Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.-Rumi
When you end a conversation with Take care, what do you actually mean? Do you say it because it’s one of your autopilot closing statements, or does it come from a place of truly hoping that the person you’re saying it to takes care of [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][insert noun]?
I am not typically one to sign off, whether written or verbal, with anything other than a hug and an enthusiastic goodbye, but lately I’ve spoken/emailed/texted with a few people who I genuinely felt could use the encouragement to take care of themselves.
It feels much more authentic to say things and mean it as opposed to using a phrase void of meaning, which all ensues by acting from a mindful place. Easy enough, right [kind of]?
So what needs taking care of? To me it’s my Self [body/mind], my loved ones, and the planet. When these things are cared for, life feels more, if not just a little, balanced.
Next question – how do we care for these things? We have enough to worry about from finance to deadlines to feeding ourselves and possibly others. When we care for anything wholeheartedly though, even when time/life is testing us, doesn’t it just feel good to practice the act of caring for something?
When I was “finding my way” in New York in 2010, I was going out at least twice a week until the wee hours of the night [which is a lot for someone with low tolerance for most things], shamelessly slamming incoherent 3 a.m. slices on weekends, and wallowing in my literal and figurative dark cave [my room fit my bed and one tiny window].
The moment I made a list of things to do to feel better, I realized that taking care of myself was, if anything, the first step toward more balance. Things on that list began falling into place from a new job to a more suitable living situation; from there I jumped into yoga teacher training, and here I am. We are all always on a path, but it feels 100x better when we pave a sturdier, more sustainable road.
The key to this caring door, and everything really, is mindfulness. Even though I wasn’t feeling awesome during the time I made my list of life improvements, it served as a series of enlightening lessons and reminders that the only way to take care of the things I wanted to take care of was to take care of myself first. And the only way to notice that we ourselves need caring for is to be mindful.
My interest in self-care actually stemmed from caring for the planet, which seems a bit backwards, but my connection with plants and animals remains strong. Learning about sustainable fashion in graduate school sparked my interest for how it affected agriculture and the food industry and humanity in general, at which time I was falling in love with yoga, and eventually my heart cracked open into the ways in which I needed to start caring for myself to bring this all into a happy medium, or Rumi’s field “between wrongdoing and rightdoing.”
All of this work goes hand in hand – taking care of ourselves means feeding ourselves well, which translates to purchasing ethical and organic food, which has the ability to clear the way for love and mindfulness in our conscience and in everything we do. Even though sometimes the road gets bumpy and the field gets muddy, I have personally found that this is a fulfilling way to live and offers the most effective tools to care for others.
Here are a few ways I care for these things, especially in my New Year’s intention to play out the year in a clear, peaceful and healthy way:
Take care of the Self
- eat clean, nourishing food, mostly plants, prepared at home whenever possible
- make space to do absolutely nothing and/or creative time
- meditate or practice breath awareness – whatever connects you to something other than the external world in front of your eyeballs
Take care of the body
- get good rest – embrace nap time if and when possible/necessary
- make time to enjoy self-care rituals like massages, baths or rolling around on a foam cylinder
- move your limbs whether it’s yoga, sports, walks, or dance parties in the kitchen
Take care of the planet
- bring reusable bags to grocery stores – make use of those gazillion tote bags you have shoved in your closet, kitchen or car – and bring your own bottle/mug whenever possible [a S’well bottle comes everywhere with me]
- compost – reduce the madness in the landfills by getting a little bin for your kitchen, bringing scraps to the farmer’s market like I do, or learning how to do it in your planters/yard
- buy organic if and when feasible – farmer’s market vegetables are the best I’ve ever tasted, and I am so in love with the meals I make from the produce I score there
There are an incalculable amount of ways to care for ourselves and others – I encourage all of us to continue experimenting and find what suits us best so they become simple, non-negotiable routines.
I am creating something special and would love insights from this stellar community. What does taking care of your mind, body and planet mean to you, and how do you do it? What do you love about it and what totally confuses you?
Please share by emailing me or leaving a comment, and read the full newsletter for a clean delicious breakfast, good music and more.
*Photo by Renee Choi, wearing Hyde at Lucent Yoga in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
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