of water therapy. Gather all your favorite pampering tools, scrubs, loofahs, and do-dads. Visualize your whole indulging experience, and get it set up. Before entering the water, I welcome you to visualize what you want to release on an energetic or emotional level and let the water carry it away.
First, by feeling it fully, acknowledging what’s there, and creating a great big warm steamy space where it can rain away back to the source, you can release the unwanted energy to flow down the drain. Whether you carry intentions with you or not into a bathing ritual, the water does the work that you need, physically and energetically dissolving what is not you and cleaning you on many levels. You can make it as luxurious or ritualistic for yourself as you wish. Whatever water therapy experience you are called to create for yourself is perfect. Just don’t forget to bring your towel.
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