I’ve been thinking about holistic health, overall wellness and self-care. Are others thinking about self-care at a time when we are also thinking about basic survival? I googled the term “self-care during the pandemic” and although I was researching the topic looking for comfort, I actually felt a bit overwhelmed by all of the resources available. Yes, others are thinking about self-care at this time. Reading all the articles (and there are many, to say the least!) felt like another to-do item. So, after skimming a few articles, I decided to explore the topic of “self-care during the pandemic” on a blank page of my own journal.
What are my self-care practices? Are my usual self-care practices still helpful at this time? Is there one self-care practice I could do in 20 minutes (or five minutes)?
I started to make a list of my own self-care practices: good quality sleep, healthy eating, time outside with Mother Nature, exercise, meditation, prayer, watching the movie Frozen II again (for the sixth time!) … and the list goes on. It felt healthy to remind myself of all the self-care practices I can do right here at home. Feeling better already, I decided to take 20 minutes and listen to one of my favorite meditation recordings, a general wellness guided imagery meditation by Belleruth Naparstek.
During the meditation she gently reminded me to:
trust in your own essential goodness
be conscious of what really matters to you
expand into the generosity of your true nature
settle into the peaceful stillness at your center
Although I’ve experienced this beautiful meditation a number of times, this time certain phrases stood out to me that I will hold like a prayer and come back to again and again:
you are the light
you are the breeze
you are the mist
you contain everything you need to be at peace
your deepest wellbeing rests in your own open heart
—Angie Pierce Jennings, Prairiewoods hosted groups and hospitality coordinator