My personal journey and self care
For the last four months, I set out on a bit of a challenge and adventure with my family involving travel and homeschooling. I learned so much that I wish I knew when I first became a mom. It’s a story I will write for another time but here is the thing, we all grow and learn as time passes, with this new role as a mom.
It is the nature of the job, eternal growth. Our children teach us, continually.
It took me hitting a wall when my second child was born, seven years ago, to realize how imperative self care is. It was not exactly a pretty time. I remember one particularly tough morning with my two and a half year old and my infant. It was the morning after a day of trying to be in the world that ended with me throwing in the towel and crying. As I sat chugging caffeine, my toddler came up to me, put her hand in prayer at her chest and chanted “Ommmm. Now you, mommy. You Om.” So I put my hands to my chest and chanted Om for my infant and Om for my toddler. In that moment, I felt my toddler knew the place I was in and was chanting for me.
Radical self care
Now I don’t think you need to walk around chanting all day. If you do, that’s cool too. There are more simple things you can do to move in a way that expresses radical love for yourself and your whole family.
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Drink water.
When you take a sip just think of the water cleansing you from the inside. Drink it as slowly as possible. Watch the water move through your body… no one needs to know what you’re doing.
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Take three conscious breaths.
That is all. We breathe all day long but how often is it that we are actually paying any attention to the breath? Often we are on auto pilot and sometimes holding on. So stop next time and watch the breath go in and leave. Three times.
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Dance Break.
This saved me more often than not when my kids were little. I would throw on my favorite music and just start to boogie down. The mood lightens and everyone is feeling joy.
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Say No!
Did you know that “No.” is a sentence? That is all. Just, No. It is not rude, especially when the kids are young. That means no when you mean no. Practice it. No! Then say YES to your kids. A ton. They love that!
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Walk in nature.
This might be simple for you but I raised my girls in Hell’s Kitchen so getting close to nature was a little more work than some. Anytime I would take them to the Central Park I felt softer. More at ease.
I have relied on these tips as the cornerstone to my serenity in my recent time with my girls. I hope you can take a moment and relish some self care. It is all within your fingertips. Your family will greatly appreciate it and so will you!
About Krissy
Krissy Shields is the founder of Maha Mama. She facilitates circles of women wanting to be, waiting to be or already are moms with yoga, growth mindset, nutrition, radical self care and more. Krissy is a fierce advocate for moms and children, aiming to help women find harmony in the home while moving to a more authentic self. She leads teacher trainings around the country in prenatal yoga and has created a community of women supporting women. She is the proud mom of Olive and Ivy and lives in Hell’s Kitchen.
