I feel like “self care” is becoming a buzz word in some circles. Which worries me because the path after buzz word is usually a watered down path. It doesn’t just mean play hookie from work to watch Netflix all day, but it could! It means different things to different people depending on what a person needs at the time. It could be a routine or, in cases of someone who is really paying attention to their own health, it could just mean saying no to someone or something. Self care is about physical health, mental health, emotional health, and spiritual health. That’s why it varies so much and why it’s been easy to latch onto for a multitude of situations. As long as it’s meaningful and personal and feels right to you, it’s your own self care.
For those of us that practice Arvigo Therapies, it often means a daily practice of abdominal massage that we teach clients to do - best practiced daily for optimal results, but for some doing it at all is a big step toward cherishing their health and body. Some say, it’s my gift to myself everyday. Others say, it’s my meditation time or prayer time. Or, it’s my time to check in with my body. I do my self care everyday. It has been instrumental in helping me:
clear out a virus in my cervix - blogged about that a couple of years ago
ease some menopause symptoms
be kind to my inherently struggling and sluggish digestive tract
undoubtedly other things I don’t know about or have already forgotten about
Today, for me, self care is simply going to consist of eating good food, doing some stretching, and getting in the woods with the dogs. Also, I’m going to reeeeally try to find the beauty and magic in all the little things - this weather has put me in a funk and I’m starting to feel a heavy burden put on myself as only I can. I’ll drink some herb tea. I’ll do a little pot gardening. I’ll read. I’ll do some work or brainstorming for my business but mostly it seems like a day that work can and should wait. I’m bummed there’s nothing work wise pressing on me today but that’s how it is and I don’t know how long it will last so, self care it is!
Take five minutes, take five hours, say yes, say no, eat well, eat chocolate(dark and fair trade preferably), eat chips if you must(and drink lots of water), walk, run, breathe deeply, drink a beer, smell a flower, do some yoga... I could go on and on and on with this. The other option is this. Stop. Just stop. Stare at a tree for a few minutes. That could be your self care today too. Just ‘cause, maybe you really love that tree.
