An easy self-care practice

When things feel hard and your sense of security is shaky, it can be helpful to notice supportive, easy, pleasant things you get to take for granted. It’s a practice I’ve found comforting and steadying when things feel wobbly, scary or overwhelming… Also, it’s easy! (Requires no appointment or special equipment.)

Here are a few things from my get-to-take-for-granted list:

1. The ground. When I wake up in the morning I don’t have to wonder, is the ground going to be there to meet my feet when I get out of bed? No. I get to take it for granted. In moments of unsteadiness or nervous system activation, I can always come back to noticing the ground. (And I swear, sometimes I think it’s saying to me: “Lean back, Heidi, I’ve got you.”
2. Darkness. I love getting to take for granted the darkness at night, especially as I am falling asleep. How kind of our Earth to draw the blinds on light so we can shut off our attention and rest.
3. The sun rising and setting. I notice the length of days getting a little longer again. And that springtime is up ahead. And with it seeds and seedlings and vegetables, and my hands digging in dirt.
4. My Yorkshire Gold cup of tea in the morning. My sweetie gets up before me and has my cup of tea ready when I get up. He has been doing this for so long now that I get to take it for granted. I like noticing that. And I feel lucky.
5. My thrifted Cashmere sweaters. Whenever I put on a Cashmere sweater—no matter what I may be wearing from waist down—I feel luxurious and comforted. Once upon a time, Cashmere was a one-time thing. Then it was once-in-a-while. And one day I said to myself, whyever isn’t this an everyday thing? And then it was. I love thrifting—which I can do online—which makes getting to take Cashmere for granted every day completely affordable. Cashmere as self-care!
6. My 9:15 AM Saturday yoga classes with Jenna Hussey via Zoom. Jenna is AWESOME. Every week she sends out an email with the Zoom link for the following class. (Thanks, Jenna. I get to take your class for granted!) Her class is by donation. And did I mention she is awesome? (If you want to get the link to Jenna’s next class, just email her and ask. Tell her I sent you.)

Noticing what I get to take for granted doesn’t mean I deny the fact that there are things I don’t get to take for granted. These days I miss receiving hands-on professional massage. (Sometimes my sweetie tries but it’s not the same, if you know what I mean.) Yeah, I miss massages. I also miss touching my clients therapeutically, and the entire hands-on aspect of Heidi’s Table (which is still on hold). I also miss going to a restaurant and having food brought to my table. And unmasked strangers.

And you? What do you get to take for granted these days? And what do you miss? Please tell, I’d love to know. Pop me an email or better yet, add a comment to this post so that others can see as well.

Stock your wellness pantry!

I’d like to offer you 25% off the cost of any classes I am offering via Zoom including The Pause, a body-oriented meditation class (meets four times a week, drop-in, no experience necessary) and my upcoming Therapeutic Self-Massage Class on Monday, January 18. To receive this special rate, please enter coupon code “twentyfive” on the checkout page of your purchase. The coupon is valid through Friday, January 15. Come fill your “wellness pantry” up with some some self-care goodies from Heidi’s Table.

Warmly (in Cashmere, naturally),

xoHeidi

The post Difficult times call for easy self-care! Stock your wellness pantry with self-care goodies appeared first on Heidi's Table.

Gather ’round, my friends, let’s have a listen to our animal-bodies!

Bodies say: drink. They say: pee. They say: eat. Move. Rest. Sleep…

Like I said, basic. Whew! What a relief.

The complications happen when we argue. “I don’t have time,” is probably the favorite argument. The body does NOT buy it. Not for a second. It says, “I’m hungry, can you feed me now.”

Maybe your body is telling you to rest. “Rest,” it says. So really, that is all there is to know, isn’t it? Your body is smart, so smart. It knows.

Maybe your body is telling you that it would like movement. Maybe you can especially hear your hips asking for movement, or maybe it’s your neck, or your shoulders, or your whole body all at once with one big happy (or sad, or angry…) living room, move it like it feels, dork-dance.

Were you, just then, about to argue? Something about your bum knee? (By the way, your body will never tell you to put all your weight on your bum knee. There are many ways to move. Your body is smart. It will help you.)

Maybe your body is asking for fresh air and light: a walk around the pond, maybe? A walk around the block? A run in the woods? Gosh, maybe it wants a day trip to the ocean?

Notice if you want to argue. Are you telling yourself all the reasons you can’t? Your body doesn’t buy them. Also, it won’t argue back. It will simply live the consequences of no rest, no movement, no fresh air, no ocean.

When our bodies live out the consequences of not getting the basics, it’s not about them being mean and being the enemy. No. When your body lives out a consequence, it just is what it is. Basic, remember?

Is your body telling you to pee? Are you making it wait longer than it wants? Bladders really don’t like to be kept waiting. (Excuse me, I’ll be right back!)

Is your body telling you to sleep? Do you ignore it? Do you argue with it? Do you stay up past the point of exhaustion? One way I sometimes ignore my body’s signal to sleep is by staying up watching just another (as if!) episode of whatever, when really my body would love to be sleeping.

If you find yourself wanting to argue, pause instead. No need to argue with the argument, either. Pause. Take a breath. Take another… After pausing it is often easier to give your body what it wants. If there is one thing I know about you it is that you are creative. You and your body, together, will know how to give it what it wants. Also, you want to take good care of you. I know you do. And for SURE I know that you’re doing your best. I love that about you.

Your body will always show you first things first, one thing at a time. Bodies are always about now.

You and your body: how wonderful that you have each other! No one else in the world got paired up with you. No one! Lucky ducks, you and your body.

Take good care of each other.

xo
Heidi

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