How healthy is your mind?

I've recently committed to a few "online retreats" and didn't anticipate the time commitment and re-evaluation in priorities that were needed. 

Always at the top of my list is "Self-care". You can't give from an empty well. You can't give from a space of being spent. 

Your level of mind; the health of your mind, body and spirit determines how you perceive challenges - and how you meet them. 

In Asian cultures, there is a post-partum tradition called "Confinement". For the first month - 40 days of your child's birth, the mother and child are to be nourished with certain meals, and more importantly, requested to slow down, preferably to stay-home and do what it takes to rejuvenate. 

Going through confinement in it's purest form will allow the mother to honour her mind, body, and spirit. She isn't to do any housework or place demands on herself.

This period is for bonding, is for "going inwards" and for stillness. 

The intention - to create a formidable foundation in which she will thrive and express herself as a mother. 

She has gone through significant changes with her body. Her mind and spirit are also going through a monumental shift and transformation. 

These changes are significant - and these changes are asking the mother to be kind to herself, to be compassionate, and to surrender. 

If she continues to push through and resist the change, she will experience an inner conflict. She will experience "separation" - and she may even believe that her limitations are "real". 

Challenges are constant. It's the level of mind in which we meet the challenges that can either empower us to rise and liberate - or disempower us and create a self-fulfilling prophecy of not being enough and unworthy. 

Self-care; an active, conscious effort into nurturing our mind, body, and spirit contributes to our overall "level of mind".

The world is going through a collective challenge. The challenge is inviting us to go "inwards". What we resist persist. What needs healing within individuals, within the relationship, within families is coming to the surface. 

Making self-care a priority during this time will determine who we become and how we can use this global circumstance to grow wiser, stronger, and aligned with our spirit. 

Circumstances and challenges are opportunities that are inviting us to expand. Always. The choice is ours.

We either fall victim to it - or we accept the invitation and embrace the learning opportunity.

It's not easy - being a victim can be seductive! It will then be someone else's fault, someone else's problem, we can turn to blame, to anger, to frustration, to resentment, and give our power away. That's survival, and our brains are wired for that. 

On a scale of 1 - 10, how healthy is your level of mind? How open is your heart? How aligned do you feel within yourself?

What would increase it to 1 more point higher? Just one.

AND if you're thriving, I invite you to celebrate yourself, acknowledge yourself.. and share. Share what you are doing with other Family and friends. I invite you to be generous and lead. This is a time in history where inspiration and leadership are going to contribute to how we all move through this challenge. 

Every country has different rules around self-isolation - and it's still possible to make self-care a priority. 

Here are 7 ways for self-care in self-isolation:

1. Meditate. Yes, you have children. Ask your partner/ spouse to look after the children/ baby and then swap. OR make it a priority to go to bed earlier and meditate before you go to bed. 

2. Find an Online Retreat that resonates with you. John and I recently completed "InnerMission" from Dr Joe Dispenza. I also have completed online workshops with Dan Mangena.

3. Connect with Family and friends on Zoom - with one caveat. Only connect with those where you will have empowering conversations - knowing you will leave the conversation more expanded, with more joy, and feeling more connected. During this time, boundaries are more important than ever. It's not a time to indulge in drama, fear, and adding to your worry/ stress. 

4. Walk-in Nature (if possible). There are different lockdown/ quarantine laws around the world. If possible - walk in nature.

5. Laugh. Find the joy. Watch or listen to something humourous!. "How Spiritual People Fight" has been hilarious for me! 

6. Move your body. There are many online workshops/ exercise regimes that you can subscribe to. John and I have recently started "Insanity Max 30" together, and I've done some online yoga classes with "Do Yoga With Me".  

7. Let go. Let go of expectations. Let go of what you think you have to do. Let go of your own pressure to be your child's teacher, parent, and playmate. Let go of perfection. Let go of not knowing. Let go of "am I doing it right?".

....And here's a bonus. Be kind. Be kind to your heart. Be kind to your soul. Be kind to the season you are going through. That kindness will overflow into how you show up each day. 

I love you, I honour you. May you know that you can thrive during this time - and that you deserve to thrive. 

...and you have what it takes to thrive. Everything you seek is within you.