Self care is important even if you are a healer
You can’t expect to help and heal others if you don’t look after yourself. This is a fact. However, we are all human and sometimes life can take over a little, and we forget. The ten minutes of morning yoga can easily disappear. The five minutes of mindfulness while doing the washing up just gets forgotten and the appointments you have for hair, massage and osteopath can easily get moved and delayed as you have more important things to do. Or so it seems.
During the past few months I have been working with clients as usual, while also having to liaise between the NHS and Adult Social Care in order to obtain funding to allow my autistic brother the care he deserves after years of falling through the net. (See older post.) The relief and joy when we moved him into his new flat last Sunday made all the hard work worth while. He will have care provided by Mencap, and although it will take a few weeks for them to learn all his little idiosyncrasies, he is already settling in really well.
It’s been a long haul
Sometimes I have to stop myself and remember that he has been in a hospital for five months, and it will take some time for him to adjust. I can let then do their job and step back to take some time for myself. I haven’t exactly let myself go during this whole process. That would be completely irresponsible, but some things have taken a back seat like the yoga and meditations. The things I really should have done more of to help me through. It’s time to reboot!
lemon ginger and hot water is a powerful digestive stimulant and great for the immune system.
So this week I have started from the inside out. I always eat clean as much as I can, but when life takes over, I sometimes skip lunch. Not good at all. Blood sugar all over the place, and although I know what I should do, I am only human like the rest of you.
A time to change my juice.
However, no matter how sporadic my eating habits can be during a working day, I always start with a fresh green juice to alkalise and detox. As the cooler days have set in, I change the first thing to hit my stomach in the mornings to hot water with ginger and lemon. Ginger is widely known to aid digestion and warm the body as well as reducing inflammation. A great addition to all juices too. Keeping hydrated is the key to not feeling ‘peckish’. The more hydrated I am, the less I crave the pointless empty carbohydrates.
A little pampering is also in order.
I have rebooked my postponed hair appointment and am looking forward to a facial at the end of the week. Real ‘me time’. I’ve re-started my morning body brushing routine which is the easiest and most effective way to get your circulation and lymphatic system started after a night lying down sleeping! Heaven knows why I stopped, as it only takes a minute or two – as long as it takes the shower to warm up, so really there is no excuse! Body brushing is not new, it’s been around for years, but seems to come round in trendy waves. A client told me about it back in the 80s. She also used to use urine body washes which seemed a bit strange at the time, but now you will see urea in many skin care products. Somehow I think she was ahead of her time!
The yoga also got forgotten.
I am making a conscious effort to take ten minutes each morning to do some yoga, and get back into some mindfulness on my mat. The best way to start the day, but so easy to get out of the habit. Ten minutes on the mat before I answer emails or look at Facebook! Not easy, but I will do it. I will.
My new focus is looking ahead at writing more blogs, especially ones related to how the moon phases have played an important part in the manifesting and intentions set for my brothers new life. Very interesting indeed, but I’ll leave that for another post. Much more to come. I now have more time, so lets start planning!
