Strategies for Intentional Self-Care
Happy Holidays. I hope you are finding time to cultivate self-care and connection with those you most love this Holiday Season. In all transparency, I am resuming my own self-care practices after a bit of a lapse. Between the challenges of the “shorter” days, a new studio, and a house full of teenagers, it seems there is always something or someone who needs my attention. The problem is NOT that I have a long list of people and tasks counting on me. The problem is that I “forget” that my self-care has to come first if I am to be of value in their care. Do you ever forget your self-care?
In case, you or someone you know (i.e. asking for a friend) needs some assistance, I’ll share some of the strategies that I have found to help maintain and regain my sense of well-being:
- Daily gratitude practice. The research is overwhelming. Joy is most correlated with practicing gratitude. Most days it’s easy for me to practice gratitude, but having a genuine daily practice helps carry me thru the hard days. I even brought my Joy Jar from home to share with the studio. It’s simply a jar full of slips of paper on which I’ve written a word, phrase or image of something that I am grateful for, appreciative of, or want to cultivate gratitude toward. Please feel free to add to our growing abundance of gratitude and joy by depositing your own joys while in the studio or start your own Joy Jar at home. #cultivategratitude
- Daily yoga practice. I’m sure it’s not a surprise to you that I advocate a daily yoga practice. In fact, you might be disappointed when I share that I’m not just talking about the asanas (postures and poses). I’m talking about the mindset of yoga. I’m talking about carving out time to breathe deeply, move freely, labor lovingly and live vibrantly. #itsallyoga Whatever practices (daily habits) help you do these things, those are the things you want to make the priority. In fact, I sent out a three-part mini-series (sounds like a Hallmark network promotion!) this past week to help support your Inspirational Living on a daily basis. If this is a new concept for you, then I’d encourage you to learn more about Transparent Alignment (the foundational philosophy of Life’sWork Yoga and Coaching) and my six-week Inspirational Living Boot Camp. You can learn more about Life’sWork Coaching.
- Healthy eating habits. My problem is not poor choices in regard to what I eat. My challenge is making time to eat, even when I’ve prepared and brought food to have at mealtime! For now, I’m supporting this re-training in two ways: 1) By asking for help and accountability from those I love (and love me) 2) investing in convenient, healthy pre-made freezer meals from Daily Harvest. These two strategies in combination have been very effective for the week! If you struggle with food and health, ask about our Health & Mindset Coach Dawn Love Joy, Pharm.
- Regular, consistent Bodywork. Whether its massage, Ayurveda treatments, Thai yoga bodywork, reflexology or reiki (or other wellness modalities), investing in supported self-care is an important part of Inspired Living and having a vibrant life! I’ve been lucky enough to find a team of gifted therapists and practitioners, many of whom have joined our family at Namaste Studios. From sports massage (which isn’t just for athletes!) to energetic practices, find what works and make it a consistent part of your care. See a list of our practitioners and therapists at Namaste.
- Learn something new. This is probably my favorite. In all my years of training and teaching, I’ve learned that it is the most versatile and yet out-of-practice/out-of-reach for most people. Learning doesn’t have to be boring, formal or still. Learning and (its real purpose: transformational growth) can happen through heart-felt genuine conversation (with yourself or others!). It can happen while re-reading your favorite authors and sharing insights or inspirations with others. Or if more structured learning of a skill, technique or discipline is in order, find yourself a GREAT TEACHER. Join a coaching circle, enroll in a training program or register for a workshop. Find something that has the potential to capture your intention and dive in! See our Training and Workshop offerings.
May you breathe deeply, move freely, labor lovingly and live vibrantly.
Namaste,
Kimberlyn