6 Keys to Genuine Self-Care
I notice I have more quality attention and energy to give myself, family, friends, and clients when I fuel myself with what truly nourishes and honors my body, mind, emotions and spirit. I practice several important, what I call, genuine self-care keys to support my well-being and my capacities to be true to myself and of greater service.
The obvious basic self-care fuels are healthy foods, movement, rest, healthy finances, and authentic communication and relationships.
I want to focus here, however, on more subtle resources of self care that need no shopping, cooking, props, or money. They do require commitment and follow through. I call them Keys because they have opened me to myself, to the wealth of resources within me, to greater love and to the Divine within.
The first self-nourishing key I practice is to be more honest with myself, asking, “What is my true experience?” My intention is to become more aware and awake to what is. I slow and deepen my breathing to tune into my body sensations. Nothing to fix, change or make wrong. When I realize I am going into judgment, I relax my mind and give space to include the subtle tensions in my body and mind associated with judging. I relax more. I might ask my body to convey it’s wisdom in English. I listen deeply. I notice what emotions are present. I am often surprised to discover a variety of emotions that were under my “normal” radar. I open space within me to really feel the emotions that are showing up. Next, I move my focus to notice the mind’s activity. After exploring my true experience I notice my mind is often more relaxed than when I started the practice. I notice I feel calmer and have become the watcher.
The second key is to practice tuning into my heart-felt body intuition, asking, “What do I truly want and need?” I relax into a deep, spacious inner zone where expectations, preconceived notions, and should’s and ought to’s float like tiny particles of dust. I rest in the vast stillness to listen and sense with my whole body. Subtle impressions emerge out of the silence within. I can feel the truth and clarity in what is being revealed.
The third key is to meditate. For me it is intimate, true “me” time as I flow into delicious high frequency timelessness. Deep relaxation of body, mind, and emotions generate rich experiences of melting into pure presence. Peace. Harmony. Clarity. Nothingness. It’s divine. Meditation can take the form of creative movement, sinking my bare feet into soft, warm, beach sand, sitting still in lotus position or simply relaxing in the fresh air. It is all a precious coming home.
The fourth key is to ask for help. It is important to know when I need support. When I need to be heard, understood, and to hear a reflection of my experience. I pray to the vastness of wisdom within me. I write in my journal, to get it all out and to access a deeper perspective within me. And I may call a good friend.
The fifth key is to appreciate. I look for what pleases my senses. Little things, the subtleties of tasting a fresh apple, the air passing over my skin, the sunlight creating fascinating shadows. I appreciate breathing, moving, seeing, feeling. When I can’t appreciate, I give that space to be, to organically move and reveal its treasures. I feel new energy within and all around me. It clears my mind, emotions and is calming.
The important sixth key to genuine self care is to take time to actually do the practices! My mind can talk me out of doing these important self care rituals, because they take extra time when added into the day’s activities. The funny thing to me is these keys are steps into a precious zone of timelessness. And when I have completed my nourishing genuine self care key experiences, time feels even more spacious to me. I feel less stressed and have more inner peace and clarity. I feel rested, nourished, and available. All this generates a sense of having more time, energy and capacity to focus, create and move forward.
These self-nourishing practices can be integrated into daily schedules, work and relationships. They have had a miracle effect on my perceptions, opening my viewpoint to new possibilities, evolving my choices, communications and interactions beyond where I could have imagined. They have also proved to be rich resources of self-love. I invite you to explore the possibilities for yourself!
