Self Care Practice
The meaning of self care can vary from person to person. To some we look at this to be a luxury, the once a year facial or weekend away however the reality is that self care can be the smallest of gestures. It is our intention behind these small gifts to ourselves that foster self love, an important practise in todays fast paced environment.
RITUALS ~
Traditionally rituals are beautiful grounding practices performed in a particular way which often involve gestures, actions, objects or words. During uncertain times they can be a beautiful reminder to stay connected to ourselves and others.
Brewing your morning tea or coffee, lighting a stick of incense, setting an intention or a quick journal entry are some small practices that can be woven into your day as an act of self care.
INTENTION ~
Is a state of mind that represents a commitment to carry out a future action, it involves planning and forethought which results in an aim.
Setting your intention each day can help you to stay clear on what you want your day to stand for. Basing this on your values is the trick, if you value health how will you move your body to represent this? You may value beauty, how can you bring an element of beauty into your day? Or kindness, how can you interact with others that shows this?
We can get deeper into values another time but for now just try setting an intention that aligns with what matters to you today.
Below are some of our favourite self care practices, use them to inspire you to create your own personalised self care ritual that feels right for you ~
1 ~ Meditation // The art of creating stillness in our minds can be a hard one to master however selecting a mode that is best suited to you is the best place to start. Use BREATH to connect to your body, VISUALISATION to heal your mind or MANTRA to tap into your soul and subconscious.
We love the below mantra meditation to cultivate inner peace.
~ Pick 3 words which represent a feeling you want to cultivate more of in your day to day life. Ease, Calm and Balance are a great place to start! Sit for 15 minutes in the AM in a comfortable position....use as many pillows and blankets as you need. Close your eyes and softly bring these words in and out of your mind without any pressure. This will help calm your mind and empower you to create how you want to feel.
2 ~ Abhyanga self massage // Abyhanga Is a form of Ayurvedic medicine which involves massaging your body with a warm herb infused oil. Try Black Sesame Oil if you are new to this practice. Allow the oil to soak in from head to toe for 20 minutes before finishing with a warm steamy shower. You should be left with a small amount of residue which will leave your skin soft and supple.
3 ~ Cinnamon & Rose Tea // Whilst your oil is soaking in, place dried rose petals and a cinnamon quill into a teapot to brew for 15 minutes in the morning. Enjoy a small cup before breakfast to aid digestion and detoxification. Take to work in a thermos to sip on all day!
4 ~ Palo Santo // This ancient wood is grown on the coast of South America, its essential oil has been used in healing for centuries. Lighting a stick of Palo Santo (for 30 seconds, then blowing it out) in the morning or night is said to bring in positive energy whilst cleansing the negative.