3 Restoring Weekly Health Rituals That Every Woman Needs

"Are you too busy to take care of yourself?  That's like saying you're too busy driving to stop for gas." - Brian Johnson, from A Philosopher's Notes.

Whether you want to live for a century, enjoy life in the present, or both...we need to take care of ourselves.  In order to live life fully, we need our health. 

Try not to approach taking care of yourself as "another thing to do"  but rather a necessary, and enjoyable aspect of your life! 

Why These Rituals?

Out of all the ways to take care of yourself, these are my favorites because not only are they effective, they are manageable.  If these weren't manageable to perform on a weekly basis I would view these as overwhelming.  Approaching a new habit thinking "I can handle that" is a very positive feeling.  Remember, the goal is to improve and restore your health, not add stress.

My Top 3 Restoring Weekly Health Rituals

1. Take A 20 Minute Bath

At least 1 time a week, take a bath with no distractions for 20 minutes.  Do not bring your cell phone in, lock the door and even light a candle.  Close your eyes and release the tension from your body.  You can make the bath even more beneficial by adding a cup of epsom salt to the running water.  If you workout intensely, take the epsom salt bath on the 3rd or 4th day that I've worked out in a row.  The purpose of a 20 minute, distraction free bath is to decrease stress in your mind, prioritize yourself, and reduce inflammation in your body, as well as improve mineral balance.

2. Take a Yoga Class, Or Perform a Stretch Session

Movement Is Medicine.  Yoga is known for creating self awareness and providing a mental or emotional release, so get to your favorite studio to take a class.  There are many varieties of yoga classes- Hot, flow, sculpt...any of them will help align your mind and body from the inside out.  If a yoga class is not possible, try stretching.  Sit down in a comfortable area and start with your toes.  Slowly move to your calves, then all the way through every part of your body.  If you would like to follow a program that you can do at home to increase your range of motion and performance, I like ROMWOD.

3.  Improve Your Largest Organ- Your Skin

Do you notice how some people have a healthy glow? Not all of us were born with great skin but we can improve what we have. If you suffer from acne, it is my own experience that the majority of balancing needs to be done from the inside out, through nutrition or even addressing hormone imbalances.  In 2015 I drastically healed my skin through nutrition.  Ever since then I use a homemade face scrub on a weekly basis to brighten up my skin.  For my quick, inexpensive face scrub simply zest 1/2- 1 lemon into a small bowl, and add about 1/2 tsp sea salt.  The grain of salt is your preference, play around with what works best for your skin. Mix the two together in the bowl, then and lightly wet your face.  Use your fingers to scrub the mixture in counterclockwise circles around your face, then wash off with warm water.

Salt serves as a natural abrasive to remove dead skin, as well as having antibacterial properties to actually clean your pores. Lemon is a natural astringent that will help smooth your skin by tightening your pores, and the acid of the fruit brightens the skin.

Recovery is an important, yet often overlooked part of life balance and total wellness.  Not only should we eat properly to recover from the demands of our lives, slowing down is neccesary.  Adopt a handful of weekly restorative rituals that are manageable and inexpensive that make you feel great both inside and out.

Fill yourself up often.  If you're too busy to stop for gas, you'll find yourself stranded on the side of the road. 

Do you do any of these weekly?  What are some of your favorites?