The key to mental well-being is in establishing daily self-care practices that speak to our different layers of self: physical, energetic, emotional, mental which together all lead to joy/bliss body. I hope you enjoy this blog series I created. Deeper thoughts on how we can practice each one.
That our thoughts correspond to how our body feels, and how our body feels can impact our thoughts is a foundational aspect of mindfulness and an integral way of caring for our mental well-being.
Pranayama, or breath-based practices are one of the fastest ways we can shift energy in our body. ….The best news, it’s always available and it’s completely free.
Finding Yoga and deepening my practice I believe was the catalyst for me to move into my emotional body. For years I was told that I was too emotional, that I needed to learn to let things go. But, when I ever tried to do this, I wasn’t ever actually letting go but rather just hiding my feelings away.
I also use my time in meditation intuitively to release tension from my body, often noticing that my shoulders are hunching or I’m gripping in my spine or hips. This grounds me, reminding me that my own mental well-being is my primary focus and the other thoughts slipping through are secondary or even lower on the priority schedule.
photography: Laura Pedersen