NOTE: This blog post features an excerpt from Thriving Mindfully by Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke. Copyright 2019 by Madelyn C. Leeke. All rights reserved.
Hey Everybody!
Can you believe August is here? That means we are into the eighth month of 2019. That also means we still have time to dive deep into the Thriving Mindfully Summer of Self-Care (ends on September 20th).
WHAT IS THE THRIVING MINDFULLY SUMMER OF SELF-CARE?
I launched the Thriving Mindfully Summer of Self-Care, a three-month journey that encourages us all to nurture our spirits, hearts, minds, bodies, breath, and lives, on the Summer Solstice, June 21st (ends on September 20th). It is designed to help us do three things:
- Remember and accept we are worthy of and deserve self-care.
- Nurture our spirit, heart, mind, body, breath, and life with self-care each day.
- Offer ourselves a dose of the Big 5 — loving kindness, compassion, patience, nonjudgment, and forgiveness — when we don’t show up fully and practice self-care the way we’d like to.
Read my blog here to learn more about it. If what I’m sharing resonates with you, join the Thriving Mindfully Summer of Self-Care. Share it with your family, friends, and colleagues.
Start the Thriving Mindfully Summer of Self-Care when you feel called to. Use the resources that resonate with you the best. Do only what works for you. Do you boo!
Before you start… Grab your favorite beverage and take some time to explore my June and July blog posts that include a self-care pledge, tips on creating self-care rituals, journaling exercises, podcast episodes, and a class and workshop schedule!
- June blog: Join the Thriving Mindfully Summer of Self-Care
- June blog: Practice Self-Care This Summer with a Recipe of Weekly Themes
- July blog: Let’s Claim Our Freedom with Mindful Self-Care in July
EVENTS
Plan to join me for the Thriving Mindfully Summer of Self-Care events in August and September.
- Free Mindful Monday Meditation class on Mondays from 6:15-7:30 PM at Qi Kratom CBD Tea, 1517 U Street, NW in DC (No class on Labor Day)
- Free Thriving Mindfully Meetup Group’s Monthly Saturday Morning Meditation Class in Malcom X Park on Saturdays, August 24, and September 14 from 9:30-10AM in DC
- Thriving Mindfully Meditation for Social Justice Activists ($15) on second and fourth Thursdays of each month: August 8th and 22nd and September 12 and 26 from 7:15-8 p.m. at Eaton Wellness DC, 1201 K Street, NW in DC
- Free Facebook Live Meditation Class on Tuesday, September 10th from 9-9:30PM ET – Facebook.com/AnandaLeeke64
- Be Mindful at Work Workshop on August 18th from 6:30-8:30PM ET at Qi Kratom CBD Tea, 1517 U Street, NW in DC ($35)
- Be Mindful at Work Workshop on August 24th from 3-5PM ET via Zoom ($35)
- Thriving Mindfully Moon Circle – Full Moon on September 14 from 8:30-10PM at Qi Kratom CBD Tea, 1517 U Street, NW in DC ($20) – Register online.
Autumn Equinox Celebration on September 22 from 6:30-8PM at Qi Kratom CBD Tea, 1517 U Street, NW in DC ($20) – Register online.
Thriving Mindfully Moon Circle – New Moon on September 27 from 8:30-10PM at Qi Kratom CBD Tea, 1517 U Street, NW in DC ($20) – Register online.
EMBRACE A MINDFUL SELF-CARE MINDSET IN AUGUST!
This month, dive deep into creating and using a mindful self-care mindset. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of this concept. I got you boo!
Also, what you’re about to read and experience is from my upcoming book and journal, Thriving Mindfully. Enjoy!
LET’S START WITH A MINDFUL MOMENT EXERCISE
Take 3-7 deep cleansing breaths. Start with breathing in through nose and out through your mouth. Return to breathing normally and naturally. Allow yourself to sit, stand, or lay still for a few moments as you check in with your body. Notice how your body feels. If your mind wanders and gets distracted by thoughts, sound or physical sensations. It’s okay. Distractions are normal and natural. They are a part of being human. Take a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth as you return to the present moment.
CONGRATS! You practiced mindful self-care!
ARE YOU READY?
Before we get started with looking at the meaning of the phrase mindful self-care mindset, grab a journal or piece of paper and something to write with. You may want to take notes. Spoiler Alert: There are some journaling exercises coming up!
WHAT IS A MINDFUL SELF-CARE MINDSET?
- Mindful refers to your birthright of mindfulness, the ability to be aware of what’s happening inside and outside of yourself in the present moment. Mindfulness becomes a practice when you choose to use it and actually take actions to use it.
- Self-Care is the act of nurturing your spirit, heart, mind, body, breath, and life with anything that uplifts your well-being. Self-care is also your birthright. You are born with it. You are worthy of it. You deserve it. It becomes a mindful practice when you claim, embrace, and use it.
- Mindset consists of your way of thinking and beliefs that shape how you live.
JOURNALING EXERCISES
First, take as much time as you need to answer these questions. Second, explore the ones that resonate with you the most. Leave the rest behind. Third, Do you boo!
