Self-Care is
by Emily Taylor
Self-
I
often end my yoga classes with the notion that our practice isn’t really an exercise of physical ability. The goal is not to make perfect shapes with our bodies; rather, it is a practice of self- study. Each pose informs us about the way we hold on and let go, the quality of our breath, the quality of our inner dialogue. In their truest form, our mindfulness practices are innately nourishing, the very essence of self-care. But self-care comes with an unfounded correlation to selfishness, especially for parents. So, let’s take some time to de-stigmatize the idea that self-care is synonymous with self-serving and remember that the more self-love we practice, the more love we have to give.
The World Health Organization defines self-care as “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.”
The key word in that definition is, “prevent,” and I would even peel it back another layer by saying that self-care is prevention from the small, sometimes undetectable internal
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meltdowns we each experience as a result of the busy world we live in. Self-care allows us to manage stress and that reduction of stress is what allows us to maintain our health.
