01 May Our Favourite Self Care Practices

Looking after ourselves can be challenging. A lot of the time we put others’ needs before our own and it can take a toll on our bodies and our minds. The yogis are incredible at looking after themselves both mentally and physically. We look to them to find some incredible ways to nurture the body and the mind. And we’ve added in a few of our very own.

Dry brushing

Our skin is the largest organ in our body. And also the one that we show to the world. We are often pretty good at looking after the skin on our face but not as good at taking care of the rest. And it’s just as important. Dry brushing is when you take a dry body brush to your skin and in circular motions simply brush the entire body. It’s incredibly supportive for the skin and therefore the entire body. Dry brushing helps to shed dead skin from the body, which can help the skin to look brighter and fresher. It also supports better lymphatic drainage and blood circulation. It helps with muscle tone and stimulates nerve endings. It’s also very energising and best done first thing in the morning.

Oil pulling

Oil pulling is holding and swishing oil in the mouth for a number of minutes. Then spitting out the oil and not swallowing it. The yogis have been doing this for generations and it’s been shown to be as effective as products like mouth wash in killing bacteria in the mouth and healing oral dysfunction. The yogis also believe that toxins build up in the mouth from the body and oil pulling allows us to rid the body of these completely. Coconut oil is a great option as is sesame and sunflower oil.

Tongue scraping

Like oil pulling, tongue scraping can help oral health and the overall health of the body. Toxins build up and can land and stay on the tongue. Brushing teeth and even oil pulling can sometimes miss this build up. Scraping the tongue can remove this from the body quickly and easily.

Magnesium baths

Stress and tension is commonplace in many peoples’ lives these days. As is muscle soreness from exercise or work. Magnesium can be a great supplement to support releasing muscle soreness and general tightness. Magnesium has also been said to support digestion and reduce constipation symptoms and support sleep. This can be applied to the body in an oil form or can be taken as a supplement. But magnesium baths can combat all of these issues while also providing relaxation and time to recharge.

Muscle Release and Yoga Tune Up

There are lots of spots in the body that can’t be easily targeted by just stretching. Sometimes when we’ve built up tension in particular muscles, using yoga tune up balls and other self massage tools like rollers, can help us work into hard to target areas. You can come along to a Yoga Tune Up or Yin Yoga with Yoga Tune Up to learn more about using the yoga tune up balls for different parts of the body.

Journaling 

It’s easy for our minds to fall into habits and patterns. We look for (and find) what we’re already thinking about. When we take the time to set intentions for our days, we give ourselves the opportunity to set ourselves up to find more of what we want. It’s simple and only takes a moment. We recommend starting your day with gratitude journaling, 3 x I AM statements and write something that would make your day even more amazing. 

Airplane mode on. Tune out, plug in! x