- What are your current beliefs about self-care?
- Do you believe you are worthy of self-care? Why or why not?
- What does self-care currently look and feel like in your life?
- What are your barriers to practicing self-care?
- What would you like self-care to look and feel like in your life?
- What do you need to practice self-care (time, support, ideas, funding, books, podcasts, videos, classes, workshops, coaching, peer group, and/or free resources)?
- What is one thing you can do to create and use your mindful self-care mindset in the next 7 days?
- What are 3 things you can do to create and use your mindful self-care mindset in the next 30, 60 or 90 days?
- Who will serve as your accountability partner or team to help you stay on track with your mindful self-care practices?
- How will you celebrate your small, medium, and big wins in creating and using your mindful self-care mindset in the next 30, 60 or 90 days?
MINDFUL MOMENT BREAK
After you finish journaling, I encourage you to take a mindful moment break.
Take 3-7 deep cleansing breaths. Start with breathing in through nose and out through your mouth. Return to breathing normally and naturally. Allow yourself to sit, stand, or lay still for a few moments as you check in with your body. Notice how your body feels. If your mind wanders and gets distracted by thoughts, sound or physical sensations. It’s okay. Distractions are normal and natural. They are a part of being human. Take a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth as you return to the present moment.
CONGRATS! You practiced mindful self-care!
CREATE YOUR MINDFUL SELF-CARE MINDSET STATEMENT
Before you create your mindful self-care mindset statement, take a look at the one I created: I release and forgive any lack, limitation, fear, judgment, separation or resistance I have created in my beliefs about self-care. I deserve, embrace, and practice mindful self-care daily with small steps. I offer myself loving kindness, compassion, nonjudgment, patience and forgiveness as I grow into the full expression of my mindful self-care mindset. I forgive myself daily for the ways in which I fall short of expressing my mindful self-care mindset. I celebrate my small, medium, and big wins in expressing my mindful self-care mindset. I am grateful I get to express my mindful self-care mindset in everything I am called to be, feel, think, say, and do.
I started with a statement about releasing and forgiving the things I have created that have prevented me from fully claiming mindful self-care as my birthright. I included intention, celebrate, and gratitude statements to help ground and guide me each day.
Now that you know what I wrote, it’s time for you to get started on creating your own mindful self-care mindset statement. Here are a few tips.
- Explore your current beliefs about your worthiness and self-care. Do they need to be released and/or forgiven?
- Review the barriers you journaled about. Do they need to be released and/or forgiven?
- What type of self-care do you deserve?
- What type of self-care support do you need?
Your responses should give you plenty of food for thought and inspiration to create your mindful self-care mindset statement.
HOW TO USE YOUR MINDFUL SELF-CARE MINDSET
Whenever we decide to transform our way of being, thinking, and living, we are entering the land of change. How do you embrace change?
I often resist it. My resistance has taught me I cannot escape it. I have learned change requires action. I have discovered the only way to deal with change is to “DO” change. For me that requires a daily routine of small action steps with support from my accountability partners.
The small steps I take each day add up to progress and expand my ability take medium and big steps over time. Checking in with my accountability partners on a weekly or as needed basis gives me the support I need to move through my process and navigate any internal or external barriers. Celebrating my small steps affirms my progress and energizes me to continue moving forward.
With this game plan, I’m trusting that by the time I get to September 20th (the end of the journey), I will have the makings of a regular routine to support my commitment to practice mindful self-care.
How will you use your mindful self-care mindset statement to support your commitment to practice mindful self-care?
NEED MORE HELP WITH YOUR MINDFUL SELF-CARE PRACTICES?
Let’s set up a complimentary 20-minute call (phone or via Zoom) to discuss how I can help you as a mindful living coaching, mindfulness meditation and gentle yoga teacher, and reiki master practitioner: ananda@anandaleeke.com.
My self-care journey started 30 years ago. I was fresh out of law school. My days were filled with bar exam preparation. My stress level was at an all-time high. Overwhelmed was my first, middle, and last names. My mom suggested I start walking to release some of the stress. Thanks to her I started a walking self-care practice that grew into jogging and later running.
My fitness exercise became a self-care ritual (a ritual is an act or behavior done on a regular basis). Sipping tea in the morning; buying flowers for my home; practicing meditation, yoga, and reiki; saying positive affirmations; reading astrology updates and new thought spiritual devotionals; burning incense, sage, and candles; making vision boards; wearing and using crystals and chakras; journaling; chanting mantras with my mala beads; using African goddess and other tarot, archetype, and healing cards; listening to sound Tibetan healing bowls and other healing music; attending sound baths; and observing the new and full moons, equinoxes, and solstices entered my life years later. They also became self-care rituals.
My Thriving Mindfully Podcast series has tons of resources you can use to support your self-care journey. I have included a few episodes below that may help you deepen your understanding and practice of self-care. Enjoy and remember to listen to the episodes that really resonate with your spirit, heart, mind, and body. Take what you need from each episode and leave the rest behind. Do what works for you boo!
