Does lying in the backyard together watching the total solar eclipse count?
How about making sure I get some veggies in at every meal?
What about dancing wildly to feel my juicy aliveness?
Yes. It all counts.
Self-care is about listening to what your bodysoul (body, heart, mind, soul) really needs in any moment to be truly well.
Because of the way we’re programmed (or if we’re in an extreme circumstance of some sort), we can get kinda stuck on one track of self-care.
If my self-care is just about physical body stuff—enough sleep, healthy food, taking my supplements, exercising—it’s not enough.
SAY WHAT?
Yes, I stand by it!
Self-care is bigger than just taking care of your body’s self-preservation needs of what I call grounding and nesting!
We also have to consider our need to feel a sense of belonging and place (connecting), and our need to feel pleasure and turn-on (aliveness / radiance).
All three forms of self-care are innate, animal, instinctual needs that operate under the surface all the time.
Especially when we’re stressed, we pay A LOT Of attention to trying to get at least one of these needs met…
Which one do you habitually and perhaps subconsciously prioritize? (I focus most on my grounding / nesting needs.)
What are you neglecting? (I’ve had to learn to pay attention to my aliveness / radiance needs.)
I’m writing about this in my book Nourishing the Feminine, and I’ll also be teaching about it at my:
Looking forward to supporting you in your self-care needs–in whatever form that takes–classes, retreats, tea, coaching, connecting!
Nourishing Wholeness 
Your class sounds good, Katy! I’ll think of you from Chicago. And thank you for this reminder about self care. Love the lawn/feet photo –also the writing and format of the message. The part that really speaks to me is the positive need. I have to remind myself not to feel guilty — not to feel self-indulgent — in allowing myself the enjoyment of doing what feeds my soul and spirit. It’s a need. I need it. Life is challenging. We need to feel that it is also a joy. I’m not talking about money or spending or things. It may include that, but it is also just NOT caring if I’m not productive on a certain day. The “product” is I’ve given myself a break, a respite — and that I don’t consider it an unearned luxury, the taking a timeout from considering my worth according to what I can scratch off a to-do list — that my worth was enhanced by acknowledging an intrinsic value in just living. Just being alive. Just being me. Just being here. Just having a good body. Just having a contented soul. That’s enough business for this day. My job this day is to celebrate nothing in particular except the most monumental thing — live radiance. I think of Walt Whitman. I think of dance. I think of jumping for joy. I think of children playing and laughing. I think of all the joy I give to others. I think of how much joy is mine to scoop up when I’m not distracted. I think of how good joy is — and how much I need it. And need to seek it.
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I miss you knowing you’re so far away, Irene! I hope Chicago is treating you well, and thanks for commenting on my posts–it’s a nice way to stay connected.
Yes, just being alive, being ourselves, living is such a gift! I totally relate to the productive thing–learned that early on from my parents and my type/instinct combo…
Glad you are scooping up joy, savoring it, and seeking it! Blessings!
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