How are you finding October? It gets very damp here on the coast in Co Kerry, Ireland and at some point the temperature will drop considerably as the leaves drop too. It’s too soon to get excited for Christmas (is it??) so as the nights get longer and we wait for the first storm of the season to whip off the rest of the leaves (and a few branches too), it’s a good time to think about self care. We’re grown ups now and we know that if we don’t do it, no fairy godmother is going to sweep in to clear our schedule, set some boundaries and get everything done.
The thing is, self care can sometimes just be another thing to punish ourselves with. A rigid routine or dietary restrictions that takes the joy out of life because we’ve been told that being healthy is down to us now. Another thing to add to the list and the pile of responsibilities. This is where self love comes in. This is where listening to yourself is important and we’ve been practising that in my online classes this week.
A self love practice to try
You can try it now if you like. Sit in an upright position, close or lower your eyes and direct your attention inwards, down into the body. I like to send my attention to the centre of my body but if that is uncomfortable for you, you could think about your feet and how they feel in your shoes or against the floor. Remain there, paying attention to any sensations that arise, maybe there are sensations of the breath, maybe it’s clothing, maybe it’s hunger or an emotion. It doesn’t matter what you notice, just spend a minute or two giving yourself the gift of attention. Then blink open the eyes, perhaps have a stretch and take that moment of self love into your day.
Can you do that regularly during the day? Or when you’re battling yourself about something, can you do this and see if an answer comes up afterwards?
I’ve been posting on Instagram about how I neglected my self care routine this week! It’s become a way to share what I feel a bit squeamish about and be a bit more honest about my own work to become healthier and happier. I’m not a massive fan of social media, but I find it good fun, for now!
Try a free online class with me
If you’d like to show yourself some love this Autumn, why not try a slow but strong yoga class online with me? For just €35 a month you get:
- 4 live classes
- Access to the recording for a week
- A monthly subscriber bonus – a video or audio file that you always have access to
- An experienced teacher who cares about your progress and how you feel in class.
Contact me now if you’d like to try a free class, letting me know which one you’d like to attend.
