self-care

Over the years of practicing mindfulness, I’ve come to recognize the warning bells of my mind whirling uncontrollably. It’s a sign that I need to stop everything and Just Be. Just for a few minutes, until I get realigned with my peaceful, harmonious nature. Otherwise I’m prone to accidents, mistakes, and attracting unpleasant people and situations.

Been there, done that. No need to repeat those lessons, thank you very much!

So I forced myself to sit on the couch for five full minutes and sip a cup of tea before I left for work. Man, was it uncomfortable!

I didn’t respond to a potential student’s inquiry about studying Reiki considering her religious beliefs. I didn’t craft an email to another student who wishes to apprentice with me about forming a student clinic. Both are exciting projects and dear to my heart. They can wait, however, till I’m more centered and grounded.

I took several deep breaths and a sip of my tea. I ignored the dust in my bedroom that is such a nuisance and soooo not a priority. I fought the urge to make a shopping list to prepare for the lunch I will serve my parents in a few days when they visit or a list about what to pack for an upcoming trip.

A few more breaths and several sips later and I felt my shoulders relax. I did not engage in calculating the edits I need to make for the article I’m writing for my neighborhood food co-op or to my website. I absolutely did not allow myself to second guess my decision to go out to dinner and the theater last night for some much needed fun that kept me out late. And I certainly didn’t make notes about this blog and the ideas I wanted to share here.

I just sat there, drinking my tea, and focusing on my breath. It didn’t matter that I had already meditated, practiced yoga, and flooded myself with Reiki healing energy. I needed an emergency intervention to keep myself from spinning out into an anxious mess.

All of the above tasks are important to me and clearly need to be accomplished in the very near future. Except for the dusting. Seriously, I can’t seem to give a hoot about that! Yet none of them are more important than my peace of mind or well-being. So forcing myself to be still was a valuable remedy.

It was mental torture for about 4 1/2 minutes. Then I was able to sink in and let go and the last 30 seconds got me ready to face the world. I’m feeling much more like myself and prepared to give my clients excellent service. I’d say that was five minutes well invested! Knowing that the rewards will ripple out and benefit everyone who crosses my path makes me doubly sure that this is true.

Don’t Just Do Something- Sit There!

Over the years of practicing mindfulness, I’ve come to recognize the warning bells of my mind…
This morning I awoke with a dull headache. I didn’t pay it much attention till this afternoon when it started to grow stronger. As a practitioner of the healing arts, I recognize that pain is often a signal from the body to slow down and rest. I decided to heed my own advice and take better care of myself.

I cancelled my plans for the rest of the day so I could take a nap and maybe watch a movie. I applied an aromatherapy remedy to my feet, made a cup of tea, turned off my computer, and sat on the couch. Within minutes the headache started to dissipate.

Now that I have a moment to reflect, I realize I have neglected my rule of keeping one day each week free from all work. Starting my own business brings a seemingly never ending to-do list and lately I’ve been spreading it out so that no one particular day is overflowing. It made sense at the time, but I haven’t had a proper day of rest in many weeks. Luckily my body spoke up!

Viewing symptoms as messages allows me to fine tune my habits and lifestyle to maximize my wellbeing. I’ve learned to decode the minor ailments that pop up and address the imbalances that created a need for such red flags. For me, headaches are a warning signal that I’m going too fast, or working too hard.

Even though I’ve been on top of my self-care routine of yoga, meditation, Reiki self-treatments, and natural foods; I haven’t given myself the downtime that I need to feel my best. I’ve been doing everything right except for doing nothing at all. So here’s to the blessing of a simple headache that guided me to clear my schedule and spend a few hours doing absolutely nothing that looks productive. And to knowing on the inside that being kind to myself is actually the most productive act I can ever take.

Now if you’ll please excuse me, I’ve got a whole lot of nothing that needs my attention!

Slow Down!

