When I take the time to practice self-care, I feel like the best version of myself.
I’m able to approach my work, my relationships, and my hobbies with a greater sense of peace and presence. Carving out this time to honor myself throughout my week is something I have to be intentional about, but has been a vital part of my personal growth and self-love journey.
Like your boudoir images, practicing self-care rituals is an investment into your personal growth that keeps on giving each time you return to them. Because there is nothing more rewarding than nurturing the connection you have with YOU!
To me, self-care looks like unplugging from technology and my daily responsibilities and tuning inwards. When I do so, I find that I am able to focus more throughout the day, live with less anxiety, and feel freer to trust my intuition to guide me.
I am someone who loves to switch things up to keep it interesting so with practicing self-care rituals consistently, it is critical that I give myself lots of variety. For this reason, I keep a running list of different rituals that I can choose from and I let myself pick what I am most drawn to each morning.
I want to share with you my top 4 favorite self-care rituals… all of which can be done in 30 minutes or less!
If you try any of them out, we’d love to hear how they go for you 🙂 Leave a comment at the bottom of this blog or share a pic on IG and tag us – @lindsaycarlisleboudoir.
Okay, Let’s get into it…
1.) Take an essential oil bath and do a face mask
There is nothing like a long aromatherapy bath to clear some lingering toxins and relax my nervous system. I love trying different essential oil combinations in my baths depending on what my body needs. Because there are so many different types and combinations to pick from, I use this chart as a reference for the different oil properties and bath proportions.
Combining an aromatherapy bath with a face mask is the ultimate evening self-care practice. My favorite face mask is currently this Aztec Secret clay mask.
After treating myself to this duo, I’ll be blissed out the rest of the night…
2.) Guided Meditations
To be honest, I didn’t fall in love with meditation until I started doing guided meditations. Meditation for me always felt like a struggle- I would sit down with the intention to let go of it all and de-stress and before I knew it I’d have the entire laundry list of things I needed to get done that day whirling around in my head. Not all that centering!
Things shifted when I began to practice guided meditations with Dr. Joe Dispenza. His audios are beautifully crafted and so empowering that they have left me in tears of gratitude on several different occasions. There is no better way to start your day than feeling overwhelmingly grateful.
Sometimes having some guidance is all we need to get in the zone- so if you want to dive into meditating, but are afraid it won’t work with you, do yourself a favor and buy a pretty set of headphones and try a guided meditation. I practice Dispenza’s Morning Meditation regularly and it has literally changed my life.
3.) Practice some self-pleasure
This can be a taboo topic but shouldn’t be! I think that practicing self-pleasure is a completely natural part of our self-care and is something that deserves to be talked about without the shame that society attaches to it.
And practicing self-pleasure does not have to be exclusive to sexuality. Self-pleasure can look like indulging in a book you love, enjoying a sensual dinner to yourself in a sexy restaurant, or setting the mood and having a cozy evening alone.
I love doing a self-massage as a nourishing way to connect with myself through touch. Simply find a comfy place to relax and explore what feels pleasurable to you through a range of light caresses to stronger pressure to create an experience of self-discovery and pleasure.
4.) Do an at-home yin yoga sequence
Sometimes I just go with the flow and wing my at-home yoga practice, and other times I need more guidance. When I need some guidance, I’ll attend a class at Holistika here in Tulum- where they have 3 gorgeous yoga shalas that are an experience in and of themselves to practice in.
My favorite time to practice yoga is early in the morning, but yoga is also my mid-day go to practice when I need some centering.
I love yin yoga in particular because through holding longer poses you are able to balance your nervous system, find space to quiet the mind, and stimulate the connective tissue. These benefits have endless effects on your day to day life that makes it a great self-care practice for almost anyone.
And have we mentioned that practicing yoga and stretching is also helpful when it’s time to get into all your boudoir poses? 😉
Just like the poses in our boudoir shoots, yoga helps you quiet your mind and become present with your body… we dug into this topic more in one of our past Tulum blog posts, Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Body.
Ready to book your boudoir session with us?
We would love to guide you through this self-care experience! Book your phone reservation with us by hitting the button below. During our call, we’ll walk you through what to expect, answer any questions you may have, and select your date if you’re ready.
We can’t wait to meet you!Much Love,
Lindsay