My Very Favorite Self-Care Routine

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As someone who’s lived both lifestyles—teaching yoga and meditation professionally (generally a lot more relaxed in my day-to-day life and a little less wealthy 😂) and working a bustling day job (with better cashflow and a lot more stress)—having a reliable way to “recharge”, to me, is key. 🔑✨

While I am admittedly quite the “people person”, making seventy calls a day, dealing with customer service, and the public at large can be… well, draining (to say the least)!

I personally am an ambivert—or perhaps the most introverted extrovert you know.

I’ve had to learn the hard way that there’s physical exhaustion, and also mental and emotional exhaustion.

Having techniques to genuinely slow down and reset are superpowers. ✨

I look back at the languid decade of extreme self-care throughout my twenties as the gift it was, and do my best to sprinkle that self-love and restoration as much as I can as the generally more tired homeowner/ mother of a wonderful toddler/ full-time working “everyday person” I’ve become in my thirties. 👵🏼😴

In short, my “free time” is next to nonexistent these days, but these are my go-to self-care practices any chance I get!

Pretty simple, really:

1) Take a hot Epsom salt bath.

2) Throw on a robe and relax in Legs Up The Wall pose.

That is the one-two punch for restoration for me these days, and if you have more time or want to spice up this routine (of course!) make this your own and take what works for you. 💕

I know several friends and family members who swear to me they are not “bath people”—and I can’t even say I “get it” because… what the heck?! 🤣

But if you do find yourself identifying as a “bath person”, then by all means—throw in a cup or two of Epsom salt to your water and reap the benefits of soaking in something awesome! 🛁✨

Epsom salt helps relax muscles, soothe aches, and calm the nervous system.

A warm bath also helps with detoxification via sweat, and being in warm water helps to further release the body’s tension. ✨

Epsom salt relieves tension in sore or tight muscles, supports the body’s natural detox pathways (like the liver), and can help to boost blood flow and ease joint stiffness. It also can help to soften skin, ease irritation, and support the healing of minor scrapes or blemishes.

I usually feel so great after my bath that it’s all I can do to throw on my robe and chill out in my very favorite next step: good old Legs Up the Wall pose—a powerhouse pose for restorative yoga and everyday life.

It’s as simple as it sounds… scoot your bottom close to a wall, put your legs up with your feet resting on the wall, close your eyes if you’d prefer, and enjoy the restorative benefits of making your body an “L” shape for a little while. 😴

This pose is known for helping to improve circulation, especially after sitting or standing all day. It can also help reduce swelling and fatigue in the legs.

This is an accessible pose that is ultra grounding and especially after a hot bath, feels like magic to lie down, let go, and rest.

Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose) is—in my opinion!—simply the best.

This pose helps reduce stress and anxiety by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest mode).

If that were not awesome enough to soak up the benefits of doing next to nothing, this pose also helps support venous blood to return to the heart, gently reversing the effects of gravity, soothes the lower back, can help with digestion, and helps to improve circulation and lymphatic drainage.

If you want to spruce this routine up or have much more time and freedom on your hands, the possibilities are endless!

If I have time I love to do a quick bit of dry brushing before taking my bath—along with stimulating lymphatic flow, dry brushing helps to exfoliate your skin, remove dead skin cells, and helps all the more to absorb the magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt).

If I’m not too zonked out after my hot bath, I love to put on my favorite lotion, throw on a robe, and then commence my Legs Up the Wall pose. (Almost certainly to be laughed at by my husband who thinks I look like a whacko {but is missing out on the relaxation!} 🤣)

These days I’ve been into listening to Louise Hay affirmations while taking my bath; when I’m done I carry my phone with me into my office and yoga room where I close my eyes, kick my feet up, and listen to positive affirmations while resting. I usually set an alarm for 10 - 15 minutes so I don’t fall asleep—but if not in a relative time crunch?

Rest if you have the time or desire! 😴

If you have no other obligations and relaxation is your aim, kicking your legs up the wall and listening to a yoga nidra recording is also another amazing way to saturate yourself in self-care practices all feeding into each other for some serious restoration.

Let me know in the comments if any of this resonates with you, or what you like to add to this simple but super effective little series of self-care practices!

Happy relaxing! 🤗💖✨