Who takes care of you?
Who takes care of you?
Being a care giver, teacher, spouse or friend you may spend a lot of your time giving to others. While this is noble and good to be of service to others we often forget or neglect taking care of ourselves. Especially when our plates are full, we often start putting ourselves last in line for care. I used to get annoyed whenever I read articles about self care and putting your oxygen mask on first before helping others. In my head I was like, yeah I know, I know, but in reality, I would be holding my breath putting on my children’s oxygen masks first. I knew this about myself, I would run myself until the tank was empty. Well, at least that is what I used to do. Until about 12 years ago, when my tank ran empty without any spare fumes. There were no reserves left and I sank into a deep depression. It was a weird time. I couldn’t pin point exactly why I was so depressed. I had a good life. I had a loving husband that was an excellent chef with a touch of OCD that kept the kitchen clean, two awesome, fun loving kids and a secure job that not only helped pay the bills but also gave me plenty of time off to spend with my family. I thought there is no reason for me to feel this way, I have a great life, what’s wrong with me? Needless to say, I started going to therapy. My therapist started asking “what do you do for self care?” I was a bit stumped, self-care? Is that like going to get a pedicure or massage? That special occasion something that you do because you were given a gift certificate, because in all reality you wouldn’t spend your own money on this self indulgent nonsense. That is when I became educated on what self care actually meant and more importantly what it wasn’t. Apparently retail therapy (a.k.a. buying stuff) and drowning your sorrows in a bottle of merlot were coping mechanisms, not self care. Self care is the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress. While a pedicure or massage would definitely count as self care, it doesn’t have to be big. It could be as simple as taking a moment to be fully present to your breath by counting backwards from 10. I soon got back to my yoga and meditation practices, as they always leave me feeling whole, carving out moments in the day to address my needs. The more I sank into my stillness during these moments of self care, I realized most of my depression had stemmed from straying from myself: not taking care, not listening to my needs. Consistency matters, self care is not just a one act play, but ever evolving acts of intentionality. This is why I love Yoga Nidra so much, taking time to slow down, welcome, recognize and witness all that is happening inside my body, mind and spirit. It is the ultimate act of self care.
So, who takes care of you? Only you can decide. Why not begin a little self care and try Yoga Nidra? If you would like to join the journey inwards please check out my Yoga Nidra Zoom class, Sundays 4-5 pm MTS.
