I just finished an amazing weekend of advanced yoga teacher training in Restorative Yoga. What a joy to teach yoga teachers how to teach Restorative Yoga to their students!

Did you feel the world tip a little more toward happiness and ease?

It got me thinking about what we mean by “self-care” these days. To be sure, binge watching a streaming service while eating take out and drinking alcohol is NOT self-care; it’s more likely self-harming. Taking a bubble bath while reading a book might be a better route to self-care, but the benefits only last as long as you are in the tub.

Here is self-care that endures:

Pick out veggies at the local farmers’ market and cook a meal for yourself and/or others. Infuse the food with positive energy by thinking about beauty and love while you cook. The food will not only taste better, it will also be more nutritious.

Drink clean water and herbal teas. Your body is 75% water and dehydration is one of the main causes of physical and mental distress. Drink about ½ of your body weight in ounces. (150 lbs person should drink 75 oz)

Spend time in Nature by walking your neighborhood, working in your garden, lounging beside or inside a pool or lake, hike in a forest or on a mountain. According to ayurveda, Nature is the best way to heal the body and mind.

Set up an appointment for massage, acupuncture or a float. Attend yoga class. Join a meditation group. The professionals who offer these services are well-trained to teach you about self-care. Don’t wait until you are in pain to seek them out.

Practice restorative yoga. Most everything listed above has a monetary cost. Restorative yoga is free. Place a soft blanket on the floor. Choose a pillow for your head. Roll a blanket to put under your knees. Cover with a blanket and put an eye covering or scarf over your eyes. Hang a “do not disturb” sign and close the door. Set your phone timer for 20 minutes. Judith Lasater says “Savasana is a gift you give to yourself and to the world.”

Now that’s what I call self-care.

In the heaviness and dreaminess of the full moon lunar eclipse, I have been considering this quote:

“We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.”

These words come from Swami Vivekananda, the Hindu wandering monk who introduced Yoga to the West. Can you imagine how these words landed at the very end of the 19th century?

In the Vedic tradition (Buddhism too), there is a progression that is often discussed—thoughts, words, actions. They are all related, of course, because we can see how what we and others do is always rooted in the things they have been thinking and saying. Makes sense, right?

This is why these ancient traditions are so interested in guiding and training the mind. What we think matters big time; thought is the place where we devise our hopes and dreams, discern the best course of action, and plan our next steps. There can be no action without thought. Ha ha – when you say you “acted without thinking” you are deluding yourself. Action is always a result of thought, conscious or unconscious.

Therefore, Swami V says, “take care about what you think.” What are you thinking about? What are you going over in your mind? Those thoughts—whether joyful or sad, hopeful or fearful—are setting the course for your life. Shift your thoughts and you shift the whole world.