Self care can be a bit of a buzzword. But a lot of the time it remains a fuzzy concept. For the Yogis, along with other Eastern cultures, self care is a tradition that reaches back to antiquity. We look to them for some tried and tested ways to nurture body and mind. And we’ve added a few of our own.
Tongue scraping
Ama is a toxic residue that accumulates in the physical body. It comes from improperly digested food. Ama is the antithesis to agni, which is healthy digestive fire. Daily tongue scraping can remove the build-up of ama from your tongue. First you need to invest in a stainless steel or copper tongue scraper. Hold the scraper with both hands and place it as far back on your tongue as you can without gagging. With a gentle pressure, pull the scraper forward from the back of the tongue to the tip. Give the scraper a rinse. Repeat 5 times.
Self massage
Ayurveda sees the condition of your skin very much linked to the quality of your digestion and elimination. When these processes are functioning smoothly, your skin has a healthy glow. The traditional skin practices offer both cleansing and nourishment to the skin. Dry-brushing is stimulating and lightning, helping to move stagnation and dullness out of the skin. Warm oil massage is about soothing the nervous system to improve digestion for those who are overwhelmed or depleted.
Hot water
Like self massage, drinking hot water can help with digestion and the overall health of your body. Hot water with fresh ginger is also recommended to have at least once throughout the day. The best time to have it is in the morning when you first wake up. You’ve just slept for 6-8 hours so if you haven’t eaten in that time, you need to flush out your system with some nice hot water and then some ginger tea will help to create some circulation within your body and help to signal to your digestive system to wake up.
Meditation
Stress and tension is commonplace in many people’s lives these days. As is physical and mental fatigue from exercise or work. Meditation can be a great panacea to support physical stress and general fatigue. You could find a short guided meditation and listen to it before bed each evening. Or you could get up 10 minutes earlier and practise when your mind and body are a little more fresh. If meditation isn’t for you, you can carve 10 minutes out of your day to relax and listen to some calm and soothing music.
Yin and Restorative Yoga
Both Yin and Restorative Yoga are designed to bring you into a quieter state of body and mind. Sometimes when you’ve built up a lot of tension either physically or mentally, your body asks for more softness, more stillness and more peace. So come along to Restorative or Yin Yoga and watch how your nervous system appreciates it.
Reading
It’s easy to disregard reading as an act of self care. But it’s a form of escapism and can help you to get away from the thoughts in your head. It’s a way to unwind and relax as well as giving the opportunity to learn something new and explore. If you don’t have time to read everyday you can just aim to read one chapter a week. I often read even less frequently than that, but when I do it’s a real treat to relax and indulge in.
What are your favourite self care practices? A long walk, a hot bath, or a movie night on the couch? Create your own self care rituals! x