Q: I’ve been told I need to slow down and practice better self-care. I don’t know where to begin. Can you help?
A: We often feel that in our fast-paced society we have to keep up and be perfect at all we do. Therefore, the idea of taking time for you, practicing extreme self-care seems unimaginable. Often people feel as though they don’t have the time for this. Self-care is really being in a loving space, caring enough for yourself to put yourself first. That is not selfish, it’s selfless. When you drop inside and breath deep into your belly, that is an invitation to come home to yourself. There is no better feeling. As you experiment with this, allow yourself to feel whatever comes up, it’s okay.
As you are present with the feeling, continue the breath work into your belly and begin to open your heart. You will then be breathing into the core of your being. Notice how it feels to be inside your body, present and being with this feeling. What do you get? Go with the feeling with no judgment or criticism. It’s your feeling and that is practicing self-care.
No matter what the circumstances are in our life, self-care truly is the most important thing you can do for yourself. If you notice that you are on the run and feel as though you have to keep up with the frenetic pace of life, that is the time to slow down and begin a practice. Now imagine how different your life would feel and be if you consciously allow each breath, each heart opening to be just what you have been seeking all along. It’s your gift and you deserve all the self-care you can give.You can see life from a whole new perspective and you will stop compromising yourself just to belong. Instead, in time, you will feel a state of wholeness, love, and come home to your true authentic self.
Some examples of this extreme self-care may include:
* Setting healthy boundaries with others; saying no when you are made to feel saying yes.
* Cease the self-sabotage and allow your worthiness to come in.
* Making your own decisions without feeling you have to please someone else by doing what they want.
* Prioritizing your time and take that time out for you.
* Do something you want that you formally didn’t allow yourself to do.
You do have the ability to manifest the life you desire. Now is the time to begin and don’t allow anyone, including yourself to hold you back. Be in that loving space right here, right now.