How much do you hear the word, ‘self-care‘ these days? We hear it spoken all around us, yet we need to take a moment to consider this trendy word or it might feel like another thing we gotta do. In California, self-care is a religion, focusing inward is preached as an obligatory daily occurrence…..along with regular pedicures and massage, of course😁.

As a mom and business owner, my time is limited. I’m shuffling my daughter to school or camp, then I’m back at home writing posts, filming for the website, answering M&M members and checking in with my teachers at the Mind & Motion brick-and-mortar studio. Then there are all of the household duties! This leaves little time for my own self-care.

Active vs Passive Self-Care

Self-care is subjective. What feels supportive to one person, may feel insignificant to another. Thus, I find it helpful to split self-care into 2 categories: passive and active. Passive self-care is when you are focussing on pampering yourself – a pedicure, or a netflix binge – to make you feel good. You are essentially checking out. Doing so can be really helpful to settle your nervous system and clear your mind.

While I am a huge advocate of passive self-care, I want to share my thoughts and talents in talking about active self care. Its a huge facet of my teaching. Active self-care is where you are actively seeking clarity and/or change.

A Movement Practice is Efficient

Are you actively spending time nurturing yourself through inward reflection, meditation and movement? I like to imagine and then create a Movement Practice that encompasses all three of these elements: you get to move your body, but you also check in with feelings and the feedback you receive from your body. How are you emotionally? How do these emotions affect your body? You are connecting with your mind as you listen and think about how to move. As you allow awareness to travel through your body, you connect to the rhythm of the movement and the feeling of your muscles responding. This should deliver you to the significant present, just like in meditation.

In a guided Movement Practice your body will be served and your mind will be challenged as you connect to your body moving in space. Honoring the emotions that arise will allow yourself to feel. For everyone, especially those of you with busy schedules, this type of practice alleviates stress and provides stability. You’re serving your whole self in an hour (or 15 minutes, depending).

Please join us this week as we practice the Morning Movement Ritual daily. We have 2 two versions of this sequence: a longer practice and a shorter practice. Both versions are simple and will give your body the bit of movement and stretch it needs daily. If you’re not yet ready to commit you can find the shorter morning movement ritual here on Instagram for FREE. Have a great week!

In health,

Meghan