Bring Your Best Self to Life Through Self Care Rituals
“Self care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.”
~ Katie Reed
How often do you show up for yourself in an authentic way?
Society seems to have mixed messages about self care. It is becoming more and more popular to hear about self care through an endless supply of self-help books, magazine articles and podcasts. However, there is still an ever-present pressure to work as hard as you can, thereby increasing status and material possessions.
I can relate. Before adventuring to Peru for a 300hr Yoga Teacher Training with School Yoga Institute I was working a full-time job, teaching 10 yoga classes a week, never taking a day off, and trying to take care of everyone around me. As a yoga teacher I knew the importance of self care, so I’d wake up extra early to meditate and flow through a yoga sequence, followed by 2 big cups of coffee to help energize me for the day ahead. Does something sound a little off in that scenario?
Don’t Leave Yourself Out
During yoga teacher training we’d start each day with a 6AM yoga practice, which always included mantras. One mantra in particular really spoke to me, “Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu”. This translates to “May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute to that happiness and freedom”. A beautiful message which I immediately connected with. Then, one of our amazing teachers went on to explain how important it is to not leave yourself out when chanting this mantra.
How often do you care for yourself before putting your energy into everyone and everything else around you?
If the answer is, “Sometimes”, “Rarely” or “Every now and then”, then let’s change that. Because, when you fill yourself up with care and love, you have more than enough to give to those around you.
Don’t forget yourself.
Self Care Rituals for Harmony and Balance 
The following is a list of some of my favourite Ayurveda self-care rituals which I learned while at yoga school. These are just a few of the many rituals which are used to bring you back into a state of harmony and balance. Ayurveda works with unique imbalances in your body and mind called doshas. So, it can be helpful to take a dosha quiz or meet with an Ayurveda Health Coach to find out what particular self-care rituals would be most beneficial in your own life.
Abhyanga:
A beautiful self-care practice which involves massaging your entire body with an oil specific to your dosha type. This is great for calming your mental state, releasing toxins from your body, and it helps with circulation. Personally, I aim to do this each night before taking a shower.
Tongue Scraping:
A method of removing toxins from your mouth and improving overall oral health. There are many different tongue scrapers you can find, but I just use one made from stainless steel. They are sold in health food stores and online. Simply glide the tongue scraper from the back of your tongue to the front, as many times as you wish, first thing in the morning and before going to bed.
Meditation and Pranayama:
Meditation has become a non-negotiable daily ritual in my life. Every morning I dedicate time to breathe and become present. The pranayama technique I use differs based on the result I am looking for; sometimes I aim to remove blockages so I will use kapalabhati breath, other times I am balancing my energy and will use ratio breathing or alternate nostril breathing. My meditation varies as well; sometimes I use visualization, and other times I use an app on my phone called Insight Timer to help me drift into a meditative state for a certain amount of time. Regardless of the technique, pranayama and meditation have been proven to show profound effects on the body and mind.
“A daily routine is absolutely necessary to bring about radical change in mind, body and consciousness. Routine helps to bring balance in one’s constitution.”
~ Dr. Vasant Led
Care for Yourself and Watch Your Life Magically Shift
When I started daily self-care rituals I noticed a change in how I approached stressors and challenges. I acknowledged that I was trying to do far too much for everyone around me, and that I was worthy of being taken care of as well. And so, I made time for myself and instantly felt the difference. Relief. Peace. Joy.
You are more worthy than you realize of be taken care of. Give love to yourself. Create rituals. Fill up your own cup before filling everyone else’s. It will transform your mind, body and soul.
~ Katie Reed
I can relate. Before adventuring to Peru for a 300hr Yoga Teacher Training with School Yoga Institute I was working a full-time job, teaching 10 yoga classes a week, never taking a day off, and trying to take care of everyone around me. As a yoga teacher I knew the importance of self care, so I’d wake up extra early to meditate and flow through a yoga sequence, followed by 2 big cups of coffee to help energize me for the day ahead. Does something sound a little off in that scenario?
During yoga teacher training we’d start each day with a 6AM yoga practice, which always included mantras. One mantra in particular really spoke to me, “Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu”. This translates to “May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute to that happiness and freedom”. A beautiful message which I immediately connected with. Then, one of our amazing teachers went on to explain how important it is to not leave yourself out when chanting this mantra.
How often do you care for yourself before putting your energy into everyone and everything else around you?
If the answer is, “Sometimes”, “Rarely” or “Every now and then”, then let’s change that. Because, when you fill yourself up with care and love, you have more than enough to give to those around you.
Don’t forget yourself.
The following is a list of some of my favourite Ayurveda self-care rituals which I learned while at yoga school. These are just a few of the many rituals which are used to bring you back into a state of harmony and balance. Ayurveda works with unique imbalances in your body and mind called doshas. So, it can be helpful to take a dosha quiz or meet with an Ayurveda Health Coach to find out what particular self-care rituals would be most beneficial in your own life.
Abhyanga:
A beautiful self-care practice which involves massaging your entire body with an oil specific to your dosha type. This is great for calming your mental state, releasing toxins from your body, and it helps with circulation. Personally, I aim to do this each night before taking a shower.
Tongue Scraping:
A method of removing toxins from your mouth and improving overall oral health. There are many different tongue scrapers you can find, but I just use one made from stainless steel. They are sold in health food stores and online. Simply glide the tongue scraper from the back of your tongue to the front, as many times as you wish, first thing in the morning and before going to bed.
Meditation and Pranayama:
Meditation has become a non-negotiable daily ritual in my life. Every morning I dedicate time to breathe and become present. The pranayama technique I use differs based on the result I am looking for; sometimes I aim to remove blockages so I will use kapalabhati breath, other times I am balancing my energy and will use ratio breathing or alternate nostril breathing. My meditation varies as well; sometimes I use visualization, and other times I use an app on my phone called Insight Timer to help me drift into a meditative state for a certain amount of time. Regardless of the technique, pranayama and meditation have been proven to show profound effects on the body and mind.
“A daily routine is absolutely necessary to bring about radical change in mind, body and consciousness. Routine helps to bring balance in one’s constitution.”
~ Dr. Vasant Led
Care for Yourself and Watch Your Life Magically Shift
When I started daily self-care rituals I noticed a change in how I approached stressors and challenges. I acknowledged that I was trying to do far too much for everyone around me, and that I was worthy of being taken care of as well. And so, I made time for myself and instantly felt the difference. Relief. Peace. Joy.
You are more worthy than you realize of be taken care of. Give love to yourself. Create rituals. Fill up your own cup before filling everyone else’s. It will transform your mind, body and soul.
This excerpt definitely hits me and I can relate. I’ve found myself always worried about everyone else and everything and forgot about I still need to think Ignacio myself. Things haven’t been great for me in term of overall happiness and having self worth. To re-center and focus in being calm is a great place for me to start. Thank you for a reminder that I need to take care of myself before anybody else. Guess my husband was right 🙃
Thank you for the heartfelt comment, and apologies for my tardy response! I’m so glad that this blog hit home for you. Taking care of yourself first can be hard, but so very important <3 Never underestimate the beauty within your soul. I hope you are taking steps towards more self care and self love. If you need any help please don't hesitate to reach out! Happy New Year 🙂