Namaste.
Hello,
My name is Christine and I thank you for joining me today as we work through possible barriers stopping you from practicing self-care.
I'm still very much a student of this practice and as I learn how to honour myself,
My thoughts,
My body,
I'm continually learning,
Refining and implementing self-care into my day-to-day life in ways that are right for me.
So if you'd like me and find you are needing to work through possible barriers that are stopping you from practicing self-care,
This session may be of benefit to you.
I've always viewed myself as a strong person,
The one that people look to either in my family,
Friends or workplaces as a person who would be there for them.
In this I learned that there was a difference between being a strong person and a person of strength.
A strong person was to me was someone who kept going and going and going as this is what was expected of me and maybe this is what has been expected of you also.
But when I looked at this I realised that the people who were going and going and going were often then left exhausted,
Depleted and could not go on any longer.
This led me to understanding what a person of strength is.
A person of strength knows it's okay to share the load,
They ask for help when they need it,
They know how to take small sustainable steps and plan things in achievable time frames.
This was not an easy concept for me to accept nor implement.
The first step in this process was recognising that it was okay for me to take care of myself the same way that I took care of others.
I had to give myself permission to do this so I'd like to guide you through that process now.
Please make yourself comfortable either in a sitting or lying down position that feels right for you.
The next step involves some movement of the shoulders with your breath.
If you're unable to move your shoulders freely I invite you to participate in connecting with your in and your out breath as we go through these affirmations.
Breathe in and shrug your shoulders up,
Breathe out and let your shoulders gently go.
Breathe in,
Shrug your shoulders up,
Breathe out and let your shoulders gently go.
I invite you to now repeat these affirmations after me.
I free myself from my inner critic,
Stopping me from practicing self-care.
I free myself from my inner critic,
Stopping me from practicing self-care.
Breathe in,
Shrug your shoulders up,
Breathe out and gently let your shoulders go.
Breathe in,
Shrug your shoulders up,
Breathe out and let your shoulders go.
Shrug your shoulders up,
Breathe out and let your shoulders gently go.
I allow myself to care for me the same way I care for others.
I allow myself to care for me the same way I care for others.
Breathe in,
Shrug your shoulders up,
Breathe out and let your shoulders gently go.
Breathe in and shrug your shoulders up,
Breathe out and let your shoulders gently go.
I give myself permission to set aside time to plan and carry out self-care in a way that is right for me.
I give myself permission to set aside time to plan and carry out self-care in a way that is right for me.
Breathe in and shrug your shoulders up,
Breathe out and let your shoulders gently go.
Breathe in and shrug your shoulders up,
Breathe out and let your shoulders gently go.
I give myself permission to practice self-care.
It is okay for me to do this.
I give myself permission to practice self-care.
It is okay for me to do this.
Breathe in,
Shrug your shoulders up,
Breathe out and let your shoulders gently go.
Breathe in,
Shrug your shoulders up,
Breathe out and gently let your shoulders go.
Thank you for joining me in learning this technique to overcome barriers to self-care.
If you would like you can either end this session here or you can go over the affirmations with me again.
I free myself from my inner critic stopping me from practicing self-care.
I free myself from my inner critic stopping me from practicing self-care.
Breathe in,
Hold,
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Hold,
Breathe out and let it all go.
I allow myself to care for me the same way I care for others.
I allow myself to care for me the same way I care for others.
Breathe in and hold,
Breathe out and let it all go.
Breathe in,
Hold,
Breathe out and let it all go.
I give myself permission to set aside time to plan and carry out self-care in a way that is right for me.
I give myself permission to set aside time to plan and carry out self-care in a way that is right for me.
Breathe in and hold,
Breathe out and let it all go.
Breathe in and hold,
Breathe out and let it all go.
I give myself permission to practice self-care.
It is okay for me to do this.
I give myself permission to practice self-care.
It is okay for me to do this.
Breathe in and hold,
Breathe out with a big sigh.
Breathe in and hold,
Breathe out and let it all go.
Thank you for joining me today in making space to learn about practicing self-care.
Gently stretch your arms and your legs.
Have a drink of water and remember to be kind to yourself in your words,
Thoughts and deeds.
Namaste.
