what is self-care?

Self-care is the practice of mindfully tending to our own mental, emotional, physical, psychic, energetic, and spiritual needs. Anything that we do for ourselves with the intention of compassionate self-connection can be a form of self-care. Reading a book, taking a bath, going for a walk, moving your body, making time for your creative outlet, journaling, meditation, cooking or consuming a nourishing meal, working with a coach or therapist, scheduling and receiving a massage, gardening, spending time building healthy relationships etc. are all examples of self-care.

Any type of adverse experience or trauma can create a rupture, a disconnect between the mind and body. Often this inner disconnect goes global, leading to a disconnect between ourselves, others, and our environment. Mental, emotional, and/or physical discomfort can result from traumatic experiences which often leads us to lean on distractions for relief. When these distractions that allow us to suppress or avoid our discomfort become habitual they become forms of addiction.

The mind alone cannot heal the memory that the nervous system is holding on to. Embodiment, the practice of anchoring our conscious awareness into the physical body, through mindful self-care practices, can aid in healthily integrating the ruptures that cause our pain and discomfort to achieve repair and resolution. When we successfully establish self-connection, we can expand our capacity to healthily connect with our community and live more harmonically with our environment. With curiosity, creativity, commitment, and courage, self-care and embodiment practices allow us to integrate the past, get clear in the present, and take steps towards the future we want to build.

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