Making Self Care A Priority

Every night before I go to sleep I pull a Tarot card. Been doing it for years. Many times its right on the mark for my day, other times it is a great catalyst to promote deep reflection. Anyways, its a habit I find very comforting.

The last four nights in a row I have picked the exact same card each time. Now, let me add, I shuffle like a dealer in Vegas…..like a dealer on crack that is!! I do all these wierd shuffle moves and break them into different packs and then shuffle them all back together into one happy family. Occasionally I have picked the same card two nights in a row. But four–that’s a record. And more then anything, I’m taking it as a huge sign.

According to my beloved book on Tarot called The Tarot Handbook: Practical Applications of Ancient Visual Symbols, the Tower card is not as frightening of a card as it looks. It is a symbol of the universal principle of healing, renovation, and restoration. Those unlucky folks that look like they’ve been thrown out the window to their death…they more or less, to me, symbolize getting rid of the things/people/habits/ways/etc. in your life that no longer serve you—do a little life renovation!!

My intention for this post is to discuss the importance of self care in my plan for beginning a true Creative Juicy Life. I find it so interesting that the Universe keeps handing me this card. It is telling me something that my body has began to scream at me about already! Self care needs to be a major priority in the Creative Juicy Life. End of story on that one.

During my Summer break I consumed almost every second of my day with something creative. I spent hours in the studio on end. What happened is that I terribly neglected my Yoga practice, sometimes I barely showered, and my eating habits are even more embarrassing to talk about. I was so on fire with creativity that I just didn’t want to stop. Finally 8:00 pm would come rolling around and I would feel dizzy and starving, and realize that maybe all I had that day was some smoothie LOVE at noon. Not good. So very NOT Creative Juicy!!

Before this butterfly cracked her cocoon this summer, I had a great little self care system up and going. Running and Yoga first thing in the morning. Followed by a dry brushing, shower, an essential oil self massage, and before brushing my teeth, doing my hair, and make-up, I would do the neti pot. I would follow all of this with some fresh juicing and breakfast. When the painting tornado hit me this summer, I ditched all my self care little diddies out the window. I barely did Yoga or even go to class and I had to stop running for awhile because I hurt my foot.

Now, the Universe is absolutely right. It is super important to take care of this vehicle that hosts the soul that is living the Creative Juicy Life. Finally this past weekend I took some down time to just reflect and be…not do anything, and I could hear my body talking to me. I feel crunchy and heavy. My body does not feel fluid–so how can the Creative Juice really flow freely through me?

To begin and sustain a Creative Juicy Life, one must make self care a priority. For me, that means my little morning and evening rituals. My exercise of choice is Yoga, running, and once the Universe gets the memo to turn the damn heat off here in the desert–hiking mountains! What I feed my body–I’m a vegetarian, and I love to cook…whole delicious foods. I’m a huge juicer and smoothie lover too. But this summer I would spend all my creativity energy on Art, that creating a fresh delicious dinner killed me. So I ended eating quick, junkier food. Yuck!

I hate this crunchy, heavy, unhealthy feeling my body is tolerating right now. Though I am super grateful to my body for holding up, after all the neglect I did to her, in the name of Art. And, in pursuit of a true, Creative Juicy Life, I am getting back on track and putting Self Care at the top of my list, even if it means sacrificing some time in the studio right now. I know that once I get back in the routine, and my body is at its happy self again, things will balance out.

So, I encourage you to decide what is in your self care plan. It’s good to find some down time and listen to your body and see what it needs you to do to keep the Creative Juicy flowing through you. That’s what I’m working on now. If we’re going to be living Creative Juicy…we need to feel Creative Juicy!

Peace & Love.