A few weeks ago a friend brought me a big bottle of vitamins. That bottle has long been finished. What it reminds me and makes me realize is that since then, I have found within myself my very own vitamins. They are not found in a bottle on the shelf in a pharmacy or my favorite health food store. These vitamins are right here inside of me. I just need to continue to reach for them each day. I can access my vitamins anytime and anywhere, during this time at home and beyond. I will share with you what they are and I hope they can be helpful to you.
Rituals - For the past five years, fitness and movement have been a daily ritual for me, so very much ingrained into my routine. Today I have added some others that I didn’t always make the time for in the past, like taking a night time bath, posture and breathing, and making time for rest. What I have learned about rituals is that you just need a starting point to set them in action. For example, as much as my workout is a ritual, the real ritual that sets my daily workout in motion is the act of putting on my workout clothes. The moment they are on my body I know that I will do my class, take a walk, or do some movement at home. Similarly, putting on some soft music has become my starting point for my night time bath.
Practices - I am so grateful to have learned some beautiful practices recently that I do each day. One of them is accessing joyful memories. Everyday I take the time to remind myself of moments at any point in my life that I experienced joy. It can be something as simple as finding my favourite vegetable when it’s in season, a trip that I took recently with my husband, loving words that I exchanged with a friend, and the list goes on. The other day an old friend posted a picture of a cake she baked. I was flooded with incredible memories of my teenage years, hanging out with friends watching Beverly Hills 90210 and snacking on the best desserts. As these memories come back, I write them down, which has been quite healing for me. Singing my favourite songs is another daily practice that is extremely uplifting. A few months ago I created a playlist of my favorites (I keep adding to it too!) and I listen and sing to them while I cook for Shabbat.
Uplifting Words - We all have our go-to phrases, sayings, or words that inspire us. Some of mine include a famous teaching of Rabbi Nachman of Breslev that says that the descent is for the sake of the ascent. Although this time can feel like a descent, I try to notice moments where I feel some ascent like enjoying a good laugh with my family, getting some fresh air, learning something new or trying something that is hard for me. The other day I heard some beautiful words, which changed my perspective on being apart from people I love. When we are deeply connected with people in our lives we can be together apart. I will carry that with me all the time. These words act as a source of strength, love, and kindness, especially to myself.
I have created my ”vitamin” by connecting and working with special, skilled people in my community and through my own learning as an educator, mom, and wife. If you would like to know more I am happy to share my resources with you ❤️ So what is your One-A-Day? I am sure you have one or a few. You may not even realize it but you access or reach for them all the time. I would love to hear what they are!
Have a great week!
Xoxo
Beth
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