Nourishment
In this season of giving, which also happens to be the season of hectic craziness if we let it, I want to remind you to give yourself a gift. The gift of Nourishment.
This goes beyond the popular refrain of "Self Care"; it goes deeper into what we really need. Nourishment is what is NECESSARY for growth and good health. My focus as we begin a new year and new decade is on nourishing myself mentally and physically.
Mentally...
Are the things I'm choosing to do serving me well? Are the people I'm surrounding myself with supportive? Am I taking time to check in with myself? Am I setting clear boundaries? Am I communicating my feelings clearly? Have I compromised my needs?
Physically...
Have I dedicated time to physical activity that makes me feel good? Am I listening to what my body is telling me? Am I ensuring that I get adequate rest? Am I meeting my body's needs with proper nutrition? Do I enjoy the food that I'm eating and get pleasure from it? Am I taking time for being still and meditating? Am I drinking enough water? Using good products on my body, face and hair?
Basically, am I being intentional with how I treat myself?
Some days I need 45 mins of yoga, lots of water and veggie meals; other days I need to go for a good hard run, eat a big ol burger and have a beer or three.
I deserve to live my life in a way that honors my needs. This doesn't mean that I just do whatever the hell I want in the moment, that I just indulge in hedonism and do what feels good.When I am truly checking in with myself and listening, I am living in a way that nourishes my soul. Yes, that means "treat yo' self" moments, but it also means doing what is truly good for me and encourages mental and physical growth.
When I am nourishing myself as a person I am able to live a happier, more fulfilling life.
For example...
I've been a runner for about 7 years now. I truly love it and it serves me well, in a number of ways mentally and physically. But over the last 6 months I've been experiencing recurring hip pain. The only thing that helped was rest, which I didn't want to do for more than a couple of days, so the pain never fully went away. The joy I received from running was outweighing the pain for me. Until it wasn't. Out of desperation one day I practiced some old yoga moves that I hadn't done in YEARS. That night, instead of tossing and turning to find a comfortable sleeping position, I slept better than I had in ages. Huh, how about that? I had been completely ignoring that aspect of my physical fitness and totally blown off dedicated stretching and yoga, even though I knew the importance of those activities. It has been about 3 weeks now that I've taken the time to do yoga workouts 4 days a week and my hip pain has disappeared. I realized that at this point in my life I need to *really* embrace a different kind of workout. I've committed to a new four week program of yoga, pilates and stretching to get back in tune with that aspect of my physical fitness. I'll pick up running again in a couple of months when I'm back in balance again. Not only has this been tremendously helpful physically, but mentally I am WAY more calm and happy. It has nourished me in all aspects of my well-being.
So friends, what do you need to do to nourish yourself in the upcoming year?
This goes beyond the popular refrain of "Self Care"; it goes deeper into what we really need. Nourishment is what is NECESSARY for growth and good health. My focus as we begin a new year and new decade is on nourishing myself mentally and physically.
Mentally...
Are the things I'm choosing to do serving me well? Are the people I'm surrounding myself with supportive? Am I taking time to check in with myself? Am I setting clear boundaries? Am I communicating my feelings clearly? Have I compromised my needs?
Physically...
Have I dedicated time to physical activity that makes me feel good? Am I listening to what my body is telling me? Am I ensuring that I get adequate rest? Am I meeting my body's needs with proper nutrition? Do I enjoy the food that I'm eating and get pleasure from it? Am I taking time for being still and meditating? Am I drinking enough water? Using good products on my body, face and hair?
Basically, am I being intentional with how I treat myself?
Some days I need 45 mins of yoga, lots of water and veggie meals; other days I need to go for a good hard run, eat a big ol burger and have a beer or three.
I deserve to live my life in a way that honors my needs. This doesn't mean that I just do whatever the hell I want in the moment, that I just indulge in hedonism and do what feels good.When I am truly checking in with myself and listening, I am living in a way that nourishes my soul. Yes, that means "treat yo' self" moments, but it also means doing what is truly good for me and encourages mental and physical growth.
When I am nourishing myself as a person I am able to live a happier, more fulfilling life.
For example...
I've been a runner for about 7 years now. I truly love it and it serves me well, in a number of ways mentally and physically. But over the last 6 months I've been experiencing recurring hip pain. The only thing that helped was rest, which I didn't want to do for more than a couple of days, so the pain never fully went away. The joy I received from running was outweighing the pain for me. Until it wasn't. Out of desperation one day I practiced some old yoga moves that I hadn't done in YEARS. That night, instead of tossing and turning to find a comfortable sleeping position, I slept better than I had in ages. Huh, how about that? I had been completely ignoring that aspect of my physical fitness and totally blown off dedicated stretching and yoga, even though I knew the importance of those activities. It has been about 3 weeks now that I've taken the time to do yoga workouts 4 days a week and my hip pain has disappeared. I realized that at this point in my life I need to *really* embrace a different kind of workout. I've committed to a new four week program of yoga, pilates and stretching to get back in tune with that aspect of my physical fitness. I'll pick up running again in a couple of months when I'm back in balance again. Not only has this been tremendously helpful physically, but mentally I am WAY more calm and happy. It has nourished me in all aspects of my well-being.
So friends, what do you need to do to nourish yourself in the upcoming year?
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