Top 10 Self-Care Practices for Health and Well-being

A friend asked me what I thought were the “top 10″ Self-care practices. His question created valuable insights, but only after I spent some time pondering his request from within.

Self-care practices we use can change and evolve throughout the years, change of seasons, time of life, and our stage of awareness, growth, and development. I’m grateful to all the mentors, teachers, and practitioners that have guided me to the Self-care practices that served my highest good, and the highest good of others, on life’s journey. Each of them emphasized that the insights and guidance I sought would be found within, and that these could then be combined with external resources. One teacher even reminded me that the word GURU stood for: g… u… r… u… (gee, you are you)!

What still promotes awe for me is the synchronicity that occurs in connection with who and what shows up as we seek guidance, healing, and insight — when we remember to ASK and be present in each NOW moment. Unfortunately, in our fast-paced society we look for instant answers to our questions and seek them through everyday mind versus our heart and higher ways of knowing. In Chinese medicine the latter is called “HeartMind,” and is described in Roger Jahnke’s book, “The Healing Promise of Qi.”

Self-care practices will be different for each of us, and different throughout the year. Only YOU know which Self-care practice(s) will serve YOU at any point in life. Here’s what bubbled up from within as I sought answers, through my HeartMind, to “What are the top 10 Self-Care practices?”:

1. Pay Attention, Be Here Now: consider meditation and mindfulness practices and spending time in nature with your human nature.
2. Hydrate: our body and mind require water for all cellular activities and functioning; drink at least 64 ounces of water daily.
3. Practice balanced nutrition and moderation, and eat according to the seasons; if possible consume foods and honey grown locally.
4. Get sufficient sleep and rest.
5. Participate in some form of movement and/or exercise daily for flexibility, balance, strengthening, vitality and to support immune and nervous system function — and in the outdoors whenever possible.
6. Receive body-mind hands-on therapies (i.e. energy medicine, craniosacral therapy, acupressure, massage, etc.) and participate in counseling with experienced practitioners to reconnect with the guidance and wisdom within your heart and authentic Self.
7. Establish social connections, giving and receiving in ways that open, nourish, and strengthen your heart and the hearts of others.
8. Give and receive love, laughter, and joy daily, over and over again.
9. Practice gratitude and observe what is good, true, and beautiful in life every day.
10. Creative Self-expression: bring your unique gifts and talents into the world — no act is too small. The world needs your “original medicine.”

And by the way…..I am still learning and practicing as I don’t have this “down pat” yet on my human journey.

What are your top 10 Self-care practices? Please share them so we can all benefit from your insights.

Namaste,

Gina