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Writer's pictureLeaping Lotus Wellness Blog

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT SELF-CARE?

Self-Care has become a popular buzzword these days. When you think of self-care, what comes to mind? Give this some serious thought. I have asked hundreds of people this specific question.

The most common answer is associated with taking care of our external appearance. The beauty industry is thriving, under the premise that self-care is all about looking good, because when we look good, we feel good. This is not entirely false. There is definitely some truth to this concept. Let's dive into a deeper perspective on self-care because there's lots of layers to this topic.


First, I just want to remind everyone that what I'm sharing is an invitation to help shift perspective. It's an opportunity to assess where things may be out of balance. Nothing here is meant to suggest certain practices are unacceptable.


So ask yourself these questions....What does self-care mean to you? Does your selfcare start from the outside in, or the inside out? How do we value self care? How much work are we willing to put into our self care? What type of results are we looking for when it comes to self-care?


With our busy schedules, sometimes limited funds, and constant need to decompress, our self care seems to fall to the wasteside. We tend to gravitate to choices that give us more of an instant gratificatification, like a cocktail to relax, a shopping trip, a delicious dinner, or a spa treatment. These are all enjoyable things. In fact, we do need to have a healthy relationship with these pleasures of life.

But...what else is self-care? Maybe a walk in nature... a hobby... cooking a healthy meal...quiet time.


At a quick glance and generally speaking, self-care from the western perspective tends to focus on the beauty aspect first. Then, whatever funds are leftover get rolled into something like lifestyle change. Generally, that is the first thing to go when adjustments need to be made. "I'll eat cereal for dinner but I'm not giving up my weekly nail appointment." Again, keep in mind these are just general statements.

From the eastern perspective, self-care is something that needs attention on all levels, from the gross body to the subtle body.


The gross body refers to our physical body. Our physical body needs to be clean, groomed, and well cared for. It is the container for our subtle body. Yoga and Ayurveda support this by doing things like a daily asana practice, daily self oil massage, hair oil, face washing, and teeth brushing, proper food intake, proper digestion, proper sleep, proper breathing, proper stress-reduction, a nourishing environment, healthy relationships and so on. All of these things get factored into self-care for the gross body. In fact, a large part of Ayurvedic care is focused on self-care and disease prevention. Ayurveda uses yoga as a practice to support the flow between the gross and subtle body. From the ayurvedic perspective, anything that causes harm to the body is not self-care. For example, toxic chemicals used in certain beauty treatments are extremely dangerous, but we continue to use them, in the name of self-care. The thing to remember is that the gross body and the subtle body work together, so what you do on the outside effects the inside and vice versa.


The subtle body refers to things like our energy level, our zest for life, our mental state, emotional state, trauma reactions, energetic blocks, and things that we can't see but we can feel inside of us. This is a vital part of self-care. One that often doesn't get enough attention. Just like we tidy up our outsides, we need to tidy up our insides. When we focus on one or the other, we are only doing half of the care.

Ayurveda and Yoga is the merging between the gross and subtle body because we are one continuous flow. We cannot separate the two. From this perspective, self-care is absolutely everything!

It is directly related to the 5 senses. We have to be aware of what we take in and what we put out, in all ways. My famous saying is, "Everything is good, until it's not." It's all about understanding the conversations between the gross and subtle body in each of us. They are constantly communicating, giving us signals, and telling us what is needed. Both gross and subtle bodies know what they need, we often ignore the subtle signs because we think it's nothing. Subtle signs evolve into bigger signs over time. Sometimes, by the time we catch on that something needs care, it's challenging to reverse.


Here's a quick story....I have been working with this particular client for about 3 years now. A female, in her 40's, smoker, excessive coffee drinker, overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure. Her job is very demanding. She's the breadwinner in the family and has 2 teenage children to care for. Her doctor read her the riot act. Sound familiar? We have been working on reducing stress, calming her nervous system, and organizing her time so she can incorporate more self-care into her daily schedule. The biggest challenge has been time. By the time she gets her hair done, nails done, and facial treatments, there's no time left for the deeper layers of self-care. Meanwhile, her numbers aren't going down. She continues to feel sluggish all the time and her mood isn't always the best. When we meet, she always talks about how frustrated she is with herself. Often times, this sends her into a deeper place of feeling bad about herself. It took a bunch of tough conversations between us to come to a realization that her current self-care plan wasn't working for her.


Here's where we have to dive into the deeper layers, especially in a case as I mentioned with my client. We have to look at the bigger picture to see where we are getting stuck. One of the common things that happens when we talk about self-care is, "How much is this gonna cost me?" This is often an automatic response to anything, particularly in the West, where we tend to put a price tag on everything. We make decisions based on cost, and the return on our investment. It's just our western wiring. We all do this. Many times, we expect visible results for the money we invest. For example, we can see a new outfit, or haircut. A revised sleep routine doesn't sound so exciting. Neither does drinking hot water in the morning. We also make decisions based on what will give us a quick pick-me-up. Our schedules are jam packed, right down to the minute. Taking on another commitment seems daunting. It's easy to get your nails done. It doesn't require much. For some, it's the only free time in their schedule. Guess what happens, the deeper layers of self-care never get addressed. We convince ourselves that it's ok, until one day, it's not. Then we scramble for a solution. Even then, we often want a quick answer and a quick solution, and search and search for something easy. I wish I had the magic potion to a quick solution, but self-care takes commitment and consistency. It is a deep Yoga practice, but one that can be incredibly rewarding! That's a promise!


So, there's another piece to this self-care conundrum. The Over the course of my work and studies, I have realized how much health, beauty, and self-care information is out there. I think, how confusing all of this information must be to anyone trying to adapt a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Everytime we turn around, someone is trying to sell us the latest thing to solve all our problems. There’s so much conflicting information which can be overwhelming and even discouraging. This is partly why it's easier to just get a mani-pedi and call it a day! It all becomes too much to make sense of. I believe that we all have good intentions of taking care of ourselves, but it’s easy to give up because we don't always know what we need, or where to find it. It's also common to feel like we have no choice but to accept our current health situation.


My personal life experiences on both gross and subtle levels have lead me to create a blend of eastern and western approaches to our modern health concerns. Stress seems to be the most significant issue. When it comes to self-care, the approach has to be practical, or it just won't stick. This has been my experience. It has to be a sensible plan that fits your specific body, mind and spirit. The principles of yoga make so much sense when taking care of yourself. Ayurveda is a vast medical system that takes everything into consideration. It has become the core of my existence and the forefront of my practice. I believe there is something for everyone out there. The question is, "Are you willing to make the commitment to yourself?" It doesn't have to be big. One small change can have a huge impact! It won't happen overnight, but with consistent effort you can change your life!


Remember, when given half a chance, your body will heal itself, and when you surrender, your mind will follow. It's vital to practice self-care on all levels, not just the outside. Our gross body and subtle body need continuous TLC. This is what will sustain our physical and mental vitality and longevity!


There’s never been a more important time to pay attention to your personal health and self-care.

Give it some thought.


May we all be well ~ May we all be fit in our minds, bodies and spirits ~ May we all be free! #BewellBefitBefree


~ Leelah Lakshmi


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