Self-Care Rituals

In January of 2018 I decided not to make a resolution of the traditional kind, such as to lose weight, read more, go on a diet, or work out more.  I decided that I would make self-care a priority. It’s a catchy phrase that kept popping up in social media, but it was more than that to me.  I felt like I had been on the hamster wheel of life. I had been sick for most of the fall, was working too much, and sleeping too little. There are a lot of possibilities when it comes to self-care routines. It is not even possible to do all of them in a given day, but I decided to mindfully try to do a few each day. Some of the things I had read about and tried on occasion include Ayurvedic treatments like dry brushing, oil pulling, tongue scraping, and sesame oil massage.  Other healthful things that I take part in more regularly include Epsom salt baths, sinus rinsing, yoga, meditation, journaling, eating right, drinking lots of water or green tea, taking vitamins and supplements, exercising, and getting proper sleep.  ​

​Let’s be real here. Who has enough time in the day to do ALL of the things that we are supposed to do to stay healthy and centered? Most morning I have 20 minutes to shower, dry my hair, dress, put on a little makeup and grab some water to take to work with me. I know I “should” get up a bit earlier to do my meditation for 10 minutes and dry brush and oil before my shower, but the draw of sleep is just too great. If I do wake up, I sit there numbly drinking the coffee my husband kindly makes every morning…usually with one eye still mostly closed and the other just a slit.

The first step for me was to actually put a few items on my calendar. On one weekend night and at least one weeknight when I knew I would be home, I put a bath on the calendar. I try to get into the bath tub with my Epsom Salts (*see below for link) and essential oils at least twice a week. I like lavender at night and eucalyptus when I have a cold. Since I keep the raw silk dry brushing gloves* right by the tub, it was easy enough to do that before I got in. While in the tub, I either read or listen to a mindful podcasts or meditate. I love Insight Timer for meditations. You can do just a timer, or music, or guided meditations based on how much time you have or what issue you are working on. You can also follow specific people whose guided meditations you like. ​

​Podcasts I follow include Dr. Wayne Dyer, The Mindbodygreen Podcast, The Lively Show, and The West Wing Weekly, to name a few. (OK, maybe they are not ALL mindful podcasts, but it’s The West Wing! How can I resist!!) I also listen to them whenever I am in the car so I rarely listen to the radio anymore.
 
Yoga is already on my calendar as a permanent item every Sunday morning (besides all the classes I teach during the week). Meditation I calendared for afternoons when I got home from my day job, before I left to teach. It is not a perfect plan, as some afternoons don’t have enough time, so I would try to slip in a few minutes before bed.  Sometimes I would even just do a 2-3 minute meditation in my car before I walked into work. I feel better when I do it so now it feels more urgent for me to slide it into the cracks of time I have. In the past I never prioritized it.  When we know better (or feel better), we do better.
 
Some things I haven’t put on the calendar and just do them on an as-needed basis. Sinus rinsing* is definitely my go-to when my allergies are acting up or I have a cold, but I must admit, it is totally off my radar when I am feeling well. Allergy season will hit again soon, so I am sure it will become a regular habit again.  It is the same with taking herbs and vitamins. I remember them when I am feeling tired or lethargic. I remember Turmeric and Glucosamine when my body is in pain.  Proper sleep is always a priority and I try to be asleep by 10:30pm at the latest most days of the week.  By mindfully paying attention to the cues my body gives me, I know when I need to use one of my self-care rituals.
 
Make a list of the items that you want to prioritize and put them on your calendar. Make them an appointment with yourself that is non-negotiable. Making you a priority is the first step to Self-Care. You can’t properly care for anyone else if you don’t take care of yourself first.

Namaste!

Sinus Rinsing

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