Reclaiming Your Power with Intentional Self-Care

We are all living in interesting times right now, however, that doesn't mean that we have to succumb to fear and lie idly (although if that's something your mind and body need to do for self-soothing, then by all means do so in a safe way that allows you to manage your anxiety). If you are able to, then you can use this time to ramp up your self-care rituals, create new habits that you'd like to bring with you into the future, and reclaim the power that may have fallen dormant inside you.

Here's some ideas on how to begin to implement basic intentional self-care practices into your day to day to not only survive, but to thrive right now:

Practice Visualizations While Exercising

Although the rush of endorphins attained from working out is incredible, it's also equally incredible to use this time of sweat and exertion as a visualization practice for your fears, stresses, and worries. I have a couple of tried and true ways to do this in my own day to day life, but you can always customize it to fit your particular vibe or lifestyle.

One way is to do a cardio kickboxing, boxing, or a similar form of exercise as a medium to visualization yourself literally fighting away your fears. Visualize yourself punching, kicking, and even forcing away anything holding you back from happiness, or anything that's getting in the way of you living your life with each move in your workout sequence.

As always with visualization, you will also want to get specific with your visuals. If your fears and stressors don't have a physical form, then you'll want to imagine one; create a visualization of words that you're pushing away, or even washes of colors, or auras, that stand no chance against your exercise.

Another way to add intention to your workout is to empower yourself from within. Prior to your session, you can gather different affirmations that you find will provide you with strength, or you can make them up as you go along. Then, you can feed yourself these affirmations with each passing move, and especially as you find the exercise to be difficult.

Personally, I'll use this practice during HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts, as I find that the sheer intensity of these workouts promotes so much inner strength when paired with powerful, intentional affirmations. However, you could use this tactic with any level or form of exercise. Even the slow moving nature of yoga can benefit from the addition of this practice.

Swap Your Shower For a Soothing Bath

Baths are already incredible for soothing anxiety, but you can boost your baths by using them as a medium for positive intention and visualization. Before you even enter your bath, obtain an understanding of what energy you're trying to bring into your space and your body. Are you protecting your energy? Are you quelling anxiety? Are you bringing in strength and fortifying your mind from negativity?

After you have this question answered, begin setting your bath tub up. As you run your water set this intention and visualize that your water is filled with the energy that you have intended for it. You can even boost this effect by including a bath bomb, bubble bath solution, or even herbs, oils, and flower petals that allow you to add energy to the intention that you're bringing in.

The last step to an intention filled bath is to take the bath, and to remind yourself of your intention as you soak. Use different elements of the bath and the bath setting to enhance your visualization, and allow your skin to soak in your intention from the water and your additives.

Use Gardening to Set Protective Intentions For Your Life

There are many articles that are highlighting the calming nature of gardening and even simply taking care of house plants, but you can boost this calming effect even further by turning it into an intention-filled practice.

To make this an effortless and seamless practice into your daily routines, I recommend choosing a plant that is easy to take care of, yet still requires some sort of maintenance. This can include plants like Pothos, Philodendron, and even Fittonia. However, any plant will work, including the classic Sanseveria, or Snake Plant.

If repotting your plant, then you can use that time to infuse loving intentions into the plant, like intentions based around nurturing your own growth and progress with each watering, pruning, or pot-change that you give it. Or, if keeping the same pot, then you can infuse these intentions during the plant's first watering as you truly establish the plant into your home.

Then, as time passes, you can not only see this time of watering and caring for your plants as calm and pleasant, but also as time for you to grow your own progress and deepen your own personal trust to be able to prosper each and every day no matter the circumstance.