Affirmations or Mantras are one way to practice mindfulness. They can be supportive in slowing down to ground, re-connect, and even change your mood as you shift your awareness toward yourself. We are the stories we tell ourselves as the energy of our thoughts manifest in our bodies and beings. What story will you tell yourself every day?
Read MoreDo you take time for yourself?
Whether its a trip to retreat, a few minutes outside to recenter or anywhere in between, time for ourselves is so very important these days. It supports us to reconnect to Self, our bodies, minds and souls, to refresh and reset, to relax and process. Stepping away from noise and distraction encourages us to come back home to our truest selves.
Unsure of how to do this yourself?
Receiving Energy Healing is a great place to start… in this safe and supportive space this work guides you to the quiet, naturally honing in on what is true for you, your physical body, thoughts, emotions and soul. In addition to deep relaxation, reconnecting and rebalancing your energy, a part of our customized time together is to discuss and explore what works for you when you do take time for yourself and how you can be of the best support for yourself outside of session.
Be the best you, you’re worth it.
Maintaining a healthy relationship with yourself and why its so important.
Over the recent years, I have played tug-o-war with my own self-care practice, engaging in an on-again, off-again relationship with it. It took a while, but I had to come to terms with and accept the importance of having a regular practice. Being okay with the fact that I NEED self-care on a daily basis. Apparently, getting a massage everyday isn't realistic, it forced me to get creative and explore new ways that work best to help me relax, feel joy, while connecting with my body, self and truth.
What is self-care, anyway?
/ self'ker / noun :
• the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health.
• the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness.
Nowadays, it can be difficult to find the time and motivation to regularly take time for ourselves. Yet, the importance and necessity for it only grows when we are in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It can be challenging to handle and process stress when we are depleted, which is why taking time to slow down, replenish, balance, and nurture our bodies, minds and souls is essential.
Maintaining a healthy relationship with ourselves can lead to numerous benefits!
• Triggers relaxation response and promotes sense of peace and wellbeing.
• Helps to manage and reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
• Produces positive thoughts, emotions, and feelings:)
• Improves confidence and self-esteem.
• Increases compassion toward self:)
• Boosts your Immune System.
• Gives you alone time.
• Makes you a better caregiver to others!!
So, what can I do for my self-care practice?
Getting in the habit of checking in with yourself and your body can be helpful in determining how you can best support yourself. Understanding your needs may change day to day and the allotted time available time may be more or less... knowing there are multiple tools and practices to use :)
• Self love and compassion. Speaking kindly to yourself, setting boundaries, living intentionally, forgiving yourself.
• Essential Oils. Diffuse, use topically (diluted when necessary)... this can be a quick and simple practice. (If your new to them and curious what would be best for you, I can help guide you).
• Move your body! Stretching, exercising, hiking, going for a walk, yoga! I know dancing in the kitchen makes me feel good:)
• Eating nourishing and healthy foods. Get to know what your body likes and doesn't like.
• Bodywork! Energy healing, massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, reflexology, craniosacral. To name a few!
• Meditation. Breathing, guided meditations, mindfulness, chanting, stillness. Remember, anyone can meditate! Yes, even you!
• Journal. Writing, expressing a few words or a sentence, drawing a picture, coloring.
• Grounding. Feeling your feet, gardening, connecting to nature, visualizations connecting to Earth. Centers and reconnects you to your physical body!
• Breathing. Closing your eyes, following your breath, feeling the air moving in and out of your nose.. Mmmmmm so relaxing.....
Remember, small things are also very effective and may get overlooked as self-care practices... For instance, reading, enjoying a cup of coffee or tea, taking a nap or getting a good night sleep, going outside for some fresh air, taking a bath or shower, pausing for a few moments to take a couple of deep breaths. There are some days where I am totally exhausted or feel I do not have enough time to do much of anything... those days I look at washing my face and brushing my teeth as self-care. It is how we view our own care. Even these routine and mundane things we do every single day, like general hygiene, can be accepted as self-care. Take it easy on yourself... go slow if you need to.
This is YOUR self-care practice...
do what feels right and good for you.
Be the best you. Your worth it.
Happy Summer Solstice!
In sync with the changes nature is currently enduring, this day allows us to shed what no longer serves us so we can manifest our passions and higher purpose. It also represents the transition into darker days… So while we shed any “darkness”, we can bring more light with us to maintain balance as the days begin to shorten again. During the Summer Solstice Grounding and Gratitude Self Healing Workshop I led this past Saturday, everyone participated in a short writing exercise. After a grounding meditation the exercise was to write down something you are ready to let go of, something you are ready to release from your body, mind, and Higher Self. Whatever is naturally coming forward. Anger? Stress? Fear? An experience or trauma that feels stuck? A pattern? Anything that is holding you back from experiencing growth, love, happiness, freedom, peace. Trusting that whatever comes up, is right.
In honor of the longest day of the year today, I prepared to recycle the words and energy from the workshop students back into the universal energy flow. But first, I took some time this morning to do the exercise myself. I closed my eyes to ground myself, to come back home, to this present moment, acknowledging my heart center and my connection to the universe. Setting my intention to bring forth what is ready to be released. Sitting in the morning sun, feeling the light and rising heat (it’s hot here this week!), I felt a light breeze. And for that moment I only felt, heard, smelled, and tasted that breeze. I felt it flowing through me, as it began stirring up what I had allowed to settle so deep within me. Words and images began to surface; I opened my eyes when I felt ready and was able to purge on paper what I was ready to let go of. What at this time was ready to be released, as it no longer served me.
Though I had something in mind already I had been thinking about wanting to let go of this past week, by connecting to myself even just for a moment, it allowed me to listen to my true inner Self to bring forth what is right at this time. The idea I had in my mind was general, something my conscious, ego driven self wanted to release, but by connecting to my entire being, what came up was an honest piece of it… a place to start. In a much gentler way, I was able to clarify what I needed to let go of. Instead of wanting to release a way of living as a whole, patterns I’ve had for as long as I can remember, I was able to allow what naturally was ready to come to the surface, to do so. One small action, something manageable, yet still profound and leading me toward my bigger goal. It made so much more sense. Which now consciously thinking about it feels so much better and resonates with me even more. My energy knows exactly what to do and what I’m ready for. Our inner guidance is very honest and gentle. Patient. Not forcing, just guiding. It was such a humble reminder that shedding and change takes time… and isn’t that beautiful? There is no hurry to make changes.
“Nature doesn’t hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu
As a Healing and Wellness Practitioner, leading group workshops and private energy therapy sessions, it is my intention to do exactly this for each and every person. For me to hold a space allowing you to connect with yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. To facilitate and help guide the energy in a heart centered way allowing you to heal in whatever way is intended at that time. Allowing you to bring your own stuck energy to the surface to be released while coming to your own realizations. The energy only does what you are ready for, and it knows exactly what to do.
Shanti.
I look forward to writing about issues, ideas and experiences that are present in my and my clients lives. It is beautiful how in sync we all are and that it can provide the love and support we need for each other, our community and the world.
