Self-care is more than getting pedicures, facials, eyebrow waxes or shiatsu massages Girl Warrior. That’s only part of the picture. Treating yourself to a “me day” can include all the nurturing things that we do for our external selves, the outside part that we present to the world every day. There’s nothing wrong with showing off our pretty.
Wanting our Earth Suit to look and feel its best isn’t about vanity. It’s about confidence and self-assurance. Feeling good in our own skin. And expressing it outwardly.
Gifting yourself the spa treatment is an act of loving kindness towards your body. If a spa isn’t available to you then turn your home into one for a day. Either way, go ahead pamper yourself. Take a break from all the noise and distraction of the outside world. Indulge in all the activities that make your body feel honored and cared for. Send it the message that it is important, a priority. This is your day. Take it.
Light aromatherapy candles. Unwind in a skin-nourishing bubble bath. Relax with a good book or your favorite magazine. Listen to soothing music or rock ‘n roll if that’s what soothes you. Do some gentle yoga stretches. Prepare a simple, healthy meal. Eat chocolate. Drink your favorite herbal tea from the finest cup you own, the one reserved for special times. Like this. Watch a funny movie and laugh your guts out. Or a sad one and cry like a baby. Cuddle up with a furry friend. Do all these beautiful loving things Girl Warrior.
But don’t stop there. For your body is only part of the picture.
Treating yourself to all these physical pleasures is the perfect way to set the stage for the really important stuff, the interior things that the world doesn’t see. The metaphysical. The spiritual. Affairs of the heart. Mysteries of the mind. All the secret stuff locked or trapped inside you. Waiting.
Waiting on you Girl Warrior, to acknowledge, understand, appreciate and unleash the magnificence of the real you. The true blue you. But to do so, you must go deep. Deeper than skin, deeper then flesh and bones, deeper than blood, sweat and tears.
Just like there are many ways to care for your physical being, there are tools and things you can do to help unearth your true essence, the ‘for real’ one, the centered self, the everlasting being, the soul survivor.
Start with your breath. This is your connection to The Eternal and to every human walking the path of life, past and present. Breathe deep. Breathe slowly. Breathe intentionally. Then sit quietly. And turn your attention inwards. Focus on your breath, your life force. Be still. This is you meditating. Fear not. Let whatever comes to you – come. Observe. Learn. Let it go. Repeat.
When you emerge from this mystical practice of getting to know your true self, you’ll probably feel more relaxed and closer to a state of peace and acceptance. But you may also feel a bit unsettled. This is your humanity talking. Respectfully honor it. Listen and record these thoughts and feelings in a journal. This is your book of revelations. It is here that you will learn the most about yourself – the things you desire, the things you fear, the things you hope for, the things you dream about and, most importantly, the things you love. For it is the things you love that make you real.
Then Girl Warrior say, “I love you” to the most influential person in your life. You.
