One of my returning clients called for a retreat this morning -- a treat to prepare herself for the upcoming 3 weeks of mother care. Caring for ourselves first in order to care for others and for the earth is the core of our lives. The trick is to balance selfcare and care for our environment. What makes up our environment are the people in our environment and of course, our surroundings.
One of the members in my faith community specializes in people care and earth care. She calls this "engaged Buddhism." Engaged Buddhism is an approach that is people-centered and earth-centered. We are all interdependent -- we are microcosms of macrocosms. We have macrocosms within microcosms. In order for our environment to reflect our care, we need to care for ourselves. Ourselves and the environment are one -- mutually inclusive, interdependent, and related.
Day retreats are one way to refresh and rejuvenate ourselves. This rejuvenation can be as simple as a massage, a pedicure, a walk in the park, a tan at the beach, a hike in the mountains, a sojourn in the woods, a trip to a camp, a birthday buffet lunch, a new color treatment for your hair, a fantastic find in a thrift shop, a great deal at a dollar store, a deep discount at a mall, and so much more. Whatever rocks your boat is what matters. The best things in life are priceless and did not even require me to spend a dime or even a penny.
Come up with your own list here:
1. When I can sleep in for one extra day, I will have energy to: _____________.
2. The next time I treat myself to a bubble bath, I will use these ingredients to spice things up: _______________.
3. When I have no time commitments on my schedule, I like to: _______________.
4. When I have 5 extra minutes at work, I like to sneak in: ________________.
5. This morning on the highway, I am looking forward to listening to: ________________.
Now fill in the blanks for your own list!
1. ____________________
2. ____________________
3. ____________________
The best part is that this list continues and the possibilities are limitless. Let your imagination run free and wild!
About Me
- Gloria Ng
- is a holistic mother of 2, has over 1000 certified hours of training in the healing arts and an additional 1000 undocumented hours of training as well. She has over 30 tools in her toolbox. Her current dream includes writing about transformation, implementing emotional intelligence, compassionate communication, self-acupressure, qigong, meditation, yoga and other holistic healing arts in everyday life.