Self-Care as a Lifestyle
We are preparing for the new year and all that it has to offer by building rituals into a lifestyle. For us that means taking a look at our lives and letting go of things that do not serve us anymore. It also means finding ways to incorporate bits of self-care into our daily and weekly rituals without it costing much money or time.
The holidays, even with all the fun and time for togetherness, can take a lot out of you mentally and physically so we tend to push our needs to the side until we have more time. I am here to remind you that your time is now and that the things you do to feel recharged will allow you feel better in your day-to-day lives as you have given yourself the gift of self-care to feel nourished and inspired.
If you are not sure where to start or simply overwhelmed with all the options out there, we recommend starting small and building upon that. I have complied a few of my favorite tips and tricks for self-care that go above a tub soak or reading a good book.
We hope you find these to be helpful as you assess where you are in your lives and plan goals for the year ahead.
Facial Yoga | Danielle Collins
faceyogaexpert.com | @faceyogaexpert
For anyone who is new to face yoga, I love, love, love this expert. Her videos are easy to follow, full of positive affirmations and you can see the results quickly. For my routine, I incorporate facial massage when I cleanse and hydrate skin twice daily but have started adding 1-2 videos every 4 days for additional lymphatic drainage.
At Home Yoga | Do Yoga with Me
doyogawithme.com | @doyogawithme
I have been a BIG fan of Do Yoga with Me since I was introduced to it back in 2014. I love to incorporate a video or two a week to compliment my gym sessions. I love being active and a good gentle stretch is always something I make time for. While I have enjoyed many of their instructors, I gravitate towards David Procyshyn and Fiji McAlpine as my two favorite yogis.
Gua Sha | Wildling
wildling.com | @wildling_beauty
Gua sha work is something that our entire crew loves to incorporate into our rituals. Since I add a few minutes of facial massage to my daily routines, I make time for gua sha work every two weeks, but it can be done weekly before your exfoliant. We love to use the videos from Wildling as a guide as they have a great pace and are easy to follow. There are many different shapes of gua sha stones so you may find that you want to add a new one to your routine for different skin benefits.
Dry Brushing | Stass & Co.
Unlike the heart, the lymphatic system does not have a pump so we must encourage movement with very light pressure and/or repetitive movement. While running and rebounding are great options to encourage healthy lymphatic movement, those activities are not for everyone. I like to incorporate a dry brushing session twice monthly for the total body as part of my routine. I love how easy this is as part of an evening shower ritual and my body feels so much better after a dry brushing session. When we stimulate the lymphatic system, we help our bodies process metabolic waste while exfoliating skin, clearing any toxin build-up.
Guided Meditation | Tara Brach
Meditation is one of those self-care things that I am always working on. It is super easy to overlook the power meditation with all the responsibilities we have in our modern society. This art has been practiced for thousands of years and has many benefits for our bodies and minds. It is a practice that can go with you anywhere and 5-10 minutes a day is a great place to start.
Self-Care Sources: