Embracing the Art of Self Care
I just returned from 7 days of Panchakarma at the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center in Lancaster. Every year I go for Panchakarma as part of my health maintenance regimen. I put the money aside way in advance so that it is not money that I even consider spending for anything or anyone else.
Typically, I go for the treatments at the beginning of Spring, but this year I kept delaying it and even considered skipping it all together because of my “To Do List.” Then one day it dawned on me that I had removed “taking care of myself” from that all-important list. How did that happen? I have created a life and profession out of helping others learn to make their health a priority, so how did I forget that fundamental concept?
The reality is that the art of self care is an on-going process that needs our continued attention and commitment. This year I took on many new responsibilities and as I became better and better at taking care of the needs of all the people around me, my attention shifted from myself to others. Not that service to others isn’t important, but you have to always water the roots of the tree so it can bear the fruit to share with others. What good am I to others if I am not at my best?
For me, my best means a rested mind, balanced body, and open heart. When I arrived at Lancaster for my Panchakarma and slipped into the role of the one being nurtured rather than being the one who is always doing the nurturing, I realized just how much I needed to recharge by battery. All of my fatigue came to the surface and I just sank into the deep rest that comes from the Panchakarma therapies. The results: a much clearer mind and the ability to better appreciate the blessing in my life.
So, if we are better for everyone around us when we take the best care of ourselves, than why do we always reserve self-care as our last priority? If your car or house needed repair, you wouldn’t think twice about investing the time or money into fixing it. So give yourself at least the same consideration you would give the objects in your life. After all, the only place that you really live is within your body—everything else can be replaced.
Wishing you health and happiness,
Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary