Taking Time for Self-Care
Do you crave time to think, reflect, do something you have always wanted to do, get away? If the answer is a strong “yes!” then you are like most people! Nurturing self may seem foreign to you because our society does not foster this important wellness prescription. Life can get out of balance, chaotic, busy and just plain overloaded. Taking the time to ask yourself what you need can make a difference in finding clarity, life balance and healing in your life. It is necessary.
Self-care is one of the most important aspects of my life coaching and counseling work with individuals and groups. Just recently I had the opportunity to lead a life-changing retreat where the women did take time for self-care. The Intuitive Soul Art & Yoga Immersion Retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains with my colleague and friend, Sharon Tessondori of Barefoot Works Yoga will be a regular retreat at least once a year (next one in Early Summer 2015).
On this retreat, our intention was to facilitate art and yoga experiences that would lead the women into a better understanding of their intuition and listening to their heart. These ten women came with the idea that they were giving this gift to themselves for the purpose of letting their intuition guide them into an experience of self- reflection, nurturing and awareness that offers them something for the soul.
All the women shared different intentions and take-aways at the end of the retreat. Here is a lovely Vlog and Blog post by Lezette Markham, an artist, author and art muse of www.SimplyArtoc.com, who participated in the retreat recently. She tells us her story of how she felt about the retreat and how it helped her in a recent ongoing health journey by gaining perspective and renewed hope. This sharing experience can motivate you to ask yourself: What do I need right now? How can I set aside time to reflect on me, my needs, my desires and my dreams? And to say “Yes” to self-care, just like Lezette did!
Enjoy this blog! Beautifully done! I can highly recommend two wonderful resources for exploring ways to nurture yourself through creativity and taking time to “retreat.”
1. Lezette Markham’s new creative workbook: Simply Inspired if you are looking for another way to explore your own creative self-care.
2. Sharon Tessondori’s e-book, Creating Personal Retreat to find out more about the idea of taking time for reflection and retreat in simple ways.
It is important to believe that nurturing yourself in healthy ways can give you back a sense of empowerment, confidence and a renewed energy to tackle life from a more balanced and grounded foundation.
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Author: Susan S. Miller, PhD, LPCS, NCC for Miller Counseling Services, PC
Susan Miller, PhD, LPCS, NCC is a Psychotherapist, Certified Creativity Coach, Certified Kaizen-Muse™ Creativity Coach, Entrepreneur & Life Coach offers counseling, coaching & creativity workshops that light the path of your life journey through Lighted Path® Coaching and Miller Counseling Services, PC. Along with having 30+ years of counseling, coaching, and group facilitation experience, Susan is a life-time trained artist with a special interest in painting, mixed media and fabric art.
