My 5 Summer Self-care Essentials
I absolutely love summer ~ the longer days, the bbqs, the weddings, the sun, the good food with good company ~ all of it. It’s probably my favourite season.
But it can also get overwhelming. I have a habit of overbooking myself (I am getting better at this!) and then feel like I have no time for myself. Thanks to my menstrual cycle awareness and yoga practices, there are a few simple things I always come back to that ground me and give me space. These practices bring me back into balance, back into my body, back into connection with myself.
Photo taken by Nadia Meli
JOURNALING ~ when my mind is feeling overstimulated and won’t quieten I know I need to journal. It helps me to get all the noise out of my mind and onto the page. Then I can process it and let it go.
I use free writing to journal which simply means writing without thinking or editing. I just let the words flow onto the page and trust that what needs to come out will. More recently, I’ve been doing ‘Morning Pages’ which was coined by Julia Cameron in her book ‘The Artist’s Way’.
This involves writing 3 pages soon after waking up without editing or filtering. It’s essentially a brain dump. Even though sometimes I find myself writing ‘I don’t know what to write now’ this method has been a game-changer for me. It helps me to clear my head, to dig deeper and stimulates my creativity. On the days I don’t journal I can feel the difference.
ASANA ~ moving with my breath and flowing through asanas always brings me back into my body and into the present moment. It helps me feel spacious and grounds me.
Practicing asana also gets my creative juices flowing and I often find myself stopping part with through my practice to write down an idea.
A quick reminder that you don’t need to be flexible or bendy to practice asana. It truly is for everyone and we can all benefit. You can practice authentic yoga with me here.
CYCLE CHECK-INS ~ knowing where I am in my cycle so I can adjust my plans and my to-do list. This ensures I work with my energy rather than against it.
This is the crux of everything for me. Since I’ve started checking in with where I am in my cycle, I function better as a human! It could be as simple as avoiding fried foods the week before my period is due or not doing cardio a couple of days before my period is due. Sometimes I postpone plans if my period arrives earlier than expected or I make plans when I am feeling especially sociable. Having this awareness and flexibility means I live in sync with my menstrual cycle.
You can learn more about checking in with your cycle with my free menstrual cycle meditations.
FRESH AIR ~ I always feel better after getting some fresh air. This usually means going for a walk or a run. And more recently, gardening!
Being in nature shifts my perspective. It takes me out of my ‘Jyoti Land’ bubble and into a state of gratitude. It takes me out of my head and into the present moment. I spend most of my time in awe of Mother Nature. I marvel at the clouds. I am fascinated by the ever-changing plants and trees around me. I admire the different hues. I get childlike excited when I catch a glimpse of the moon.
It’s the best medicine.
MEDITATION ~ When I am feeling out of alignment or questioning things, I turn to guided visualisations. They reconnect me to my vision, my values, my dreams and myself.
So many people tell me that they’re bad at meditating but you truly can’t be bad at meditating. Sometimes when I do guided visualisations I fall asleep (and that’s ok!), sometimes I feel nothing and other times I receive the clarity or wisdom I was hoping for. As I always tell my clients, you will receive what you need and if that’s a power nap, that’s ok!
You can meditate with me on Insight Time (a free meditation app) or practice menstrual cycle meditations here.
With love & gratitude,
Jyoti x