Self Care ideas and props for your body, mind, and spirit
Practice You Journal (also described below)
So I’m a full-time teacher, a full-time student, a blogger, and an Etsy shop owner/designer. And I also have some hobbies. The first thing I’m going to tell you about self-care? I take my sick days. I know I have to say NO sometimes (I wrote a whole blog post about it). And I wouldn’t survive if I didn’t know how to TURN OFF. Sometimes meditation is just the thing (to start, check out this post). But sometimes, I need some props to help me cool down, mellow out, relax, and let it all go. And I’m guessing you’re reading this because you’re the same: you’re ready to relax deeply with some serious self-care.
[Just so you know, this post contains affiliate links. Also, these are my personal recommendations, but I’m no doctor, so I don’t promise any of these things will solve any of your problems, but I personally find them to be perfectly delightful and that’s why I’m sharing them with you. Some benefits etc. written below come from the Amazon descriptions of the items]
Self-Care for your BODY
Self care ideas and self care products for body, mind, and spirit
This baby is a classic. It’s a nice way to give yourself a sort of massage at home. It only takes a couple of minutes, but it gets into your muscles and soothes you right down. You don’t have to be super sore to dig deeper into your muscles and come away looser and calmer. This particular foam roller has different densities of foam on the outside to hit the different areas of your body perfectly. It’s said to help improve oxygen flow and circulation, heal tissue, and relieve joint and muscle pain.
Bed of Nails (aka Acupressure mat)
Self care ideas and self care products for body, mind, and spirit
Self care ideas and self care products for body, mind, and spirit
I know what you’re thinking: Why would I want that torture device? Because it feels like magic. At first, you’re in a little pain. Yes. BUT as you get through a couple of minutes, you can feel your back warm up a little and after a bit, you melt into this acupressure mat. You can lay on it for up to an hour while you listen to a podcast or whatever, but even 5-10 minutes can make a huge difference in your mood and the feeling in your back. And you can ease into it. Start sitting against it, then try it on the bed, and if you’re really brave, take it to the floor. You can stand on the mat to help with headaches too. This one has 6,210 acupoints on the mat and 1,782 acupoints on the pillow to stimulate the body’s pressure points. They’re said to alleviate back and neck pain, anxiety, and stress by increasing blood flow and promoting healing. It can aid in healing and promote relaxation and wellbeing
Cupping
Self care ideas and self care products for body, mind, and spirit
Again with the torture? Hurts so good! This ancient Asian practice is great for releasing tension and pain. I first had it done in China with cups that were vacuum sealed with candles. This version has a little hand-held pump. Warning: this cupping set requires a friend/lover to set you up and take them off after 5-10 minutes and you may have to return the favor. The vacuum draws up the skin and tissues to promote relaxation.
Yoga wheel
If you sit down all day, your body is used to hunching forward over the computer or whatever other work you do. Bending backward over this yoga wheel flips your spine the other way. I love it. There are also tons of fun yoga poses and exercises you can use it for. The yoga wheel pictured comes with a booklet describing those exercises. It’s said to add challenge, increase strength, improve balance, open, roll out, and unwind.
Self care ideas and self care products for body, mind, and spirit
Self-Care for your MIND
Essential Oils
Self care ideas and self care products for body, mind, and spirit
I got these 2 books about essential oils and I feel like one or the other helps me, whatever is bothering me. Emotions and Essential Oils is all about using oils for your emotional well-being. It details the benefits of common oils and what oils help combat negative emotions and strengthen positive ones. It also comes with a wheel of emotions, showing what oils help for nuanced specific emotions. The other book, Modern Essentials, is about your more physical body- it’s a great aromatherapy reference tool, all about nature’s remedies. Some of my favorite calming oils are lavender, Siberian fir, peace, past tense, and cedarwood.
Moon Diffuser
Self care ideas and self care products for body, mind, and spirit
I just got this moon diffuser and it’s super. It’s the perfect way to diffuse the essential oils I read about in the books so I can breathe them in for healing. You can smell a diffuser when you’re right up close to it, but the benefits travel up to 40 feet! Help yourself and everyone around you! The moon diffuser has 3 light settings, a USB charger, a wooden stand, and a large tank for water.
Along with diffusing, I am also a fan of drinking doterra oils in water (doterra is one of the only brands that’s safe to consume because of its purity). Drinking the oils gets them more directly into your system.
Meditation book/props
Quartz, moonstone, rosewood mala for happiness, soothing, love and femininity
Self care ideas and self care products for body, mind, and spirit
5 minutes a day can make a world of difference. For tips on starting your practice, check out this post and this book: Meditation for the Love of it. It’s a fantastic beginner’s guide with different meditations and ways of thinking about meditating.
Also, check out my Etsy shop for beautiful malas that are hand-made with beautiful intentions in mind, like this one for peace and calming. Also, all of the yogawear in this post comes from my shop :)
Self-Care for your SPIRIT
Moon Journaling
Self care ideas and self care products for body, mind, and spirit
The moon journal is new to me but I’m really excited about it. Lunar Abundance gives great ideas for how to follow your personal cycles and their connection to the moon. Your body is at least 60% water and just like the ocean tides, the moon pulls you. Do you have gung-ho days where everything is awesome and other days when you don’t want to do anything with anyone? You can thank the moon for that. There are good days for starting something new, extra good days for getting your self-care going, and good days to take a break. Learn more about how the moon affects you while journaling and tracking it all. This book inspires moon journaling to create change, set intentions, and manifest.
Practice You
Self care ideas and self care products for body, mind, and spirit
The Practice You journal was given to me by someone who knows me quite well (it's also pictured at the top of the post). The beautiful pages invite you to gather your own wisdom through writing, self-inquiry, and reflection. It gives great starts for you to find your own voice and your own self. It's a perfect journal for reconnecting with yourself and discovering a deeper side of yourself, which is what self-care is all about.
Ikigai Journal
I’ve also recently been learning about the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which translates as your “reason for being.” This Ikigai journal helps you discover your sense of purpose through thoughtful questions, creative exercises, and inspirations.
Yoga books/props
Obviously, yoga. As if I could write a self-care article and not mention yoga. Feeling happy? Yoga. Feeling sad? Yoga. Feeling tired? Yoga. Feeling drained? Yoga. Feeling lost? Yoga. I find I am always more centered when I leave the mat. Depending on your mood, you can adapt the speed and energy of your flow. Some days, you need to chill with some yin and other days you want a hot and sweaty vinyasa. Check out these books for both options
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Self care ideas and self care products for body, mind, and spirit
moon yoga leggings
All of the yoga clothes and malas in this post come from my Etsy shop. Check it out!
Also, yoga is so much more than poses and exercises. Want to learn more about the other aspects? Check out the 8 limbs of yoga aka Patanjali’s yoga sutras.
17 self-care ideas and tips that are quick and easy for your busy day, like mindfulness and gratitude #selfcare
Self care ideas and self care products for body, mind, and spirit
Self care ideas and self care products for body, mind, and spirit