2017 MAKE A CHANGE
We start our January 2017 ‘make a change’ series with the most important aspect supporting successful changes in our lives; self – kindness and self care. Each Monday in January we will post about how to take care of yourself, inside and out. We are excited to welcome Barbara McKinstry ND as our contributor for these essential posts.
8 Steps to Care for Yourself and Support your New Year Resolutions
1. Self care starts with self kindness and self enjoyment! Talk to your inner self critic and ask her to help you be successful by relaxing and attending to the basics. “Hi, self critic...Could you help me get back to basic self care in a kind and loving way?”
2. First do some freeing up of time and space for yourself and think little! Go to bed a few minutes earlier, walk to the mailbox or around the block, drink a little more water, pat your face lovingly after washing it and finish with a cold wet facecloth, put on music from your youth and swing your joints in enjoyment as you clean, cook and do the basics!
3. Catch moments to linger a bit longer with yourself. Breath in, breath out....Linger a few more minutes over tea with attention just to breathing.
4. Find sweet mantras that give back to you, like- “ I love the feeling of a big breath” or “My life is refreshing as I drink this water”... Imagine what you might say in admiration if your 20 year older self would be looking at a snapshot of you today...Ahh my bright eyes, my skin plump with youth!
5. Release a few “shoulds”. Using your breath release each “should” by blowing it into a stone or leaf or suitable object and then at the end of the day placing that object on the windowsill or out under a tree for it to be ceremonially released back into the universe.
6. Appreciate what is here right now. Start with easy appreciations like I love my little grandaughter and I love beautiful sunsets...then as you get more into it, try out saying I love my belly and I love my feet....and so on....just keep going! Appreciations are like the gas that powers the car or plane on your self care journey.
7. Invite a freshness to inform you. Peak outside on a cold morning. Turn mistakes into happenings. Turn changes into surprises...again, start little!!!! Turn the car radio on as you wait for that someone you are picking up. Doodle with felt pens. Let the universe in! Let your inner artist out!
8. Make a plan. Reinventing yourself yet again can be as kind and loving as greeting the sun in the morning as you rise!
Tell us how you cared for yourself and you will be entered to win a spiky dome. Post on Facebook or comment on Instagram to be entered to win. See you on Wednesday January 4th for our first ‘Core’ exercise