THEME: self-care and appreciation

“Let’s be good to ourselves.”

Welcome to your 30 days of self-care.

When there is a lot going on around us, including people who are hurting and in need of our energy and support, we can forget about our own needs. We can forget how important it is to care for ourselves, slow down, and not feel guilty about the need to have some time off when we can.

We aren’t machines and we need refilling from time to time. We also need to remind ourselves of all that we are, and all that we can appreciate in each moment. This can really help ground us and bring positive feelings in those times we need it the most.

Self-care practices come in all forms, big and small. Move through this month’s programme with an open heart, creating space to fill it with the self-care practices you so greatly deserve.

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GUIDED MEDITATION

Watch the short explainer video by Jen, that describes how to settle in with a meditation.

MEDITATION: self-care and The power of appreciation

“I appreciate my whole body. I appreciate all that I am. I appreciate this moment.”

Time: 12 minutes

When to practice: WHEN YOU NEED A DOSE OF SELF-LOVE

This month we are taking the time to simply give back to ourselves, top up our energy by focusing on our full being. Take these few minutes to go inward and practice appreciation of yourself and the present moment. It is important to remind ourselves of those things that tend to pass us by we can take for granted.

There is nowhere else you have to be, nothing else to do. Just be here with your body in stillness, and start to slow down your breath.

Grab a blanket and get cosy. You can do anytime yourself, or with your family members too.

Simply click on the video and settle in.

We are here for you, for them.

yoga poses and movement

These two mini flows of around 2-3 poses each are here to aid your self-care practice this month. We are focusing on our upper body this month, opening up our heart and back, and showing some love to our spines. Both sequences can be practiced at any time of the day, but can be especially effective in the morning to help ease into the day, or at any time you need a few minutes to yourself. Remember to flow slowly and softly, and move with your breath.

SPINAL CARE FLOW

Start laying on your back, knees bent with your feet on the floor. Hug your knees into your body, and start to gently sway from side to side, massaging the spine. Now place your hands on each knee and take some knee circles in both directions, massaging the very base of the spine. Keeping the left knee hugging into the body, release the right leg long and place the right hand on the left knee, then start to draw the knee over to the right side, taking a twist. Extend the left arm out wide, and look towards it with eyes closed. Take a few breaths here, before returning to the centre and repeating this with the other leg.

OPEN HEART AND BACK FLOW

Sitting either cross-legged or sat on your heels, find your nice, straight spine lifting from the crown of the head. On your next inhale lift and open the chest to the sky, roll the shoulders away from the ears, and as you exhale place the fingertips lightly behind you, about a hands-width from the sit bones, leaning back slightly and allowing the heart to open further and the shoulder blades to draw closer together.

On your next exhale lift your fingertips and start to draw the arms together as we move into eagle arms to open the back. Stack your left elbow on top of your right and place your hands on your shoulders. Either stay here or bring the backs of the hands together or maybe bring the palms together. Elbows lift up to shoulder height if possible. You can stay here or you can start to fold forward. Repeat this again but place your right elbow on top of your left for the next round.

Repeat the whole sequence as many times as needed.

Breathing exercise: Self-Healing Humming Bee Breath

Humming bee breath serves to benefit us in many ways! The healing humming sound helps alleviate stress, lower the heart rate and can even release the love hormone, oxytocin, which increases connection to the self and overall wellbeing.

Let’s begin by finding our easy pose, sitting cross legged with our spine nice and long. Next we will take our index fingers and lightly press our ears closed to block out any external sounds. Take a nice deep inhale through the nose and make the sound ‘hmmm’ as you breathe out of the nose slowly and calmly, taking your time.

Repeat as many times as needed.

watch the video below to FOR GUIDANCE WITH JEN

MANTRA FOR SELF-CARE

“I am worthy of good things. I surround myself with those who support me. I treat myself with respect and love.”

(click on the image to be guided through the mantra, you can also practice on your own ONCE YOU ARE COMFORTABLE DOING SO)

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

PUT YOURSELF IN A TIME-OUT AND DO NOTHING!

Do nothing! As we move through our daily and weekly routines, we really need to do this for ourselves. Take a deep breath, and push yourself to feel ok with slowing down and sometimes doing nothing. Notice how you feel after allowing this time for yourself. It can be for 20-minutes or even an entire day or longer! Chances are you’ll feel refreshed with a renewed focus.

POSITIVE JOURNAL

Bookend your day with positive thoughts: In the morning, before anything else, write down three things that will make your day a good one. At the end of the day, write down three things that were good about your day. Focusing on what you’re grateful for and the positive aspects of what lies ahead of you can help with resilience and to keep things in perspective.

TACKLE THAT “TO-DO” OR “WANT TO DO” LIST

Go on and tackle that to-do or want-to-do list! Maybe it's organising the closet, running, or baking one of those desserts you saved in Pinterest. If it’s a new exercise like running, you can start small by just running down the block and then walking. You have everything within yourself to tackle one thing on your list! You’ll also feel so empowered after doing so, which is a great thing for self-care, resilience and confidence.