What do you need?

Beginner’s Steps for Self-Care

When we stop moving and start breathing

Into the present moment

We begin to realize how much we don’t know

About what we really need and

Who we really are

That’s when our journey can begin.

Activities for relaxing the nervous system

Rhythmic Breathing

Stop.  Breathe in as you count to three, hold your breath for a count of two and breathe out slowly through your nose.  Repeat 2-3 more times. 

Make sure you are sitting upright, but comfortably supported.  Place your hands facing down to ground yourself (facing up to open).  Focus on your breath-in & out, in & out - for however long feels comfortable and/or until you reach as rhythmic cadence. 

Yawn/Stretch

Take 2-5 minutes each hour to yawn, stretch, close your eyes, and rhythmically breathe.  If your body has trouble yawning on its own, it’s okay to mime it. This can stimulate your system to begin the unwinding process on its own. This positively affects your nervous system by activating the relaxation mode of rest and digest.  This is especially helpful if you are prone to anxiety or are in fight/flight mode. 

Light/Shadow Play

Find a location where there is streaming light coming in, such as through window blinds or under tree branches.  Sit or stand in a comfortable position and let your eyes slightly close as you focus on the play of light and shadow.  If this feels comfortable for you, feel free to sink deeper into the moment by relaxing your eyes, which can help relax your nervous system through the light play.   

Answering the question

Once you have practiced one of the above nervous system relaxation steps, an answer for self-care is more able to come through. 

Let the question drift through your mind- what do I need right now?

An intuitive answer is likely to play somewhere in your mind, sometimes just floating in and out like a cloud, or an afterthought.  Or sometimes it comes like a lightning bolt in the form of I need to change jobs, or I need to break up with my boyfriend.  More likely, it’ll be something subtle, something like, I need to spend more time in nature, I need to slow down when I eat, or I’m thirsty.  All those are starting points. 

For the most benefit and for the most clarity, you can do your choice of activity several times a day. 

With a calm nervous system and unconditional presence, the space is created for answers from within to come to the surface.