reclaim life balance, reclaim peace

I think that it's possible to cultivate a life of balance and peace? Do you? Seriously, do you?

As a young mother, I knew that to be the kind of mom I wanted to be, I needed to take time for myself --- to meditate, to take care of my body, and reflect on my life. As an older mother, and so much more, the same is still true. I still need to take care of me. No one else is going to do that, it's entirely up to me. Having learned this early on, I bravely took up the mantle and make time for self care.

One quality people use to describe me is 'calm.' I think that the secret to this calmness, this steady state is found in my commitment to these three skills - centering practice, self reflection and taking care of my body.
Everyday, I see wonderful, golden-hearted people who value personal peace and harmonious relationships, yet don't take the time to take care of themselves and cultivate a better relationship with themselves. It does take time, but not as much as you'd think. I think that one of the biggest challenges many people face is finding where this kind of self care lives in in a daily schedule.

When you find a place for self care to live, it becomes part of your routine, no different than brushing your teeth and bathing. In fact, I consider these practices (centering practice, self reflection & body care) to be a kind of hygiene for the heart. Just as I would not go a day without brushing my teeth, I aim not to go a day without some kind of centering practice, some kind of self reflection and some kind of body care.

Where would or does centering practice live in your day? Where would or does self-reflection live in your life? Where would or does body care live in your life? If your answer is 'nowhere' on any one of these, you might want to think about making space for it. For those of you who want to integrate these practices into your daily life without overwhelming yourself, check out my 21 day audio program, Reclaim Your Life & Learn to Live in Balance.

Where does self care live in your life?