My Five Favorite Ways to Love Up on Yourself

Self Care. It's at phrase that gets thrown out daily.  There are 12.8 million posts tagged self care on Instagram and another 25 million tagged self love. What?! That's crazy!
And there are thousands of books addressing the topic and more podcasts than I can count.  BUT.... what is it really?
If you google the phrase, this is what you get; "the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well being and happiness, particularly in times of stress." Ummm. ok?
However, I have to take issue with this definition a little.  Self care is something that you should do on a daily basis, to fill up your cup, not just during times of stress.  For me, it's about daily rituals that nurture your mind, body and spirit.   Some people say, I don't have time or I feel guilty when I take time for myself.... Ladies, I'm telling you, invest in yourself! Love up on yourself! Be your own best friend! 
 Here are my top five easy to implement daily self care rituals (or maybe habits is a better word).
1.  Move your body every day.
Now, seriously folks this has only come into my daily routine in the last year.  You might be thinking, but your a yoga teacher, you understand the importance of moving your body! That would be correct. But here I'm talking about embodiment, engaging curiously with movement.  I told my yoga class the other night, to be an explorer and imagine that your body is an undiscovered place.  Wow! I just love that idea.  So I'm talking about 10-15 minutes a day for exploration.  I do mine in the morning or it doesn't get done.  Right now my favorite is yoga infused with some pilates, adding resistance bands and other props to my practice. I've also started a belly dancing class!!! I know with warmer weather I will add swimming and paddle board yoga.  What about you? How can you add movement to your daily routine?

2.  Get Outside
Research shows that being in nature reduces stress, improves cognitive performance and improves your mood.  Being outside reduces blood pressure and heart rate, muscle tension and the amount of stress hormones being produced by your body.  So, sounds like a no brainer to me.  Take a short walk, sit out on your porch and sip your tea, lay on a blanket under your favorite shade tree.  I have made it part of my morning ritual to open the door, step outside and breathe in three deep breaths.  I love taking off my shoes and walking around my yard.  On sunny days, a spin on my bike through the neighborhood takes me right back to my childhood! Goodbye stress!!

3.  Sit and Sip
Make your favorite hot drink.  Take it to your favorite chair.  Wrap your hands around the mug. Feel the warmth.  Smell the smells.  Enjoy the way it swirls around in your cup.  Then sip slowly, being present as each delicious drop fills your mouth.  Savor and repeat and repeat and repeat.

4.  Read Something Inspirational (or listen to a podcast)
Grab that book, follow that inspirational person on Instagram or Facebook or listen to a podcast.  This is for pure enjoyment, pure inspiration.  My favorite authors for inspiration are Jen Hatmaker (she is so real and funny!), Brene Brown (such good stuff in all her books) and Gretchen Rubin's podcast (mentioned in my last post).  I'd love to hear what your are reading. Connect with me on Facebook or Instagram and share.

5.  Breathe
Now this one seems like an obvious one, right? but how many times do you reach the end of your day and you haven't even noticed that your are breathing?  Here is a simple way to integrate mindful breathing into your day.  When you are stopped at a stop light, release your grip on the wheel and simply take three deep breaths.  Inhale for a count of three and exhale for a count of three.  You will feel better immediately and honestly it does a lot to help me with my road rage! LOL!

So there you have it, my five favorite ways to practice self care on a daily basis; to keep my cup full and even running over so when my life gets stressful, I am more ready to handle it.  And quite frankly, it also just feels good to treat myself with such love.  How will you love up on yourself today?