Summer Self-Care

Traditionally the focus of summer self-care is all about getting our bodies ready for summer as we shed those winter layers. 

The atmosphere in the air is one of vacation time, with children being out of school, parents planning family vacations, and those who don’t have children, deciding what opportunities summer can bring them.

Summer can be a time to pause and care for your being.  With the change in pace in the environment, it is an opportune time to change the pace of self – a chance to stop and give to self.  Aside from traditional physical self-care, I invite you to take a journey to care for self from within:

Embrace your body as it is now:Summer beach background with the words " self-care" in read and little red hearts on either side

You may be feeling the pressure of having a summer-ready body.  The advertisements and magazines showcase what they want you to believe is ideal – the ideal fashion and the ideal look. However, no one gets to define who you should be and what you should look like.  Your physical being is a beautiful orchestra of perfection, coordinating your heartbeat, your breathing, your flowing blood, the many systems operating without you having to control them.  Focus on this perfection when you look at your physical being. Embrace the magic that is your body.  There is no reason to conform to the standards of society. Rather, wear the clothes that make you happy, embrace your physical body in this moment simply because of its perfection of independent functioning, and welcome any other bonuses your physical being shows you.  See yourself as Source/God/Goddess/Universe sees you – you are perfectly perfect as long as you allow yourself to be that.  Take a moment to thank your body for functioning as it does, and appreciate the possibilities that await you.

Nourish your mind:

Self-care for the mind is giving your mind the resources of education, community, and inspiration.  Life gets busy and our routines are mostly fixed.  When was the last time you took time to read a book for enjoyment or edification?  When last did you spend time with those people who make you feel alive and joyful – the people who leave you feeling mentally renewed?  Give yourself some mental self-care by choosing at least one person or community to bask in.  Choose three to five things that mentally invigorate your being.

Feed your Spirit:

We may have fallen into a routine when it comes to feeding Spirit.  We have set practices that feel good and connect us to Source/God/Goddess/Universe.  Sometimes taking time to expand this connection by deepening the practice or seeking to expand your current practice with something new, can revitalize and enrich this connection.  Give your Spirit self-care by exploring what feels good to your being and what you may want to add to deepen this connection.  You may want to spend more time in nature, start a meditation practice, or increase your meditation time.

You get to decide what self-care is right for your being.  Check in with yourself and see what your being needs.  What makes you feel alive and excited that you perhaps have not done in a while?  What will you do for your summer self-care?  Share and let’s exchange summer self-care ideas!

Many Blessings,

Santa

RUNNING THROUGH DARKNESS
MEMOIR OF A SPIRITUAL WARRIOR

BY SANTA MOLINA-MARSHALL ‧ RELEASE DATE: MAY 3, 2022

This debut memoir chronicles a woman’s spiritual exploration and growth as she overcame a disturbing childhood and helped others heal.

Brought to America from the Dominican Republic as a youngster, Molina-Marshall should have led a happy life. Her father was a diligent worker, and his large family wanted for nothing. But the author recounts that her dad had a drinking problem and was a serial philanderer. Molina-Marshall’s long-suffering mother left him for a woman. Then it was all downhill for the bright, 12-year-old girl, who was shuttled between foster care and relatives. According to the author, she was sexually abused by the husband of one of her siblings. This resulted in Molina-Marshall becoming alienated and moody. By 15, she simply tried to survive. In her favor were grit and a restless intelligence. She quit school, rented a room, and found a factory job. Time went by, and for a while she was happily married. Yet when her husband left her, her life truly began. She turned to religion for answers but decided that blaming God for her woes was a cop-out. 

In this absorbing and moving memoir, Molina-Marshall’s vivid storytelling is fearless. She frankly discusses the truths she discovered and the indignities she suffered. These admissions are disclosed with a touch of resignation and plenty of bite. However painful, everything she experienced was a lesson, and she bravely realized that she was part of the problem: “The fear of being hurt, rejected, or abused often led to me feeling lonely and misunderstood. No one knew the agonizing pain I felt being trapped in my thoughts and anger. I was becoming my biggest threat.” 

The author skillfully recounts her intricate spiritual journey. To deal with her psychic wounds, she searched for an inspirational system. Her open-mindedness led her to the interfaith concept—cherry-picking from various religions and spiritual movements, yoga, and Indigenous beliefs as a way of finding peace. Along with her female partner, she built a therapy practice, making use of every spiritual element that aided her and others. The road was bumpy, and she found that women of color in same-sex relationships were not welcomed everywhere. To do good works—and finally live on her own terms—she effectively overcame bigotry.

An engrossing, cathartic account of empathy and success through determination and confidence.

Pub Date: May 3, 2022   |    ISBN: 978-0-578-38315-6  |   Page Count: 264    | Publisher: From Trauma to Triumph  |   Review Posted Online: June 13, 2022