This morning I awoke with a dull headache. I didn’t pay it much attention till this…
As 2016 draws to a close, I’ve been reviewing my challenges and successes in order to make a plan for the new year. The question that seems to be the most valuable to my inquiry is: how can I feel even more joyful? And this leads to an application of my economics degree: what is the smallest investment that will bring the largest payoff? (Yes, I have indeed begun to integrate all of my knowledge to support my personal growth!)

The answer that popped into my mind was hardly surprising. Music. Music can shift my mood in an instant. Dance. Combining creative, free-style movement with uplifting tunes can totally elevate my vibration very quickly.

In support of creating the most happy and healthy 2017, I’ve decided to commit to dancing every morning. Just for one song. (You may have heard me talk about this trick before. Commit to one small act and very often a chain reaction gets triggered. Before you know it, your resistance has disappeared and you’re eagerly complying with your self-care strategy.)

I think this idea is so brilliant, I’ve been engaging with it for the past week. And loving it! I actually wake up looking forward to my three minute dance party. Which often turns into a ten or fifteen minute dance party. But when it doesn’t, that’s cool too.

So rather than choosing resolutions that smack of suffering and deprivation, I’d like to encourage everybody to explore doing something they absolutely love, something that feeds the soul, on a more frequent basis. Beginning every day by inviting joy and vitality is a sure fire recipe for a happier life, don’t you think?

Onwards!

As 2016 draws to a close, I’ve been reviewing my challenges and successes in order to…
Being super-busy means I need to be super efficient when it comes to exercise. Being human means I need to enjoy the activity that I’m doing otherwise I won’t continue. Being in the midst of a hot, humid, seemingly endless summer, I need to be somewhere cool. All of this adds up to my favorite indoor exercise: rebounding.

Rebounding is jumping on a mini trampoline. It’s very low impact but can be high intensity. It’s convenient as I don’t need to go anywhere, and fun as I’ve learned to dance/bounce. (If you need some fresh new music, I can recommend creating a Pandora station from Booty Swing, an electro swing song- it will keep you bouncing!) I put the rebounder in front of the air conditioner, turn the music up, and have a great time for 20 or 30 minutes. Often I’ll go straight to my yoga mat to take advantage of muscles which have already been warmed up.

In addition to the obvious health benefits of a cardio workout and endorphin release, rebounding is said to be great for the lymphatic system. Dr. Christiane Northrup includes rebounding in an article called How to Increase Your Lymph Flow and Why. She’s a guru in the field of holistic health and a brilliant advocate of healthy lifestyle choices.

The rewards for me are phenomenal- joy, ease, convenience, vibrant health and energy without any negative consequences, and affordability. Pretty amazing for an activity that can be done solo from the comfort of home while enjoying funky tunes and air conditioning! If you think exercise requires suffering and pain, I invite you to reconsider that belief. Just as with any form of movement, if you have a medical condition, please do consult your doctor. If you’ve been cleared for moderate exercise, bouncing really could change your attitude about fitness.

Radical Self-Care, Rebounding

Being super-busy means I need to be super efficient when it comes to exercise. Being human…
First of all, I’m psyched to celebrate the completion of my first week of radical self-care. I gave my maximum amount of massages over the past four days and rather than feeling depleted and sore, I am rather energized. That’s great news because today is my only day off and I’d be bummed if I was couch-ridden or immobilized. Clearly my increased emphasis on taking good care of myself (body, mind, heart, and soul) is paying off!

Today’s realization is that it’s important for me to have one morning each week without any plans. Even better if I could get a whole day, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. So I’m claiming one morning AND one evening. I call this pajama time. Not having to focus on leaving the house at a specific time creates a sense of leisure that I find to be incredibly restorative.

Pajama time may or may not coincide with a day off. This week is does not, and that’s what sparked the awareness that I need to carve out another morning and reserve it to stay at home. Today is my day off, meaning I will not see any clients or do marketing or accounting or website updates. However, I am planning to go to a yoga class and get a facial afterwards. Which means a 6:00 am wakeup, body brushing , meditation, spiritual practice , breakfast and plenty of time to get to class at a leisurely pace. It is most definitely not a less is more, or a pajama day.

