Ask a Yogi: What’s your go-to self-care routine?

You’ve practiced with them on YogaGlo. You’ve followed them on Facebook. You might even take their classes in person once in awhile if they travel to or live in your city. But how well do you know our YogaGlo teachers? Ask a Yogi is back so you can learn more about our teachers by asking questions you’ve always wanted to ask.

From favorite poses and tips for beginners to deeper questions about how their practice has changed their worldview, our teachers will collectively answer a new question each week. If you have a question you’d like to “Ask a Yogi” let us know in the comments and we’ll add your questions to the list.

• What’s your go-to self-care routine?

Alex van Frank:

YOGA!

Epsom salt bath

meditation

dancing silly

reading

cooking a GREAT meal that is full of life and color!

comedy shows

cuddling with my family

weekend getaways

gardening

Chris Chapple: Commit to Truth, as did Gandhi. Speak truth to power through your purchases and transportation decisions.

Darren Rhodes: Daily dose: practicing asana (hatha yoga poses), pranayama, meditation; jogging or cycling; 20 minute naps; dark chocolate.

Elena Brower: ​Sleep at least 6 hours. Preferably 7. It will help your body do what it does best – heal.

Felicia Tomasko: Lately, some of my most important practices include a daily dose of kindness and compassion. In addition to that, pranayama or breath practices to awaken energy, meditation to drop into the present moment, dry brushing or self-massage to stimulate circulation, and at least a down dog a day (ideally more than just one)!

Kia Miller: My daily pranayama and meditation practice is #1. As soon as I sit to practice I come into a space of connection – I see what patterns of thoughts and emotions may have me caught up and I start to detach from them and re-attach to my inner sense of peace! A hot bath with salts and lavender is #2. Liquid food to clear my digestion and my mind is #3.

Mary Taylor: Remember that the world seems to get along just fine without me at the center of it. It’s just my misperception that I have to do many of the things “only I can do.” It’s a good lesson in self care and also perspective taking/humility. Maybe I’m not the center of the universe after all.

Noah Maze: I am so often away from home, that my go-to self care routine looks like a normal day at home: It starts with getting 8 hours of sleep. I’ll start my day with hot lemon water and meditation practice, take my kids to school, work in the garden and drink green juice until dinner. I will spend quality time with my wife, do a yoga practice during the day and then go for a hike or bike ride with my kids after school and then make them a special dinner.

Stephanie Snyder: Somatice movement, super clean diet and Thai massage.

Steven Espinosa: Oh, that’s an easy one. I go to the park with my dog, Uma. Nothing in this world makes me happier, or is more therapeutic than watching her run and play with her friends. No matter how challenging my day was, it immediately makes me smile and laugh. It brings me back into the moment and allows me to enjoy the simple things in life. By taking care of her, I am actually taking care of myself, too.

Taylor Harkness: Prioritizing sleep! As a young paramedic in a job filled with adrenaline, I had always been under the impression that you can sleep when you’re dead. It felt like such a waste of time. Now, years later, I wish someone had told me then what I know now through experience. Sleep is so crucial to health and wellness. Without quality sleep, we can do some major damage over time. Yet no one ever teaches you how to properly sleep. Here is my sleep hygiene routine for self-care and I hope they help. Remember, this takes practice and the mindful creation of a steadfast routine:

• Shortly after the sun goes down, begin relying less on bright lighting. If your lights dim in your home, begin to soften them slowly as the night progresses.
• Realize that, for most of us, the process of getting ready for bed and calming the mind takes anywhere from 30-45 minutes. So if you know that you need to shower, brush your teeth, let the dog out, and put away the dishes, begin doing so early enough that you’ll be finishing up and in your pajamas about 15 minutes before your bed time.
• About an hour before bed, stop watching tv, and playing on your phone/laptop. For a number of reasons, staring at screens can keep us awake. The bright white LED light is around 5x better at decreasing melatonin production (your main sleep hormone) than a soft, warm light. Also, remaining stimulated with work or entertainment keeps your mind active when you should be settling down. Instead, try reading a book (not on your tablet) and doing some simple stretches in bed.
• Stop drinking fluids about 2 hours before bed. Potty breaks in the middle of the night can wake you up and disturb your sleep cycle.
• Resist the urge to check the time or reach for your phone throughout the night. Each time you’re stimulated, you’re pulled further away from restful sleep.

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2017/02/ask-a-yogi-whats-your-go-to-self-care-routine/