Recently, I was meditating on my intention moving forward in this new year. And as happens sometimes, I was feeling blocked on every level. Physically, my body has been feeling depleted and stuck. My mind has felt stifled, and my creativity just hasn’t been flowing. It’s even been difficult to think of engaging topics for my blog and social media. I love talking about what I do, and helping others see the benefits in self care - but even those ideas have been slower to come to me lately. Maybe you’re feeling similarly? Know that you’re not alone.
It always seems to me that January is a month of Mondays, and February is all about connecting to your significant other (especially in the spa world). I’d like to invite you to seek a deeper connection with your MOST significant other: yourself.
It can be so easy to approach even self care with more regard for others than we do for ourselves. You know the saying, “You can’t take care of others unless you take care of yourself.” But what if we approached self care JUST for ourselves? True self care is not something that seems to come easily in our society.
This is also the time of year where we often set new goals and resolutions. We might make ourselves some pretty grand promises: lose 10 pounds, work out every day, no alcohol for a month.
These can all be excellent goals, but how realistic is it for us to come off a holiday season of eating, drinking, and being merry and immediately switch up EVERYTHING? Demanding these abrupt changes of ourselves can lead to pretty quick burnout, which can lead to discouragement, which can lead to us deciding we’re giving up (until next year, when we start the same cycle all over again, typically with the same results).
Here’s the deal though - it doesn’t have to be so difficult.
Start small. Try to move for 5 minutes a day. If mediation is your goal, don’t get bogged down with what it is “supposed” to feel like. It’s all about the breath, so just focus on your breathing. Your mind wanders? Great - you’re a human with a thinking brain. Acknowledge it and return to your breathing.
Try to set aside 5 minutes a day to just sit with yourself. Check in with your body, and how it feels. This is the perfect time of year to perform abhyanga - a daily self massage with warm herbal oil. The cold weather leads to dry skin, and dry skin leads to discomfort. So don’t be afraid to oil up!
I also invite you to check in with yourself about your feelings, how your day is going, what you are grateful for, and what you might do differently to improve the following days.
We all could use some extra help sometimes. Feeling disconnected or depleted? Schedule some bodywork or a facial. This kind of self care isn’t just about muscle manipulation and skincare. Holistic spa services go far beyond the tangible benefits to help reduce anxiety and stress not only physically but also energetically. And we’re all just energy, really.
This is what we pride ourselves on at The Pushy Goat. We love to explore and connect with the world around us on a deeper level, and to help others do so for themselves. Looking for that deeper connection? Call today and schedule your self care appointment!
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