So I actually just blocked off time in my schedule tomorrow morning to remain at home. It is a work day, but the work I need to do is computer tasks, and it can be done easily from the comfort of my room, with messy hair, while wearing my favorite Oscar the Grouch T-shirt. I’m not joking; I take this so seriously that I entered “pajama time” into my iPhone as a repeating event for Wednesdays. I might move it around from week to week, but having a digital record of this commitment will help me to reschedule it if something comes up.

Making time to rest in this fast-paced world requires some ingenuity and a great deal of devotion. How do you reserve space for restoration in your busy schedule?

Radical Self-Care, Pajama Day

First of all, I’m psyched to celebrate the completion of my first week of radical self-care. I…
I’m in the midst of a busy stretch at work and feeling incredibly grateful for my commitment to maximum self-care. Tremendous benefits, including increased awareness and steady energy, are emerging consistently. I’m making lots of small decisions throughout the day based on what would be kindest for my self in that moment. This is a huge shift for someone who tends to follow a routine and stick with what she “thinks” “should” be the best option. Tuning in moment by moment allows me to be more authentic in my exploration.

Today my attention is drawn to the rewards of body brushing. If you’re not familiar with this technique, Google provides articles and videos galore to guide you. Basically you stroke a brush with soft, natural bristles over the surface of the body to exfoliate skin and stimulate lymph flow. I’ve done it for at least a decade now and really appreciate the softness of my skin as well as the fact that I rarely get sick. Healthy skin and lymph flow are two key components to promote a strong immune system, so this practice has double benefits.

I had a steady habit of dry brushing before I get into the shower each evening. However, since it’s been so hot and sticky icky here in Philadelphia this summer, I’ve been skipping it. Today I realized it’s time to upgrade this habit so that it works for me, rather than avoiding it through the summer. This morning I decided to brush first thing. Even before I meditated! I might fine-tune the timing, but it felt wonderful to get back into the swing of this healthy habit by releasing my attachment to the “when” aspect of dry brushing.

I’m learning that alongside commitment, flexibility is a major component of self-care. If the routine is too rigid, it will break rather than bend when there is a challenge. If there’s no commitment, it remains a lofty ideal, but never happens. Finding balance seems to be the key, in the arena of self-care as well as in life in general. Since my intention is not perfection but kindness and optimal wellbeing, it makes a lot of sense to allow the freedom to mix things up. Otherwise I’m just checking things off a to-do list, and really there’s not much joy in that.

Radical Self-Care, Dry Brushing

I’m in the midst of a busy stretch at work and feeling incredibly grateful for my commitment…
Increasing busy-ness at work has inspired me on a mission to fine-tune my routine and optimize my feel-good practices. Today I’m focused on giving myself plenty of time to get to where I’m going. It seems that no matter how long I’ve been awake, I’m always rushing to get out the door. This causes a fair amount of stress that erodes the self-care practices I’ve developed. Really what’s the point in meditating in the morning if I run around frantically trying to get ready for work in 4 minutes flat!?!

This morning, in an effort to be more kind to myself, I allowed more spaciousness in my schedule. I reserved a full 20 minutes to get dressed, gather my lunch, and double check that my wallet and other essentials are in the proper bag before heading downstairs. Yesterday I panicked because I couldn’t find my transit pass, ran back up to my third floor apartment to ransack various purses, only to realize it was in my pocket all along. ARGH! Not a peaceful entry into the world.

Since I don’t bother with makeup and it takes only 30 seconds to comb my hair, this 20 minutes allows the leisurely pace of my spiritual practice to extend into my commute. No doubt the lack of frenzied rushing will set a tone for a much more peaceful day at work. I’m thrilled to say goodbye to a bad habit that I’ve ignore for too long; one that is caused by trying to do one more thing before I leave the house. Once again, I’m remembering that sometimes less is more, and that good planning is the foundation for reducing the amount of stress I subject myself to.

