In the years since becoming a yoga instructor I have become more aware of the flow of conversations about wellness, self-care, and (of course) yoga. These three topics are all inter-related and it has been amazing to see how the conversations evolve, how fads have come and gone, and how marketing and consumerism play a part in our perception.

Wellness has become an industry, there is now a wellness economy… I find it to be interesting and exciting because it is amazing to see how we grow and what we can develop. I find it to be a bit of a scam in some cases, a bit undermining in others because of sacred practices and knowledge being appropriated.

Recently I have seen so many posts and shares about “what self-care is not” - not just pampering self, not just a luxury. I have wondered why people may think that that is what self-care is about and why the whole self is not considered. Then I think of all of the marketing that happens. I have wondered about our understanding and about our levels of discernment. For me, self-care has always been about taking care of our whole self, of the different levels of our being. Each individual’s self-care routine will look different but each will be similar to the other in terms of the essence.

The World Health Organization defines self-care as, “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker”.

Yoga and self-care go hand-in-hand in my mind. This is because I think of, and was taught about, yoga as a lifestyle. Yoga, as practices to help us manage our lives, to help us care for ourselves and to guide us to achieve enlightenment/liberation/freedom. We are taught:

• to manage our breath, to become aware of more than the breath - the prana, the subtle energy of life, to strengthen our bodies through postures and practice, to manage our emotional and mental space through meditation, contemplation of philosophy, self-study.
• to observe and become aware of how we are feeling - physically, emotionally, mentally.
• to observe how we treat ourselves and others.
• to value our connection to the Divine.

Self-care is as much of a discipline as our yoga practice. It requires attention and focus. It invites us to reflect on how we move through the world, how we treat ourselves and how we allow others to treat us. I think perhaps when we think of self-care as making time for a massage, we can also make time to reflect on how that massage serves us. How it is a way for us to show our bodies care, how we make the time to nurture ourselves and how just making time impacts on our mental and emotional space. I think any activity that we consider to be a ‘self-care activity’ could be looked at in this way.

What do you consider self-care to be? What are your thoughts on wellness, self-care or yoga? Share with me through the contact form!

peace,

Renee Arundhati