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Hi sweet friend, How are you doing? Like really? I know navigating the month of March will likely be a multifaceted experience as it marks one year of what I’ve been calling Pandemic Land. I will have more reflections to share about this next week. For now I want to gently nudge you towards the reminder that rest is a distinct part of your wellbeing. I consider it to be one of our basic needs. And if you’re anything like me, then some days tending to the basics can feel as if it requires Herculean like effort. Especially if you’re experiencing challenges with your physical and/or mental health or your system is feeling activated or overextended. Tending to our basic needs is often the uncelebrated foundational part of caring for ourselves. For some of us they can be the most challenging to consistently prioritize. If you follow me on Instagram then you may be familiar with the basic needs check in’s I do on my stories. It is an opportunity to interrupt the mindless scrolling and take a moment to check in with your needs. We answer the following questions: How did you sleep? Are you feeling rested? Are you hydrated? Have you eaten in the last few hours? Have you taken your vitamin(s) and/or medication(s)? Have you been outside and/or moved your body today? What are you craving a bit more of today: human interaction or sweet solitude? What is something you need to hear or be reminded of today?
Take a moment to ask yourself these questions. If there is a need requesting your attention, then consider this your gentle nudge towards tending to it. Some days this is what we have the capacity to tend to - ourselves. If we do not care for ourselves we cannot sustainably care for one another. And it is incredibly important that we have the capacity to both care and be cared for. Self care and community care are two distinct practices that are meant to work in harmony with one another. We require both. If today is one in which tending to the basics feels accessible to you, then perhaps it is an opportunity to reach out to someone you care for and remind them to also tend to the basics. To check on whether or not they feel hydrated, rested, to let them know they are being thought of. Remember: when it comes to our need for rest restorative yoga is just one of the many entry points. Whether you join me for class this week or not my hope is that this message reminds you to devote time to whatever feels restful and supportive for your system this week. To know that someone is here celebrating you tending to the basics. Encouraging you to perhaps carve out space to create a pillow cocoon of support for one restorative pose outside of class. This is always important to prioritize and celebrate, and I think it especially so this month. I will be continuing the weekly restorative yoga class on Tuesdays through the end March. I would love for you to join me this evening from 8PM to 9:15PM EST for a supportive restorative yoga practice. Either way I am sending you the encouragement to tend to yourself and one another.
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