This article is about self-care and written by our Ambassador @sabina_ahmadov! Looking for self-care items? Check out our fantastic product line. 

Self-Cultivation is totally different to Self-Care.

Self-care is becoming accepted in our society - yes!!! It's a way to replenish ourselves after a period of hard-work or difficulty. Or it is a balanced weekly routine where certain times are allocated just for you to fill your personal needs. While its popularity is growing in the west, taking care of yourself is not a new concept!

Self-Care also involves gifting yourself time to do things you love. If you have a demanding job, or a family, or you care for someone in your life - this can often lead to forgetting the centrals pillars of who you are and what makes you. These are the times when most of your energy is outwardly focused which leaves nothing to fill you. This leads to burnout, or a disease caused by stress.

My mother was unwell for the past 6 months. There were times when every day I was with her, taking care of her, cooking and cleaning, then running home to teach a class then crashing exhausted at the end of the day. The next day everything would repeat again. All this happened during lockdown, so days became the same whirling wind of sadness, distress and worry.

There were a few things that kept me tethered to who I am. I made time for meditation and yoga practice - not every day but as much as I could. I walked to my mum's every morning with a coffee from my favourite place listening to podcasts or audio books I love - these were 40 minutes just for me. This, for me, was self-care and it meant that I didn't lose sight of who I was and my interests.

Remember moments of self-care are not selfish, they are a necessary part of living a happy and healthy life!