In 2020 and continuing into 2021 the Covid 19 virus put a spotlight on how our health, or lack thereof, is both our greatest wealth or deficit. Instead of health being a 'pesky thing' that generally got put on an ever expanding to-do list, it became the forefront of our individual as well as community based lives. One virus altered the way in which the entire world operated and highlighted all the pros & cons of various medical systems and its ability to care for sick patients. This experience opened up needed and continuing dialogue about access to care, who can stay home and who is an essential worker. Some of us witnessed loved ones become ill or tragically succumb to the virus. Some of us became ill ourselves and recovered or are still trying to feel well. All of us were impacted in some way, whether physically, financially, emotionally or spiritually. Arriving out of winter and into the second spring of the pandemic there is a natural melting. As the snow went away and the buds flowered, we also awoke to find ourselves changing and ready to feel more in tune. Whatever your situation, there is no better time for self care than right now. So what does 2021 self care look like? What does it feel like to be more aware of your time on this planet? How do you go about "feeling better" when you have so much stress to balance at any time in the week? I would challenge you to approach yourself softly. Be kind and gentle like you would if a butterfly landed on your finger, fanning its wings for a rest. True health and wellness doesn't come from a constant pushing and adding more stress to your life. Wellness is a welcome addition that allows for more quality time if you let it unfold. Choose one area of your health that you feel wants your attention and would help you feel better in your daily life. Perhaps, you have been glued to your desk and feel sore, rigid and have aches you didn't use to have. If this is you, adding an outdoor walk several days a week might start to feel good. Perhaps, you feel like your mind is jumping from thought to thought and your focus is compromised. If this is you, a deep breathing meditation or a one task focus, like gardening, may be a way for your mind to rewire to a calmer level and help your parasympathetic nervous system. The key to wellness is to approach yourself with curiosity and no judgement (challenging, I know!) to start to see where you are struggling and how you might be able to get relief. Trust that you have a deep intuition of where your weak spots exist and that you have options to strengthen those areas so that you are more resilient to internal and external stressors. In Ayurveda, one of the therapeutic strategies is to enhance the body’s overall natural resistance to the disease/illness causing agent rather than directly neutralizing the agent itself. Essentially, you may not be spared from every ill that comes your way, but by balancing your body on a regular basis, you are addressing your own body to have more strength at fighting and/or recovering. Again, it begins with that soft approach to your self and knowing that there are many ways to address one challenge. As an Ayurvedic Practitioner, I can help you to turn on the light and see what balances and strengthens your particular Dosha composition (forces that create the physical body). This year is an ideal time to learn more about what keeps you vibrant and what dims your shine. Although there is no perfect solution to true self health, there is most definitely a true self waiting to be discovered within you.