Too busy for self-care?
Self-care is essential to our wellness, and yet I have neglected to carve out time for my Yoga, Yin, Barre and Pilates practice. As a wellbeing studio owner, I thought I would share my struggle to create time for me and how 6 simple steps make self-care possible in my busy world.
I sometimes feel guilty taking time for myself – and I know I am not alone. I think, wouldn’t it be nice to while away the hours, but I have x, y, z, a, b and all the rest to do!
There are so many things that I could be doing (note I am trying not to ‘should myself’), people I could be helping, classes I could be teaching, tasks I could tick off.
I was so good at this ‘after I do’ mentality, that my to do list just kept growing and I would hardly ever find a moment for myself. I had to stop waiting for the moment to show up, I had to start to take control and carve out for self-care and get back to Yoga for my wellness.
There is a weight to all of the jobs, items, people, caring, loving and sharing that we do. And so sometimes, in order to take care of everyone else, we must press pause and do nothing for a moment.
Self-care is not selfish. It is essential. It is essential for us to connect with others, from a place of loving kindness. It is essential for our community and our world, so that we may find our way through with joy, love and hope.
Why I struggle to carve out time for self-care?
As a Yoga and Barre teacher…and dare I say as a studio owner, my personal Yoga and Barre practice has begun to slip away. I absolutely love guiding your practice, covering classes if our teachers are away, and being in the studio with you….it fills me up and truly brings me joy.
Yet, sometimes – if I am being really honest – I miss the opportunity to get out of my head, have someone lead me and guide me to new possibilities. To take me on a journey of breath and mindfulness.
As you know, not just anyone gets to teach in our studio – I am very selective about who will lead our classes….so why am I not taking more advantage of surrendering to their deep knowledge and passion? A great question indeed.
Finally, I have all of the stars in alignment – I own my own studio, with phenomenal teachers, a timetable that is diverse and interesting, and the big one – no 9-5 job in the way of my practice! No more excuses.
It is time for me to find my way back to my mat. I have to dedicate myself to self-care, for my wellbeing and carve out time for Yoga, Yin, Barre and Pilates.