Perfection doesn't really exist.
Recently, I had a realization.
It's a realization that I get periodically, so it was a familiar feeling.
Everything I talk about in my work matters deeply to me in my own life. Embodied nourishment through good food, safe movement, rest, fun, social connection, and connection to the body and spirit aren't just what I guide others in building in their own lives...it's what I practice, too, because I really believe that this is how we can be our most expansive, embodied selves, in these current earth bodies and within the Collective Whole.
I also can sometimes get lost in other things and get completely sidetracked from what I know is best for me and my wellness.
This happened again recently, and it wasn't until a few days full of not-very-nourishing-but-necessary tasks and routines had passed that I noticed my body felt...off.
Stuck.
Stagnant.
My mood dipped, my anxiety spiked, my energy plummeted.
Luckily, it took me less time than it used to for me to pause and consider what might be going on...and I was able to realize that I'd not been caring for myself and my body in the ways that I know I need.
It made so much sense that I wasn't feeling my best, because I'd stopped fully attending to my own nourishment.
Sure, I was eating enough, drinking enough water...you know, doing the bare minimum to sustain me through everything I was doing.
But I was definitely doing what I needed for the short-term and not what I know I need to do as an ongoing, long-term, will-never-be-perfect-or-complete practice.
Our own nourishment isn't a finite list to check off and then be done forever.
It's an ongoing, creative, sometimes messy, often beautiful life-long practice of exploring what we need and trying out ways to give ourselves those things.
And, it might be helpful to remember here that self-care doesn't just mean a bunch of luxurious baths (though it definitely can include that if that's your jam!).
Things like saying no, honoring your boundaries, listening to your body, and giving yourself grace are just a few examples of how we can nourish ourselves in our everyday lives...things that aren't always thought of right away when we think of what our self-care practices are.
Perfection doesn't really exist. You don't need to have all the answers or race to some false finish line of wellness.
For me, it really just comes down to allowing yourself the space to get quiet, listen to your body and your spirit, and do what you can to really honor the needs that are being communicated back to you.
And, if you're like me, you won't always do that. And you'll feel the impact.
And that's ok, because it's all information...it's all valuable, and it's a part of the process of learning and growing a more embodied way of nourishing yourself.
I want to acknowledge here that there is immense privilege in being able to proactively and consistently attend to your nourishment needs.
I have the privilege of being able to shift some things around in my life when it gets too chaotic. I have the support of my partner, I have autonomy in my work, and I have the guidance of healing practitioners...I am resourced in ways that others are not.
And also, that does not mean that your life needs to look a certain way in order to practice a more embodied way of nourishing yourself.
It will look different than it does for other people, because you are a unique, brilliant ball of light with your own strengths, challenges, and needs.
Let it be what it needs to be for you.
And, if that's a struggle, that's where I love to offer support in this sacred work.
I love to help people navigate their unique set-ups and structures and explore how they might build in more consistent ways of listening to their bodies and nourishing themselves in the ways they need.
There might be barriers in the way. That's ok.
I will never be the practitioner to ignore or discount the systemic hindrances to honoring your own needs.
I will be the practitioner to support you in navigating all of that, helping you to build confidence in your options and trust in your ability to feel more free and nourished than perhaps you'd thought you could.
And I'll be the first person to remind you that you won't always remember to do the things, to listen in, to use the wellness magic that you know you benefit from...and that this is ok, and giving yourself grace is an inherent part of this work.
Perfection doesn't exist. Honor all parts of your journey...the beautiful, the messy, and everything in between.