Self-Care: What Does It Look Like?

Overwhelmed. Anxious. Freaked Out. Scared. Desperate.

Those are the words that opened last week's blog and guess what? With the Covid-19 pandemic rapidly altering how we live on a daily basis, these same words are still appropriate. The external stressors haven't disappeared, if anything, particularly here in the USA, they've ramped up. With orders to stay home, businesses closing, people getting laid off, and uncertainty still abounding, it's not too surprising that people's levels of stress are high.

This week in our online classes, we've been exploring the idea of what it means to look after ourselves, not only physically, but in all aspects of who we are. It's common knowledge that in order to age well, we need to do such things as having good nutrition, moving our body on a regular basis, avoiding being sedentary, creating strong social bonds, and getting a good and consistent amount of sleep. These are related to bio-markers of good overall health. So, of course, during times of higher stress, these are still important and, perhaps, even more so. 

From my perspective, looking after ourselves isn't only a physical pursuit but an all-encompassing one. Our yoga practice supports us in checking in with how we're doing and awakening us to areas of our life that may need more emphasis. And it's a daily inquiry. How we feel today may be quite different from how we felt just two days ago, so checking in on a regular basis assists us in finding equilibrium.

Imagine a body of water with a surface that is wavy with whitecaps. Now picture yourself as a scuba diver, dropping below the agitated surface into deeper, calm waters. As you descend, stillness increases and you can only hear the sound of your breathing through your regulator. This image is a metaphor for our current situation. If we stay at the surface, we notice high levels of anxiety and agitation, particularly if we have a steady diet of social media and news watching. Our practice becomes the refuge in which we release the external agitation and dive deeply into what's beneath the surface. By entering a still and quiet environment, we see more clearly what's pulling us away from inner peace, up to the surface and have an opportunity to address it.

I remember a time when I was cranky and abrupt. I wasn't being as kind to myself and others as I would like to be but couldn't figure out why I was in such a mood. So as I sat in meditation, I allowed myself to "get underneath" the crankiness. What I discovered was that I was deeply sad. It was during a time when there was yet another mass shooting and some other sad event happening in the world which I found deeply upsetting and feeling completely powerless to change the situations. Sadness was the underlying cause of the crankiness and the moment I unearthed it, I offered myself compassion and the mood shifted.

During this time, we ask ourselves what it is that we need...today. Find yourself in a quiet and relaxed position and check-in. Scan your physical body for any places that are holding tension or feel dull. What is this teaching you? Notice what emotions have been present...grief, joy, sadness, love? Are they passing through you like a flowing river or are they getting caught in an eddy? How are you managing your anxiety and stress? Are you connecting to practices and people that support you and lift you up? What are you grateful for? How are you connecting to purpose and the bigger picture of life?

By asking these questions, what we need to care for ourselves floats to the surface and when we know what it is, we can take action. Self-care is an act of loving-kindness...for yourself and for others. May you take this time to look after what you need, on all levels of who you are.