Back to Basics

Sometimes life gets so harried, I find myself forgetting to breathe. You know, really breathe way down into my diaphragm. When things are this busy, my self-care regimen goes back to basics. There's no meditating, no acupuncture appointments, no yoga--nope, it's just me coaching myself to remember to drink a glass of water, take a deep breath, brush my teeth, get out of my chair at work or eat something.

It reminds me of the Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs which basically states that we must have our physiological bases covered in order to attend to our mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. I'm not sure that I agree that it's that black & white, but I do think there is something to Maslow's theory. For me, my needs seem to resemble a spiral rather than a pyramid. Part of me might be working on healing a big life-issue, while the other part is barely breathing, while another part is overjoyed and in love.

There is a quote by Anais Nin that says, "We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another, unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another."

I love this quote. It reminds me to be gentle with myself and remember that sometimes it's OK to just focus on the basics.