Radical Self-Care, Spaciousness

Increasing busy-ness at work has inspired me on a mission to fine-tune my routine and optimize…
I am entering a four day stretch of giving lots of massages. I think most people understand that it’s a very physically demanding job. I want to give each and every client the best treatment possible; that means that I need to be especially on top of my self-care. I’m grateful for the exploration over the past few days with doing less, meditation, and yoga as these are all essential elements of my daily routine. Another element that is a priority for showing up as my best massage-therapist-self, is nutrition. I need to be well fueled to remain focused on my clients and not on my upcoming snack.

The way I accomplish this is a food plan. Not very mystical, I know! Yet it works wonders for me to have a general idea (I do like to leave room for flexibility) of the meals that will sustain me over the next several days. I keep it simple usually by preparing several servings of a whole grain that can be reheated each day for breakfast, prepping lots of veggies to throw together quick salads, and my favorite to-go lunch, green smoothies.

Making the food plan helps assure me that I have all the ingredients on hand that I will need for several days. I really don’t want to be bothered with a trip to the store for one item. Certainly not in this 98 degree weather! It also helps me remember when I need to defrost or soak anything overnight. It takes just a few minutes to put together and then forms the basis of a shopping list of necessary ingredients. This moment of foresight allows me to relax a bit more knowing I will have all the nutrients I need to perform well at work.

I divide my day planner into three columns for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then I pencil (important as I change my mind frequently!) in abbreviations for the meals I have planned. I keep it as simple as possible. Millet/CB/MS/GB is my breakfast porridge with coconut butter, maple syrup, and goji berries. It’s easy to confirm that I have all those ingredients and to remember that I like to soak the millet overnight. If you’d like more structure, Kris Carr offers these detailed instructions and a downloadable planner here.

If you’re interested in avoiding energy crashes and urgent trips to the vending machines or fast food joints, this is a great tool. Planning meals might sound like a hassle, but for me it allows a loose structure that I can relax into. It’s comforting to know that I have everything I need for the next several days and that I won’t be getting hungry (or irritable!) at work. It’s a foundation that allows me to save money on impulse foods and helps me avoid unhealthy snacks. In my eyes it’s a win-win-win practice!

Radical Self-Care, Food Plan

I am entering a four day stretch of giving lots of massages. I think most people understand…
Yesterday I began a 40 day journey self-care exploration. Today’s installment is about meditation. There are probably as many ways to meditate as there are meditators. I don’t endeavor to teach people how; rather to express why. I meditate to uncover my essential self, so that I am acting from the deep truth within me as I go about my day. That means discarding all the flotsam and jetsam in my psyche that is NOT me. I am not my to-do list. I am not my previous wounds or victories. I am not the labels (healer, teacher, daughter, friend) that I identify with. I am most definitely not the woman society expects me to be.

So every morning I sit quietly sorting through all that is not me and discovering the spark of divinity that has always been there, patiently waiting to be found. The way I practice this is to meditate before I connect with the world. I had a classic internal struggle this morning as I was so excited to write these words that I considered postponing my meditation. Fortunately I soon saw how ridiculous that was! I needed to clear my mind first so I’d be able to speak from the truth at my center.

I’ve learned over the years that when I delay my mediation, one thing leads to another and I’ve spent the entire day distracted by busyness; off-kilter, and unaware. I honor meditation’s position as top-priority by giving it a premium time slot, soon after waking, even before my first cup of tea. In the same way that I pay my rent before I spend money on non-essentials, I do my self-care practices before everything else. This commitment and the willingness to surrender all that is not real are the only requirements for my meditation practice. After that, it’s like the saying: don’t just do something, sit there! And so I do.

Radical Self-Care, Meditate

Yesterday I began a 40 day journey self-care exploration. Today’s installment is about meditation. There are probably as…