(The first yurt we lived in on Vancouver Island)
We are so happy to be sharing this wild Steemit Journey with all of you.
A month and a half ago we never dreamed we would’ve connected with so many wonderful people on the internet, sharing so much in common, learning, and being uplifted in our relations. In this spirit of this AWESOME experience so far, and in celebration of an ever-growing network of connections...
We want to do a Giveaway Process that encourages health and self care!
~Giveaway~
1 Steemian will Win 2 of Wren’s Tinctures (Choose from the ones listed on this site) and Ini’s Sprouting Book.
Some of our posts with the most heartfelt and engaging comments have been our posts on Self Care and Self Love, so that’s the theme of the contest. We want YOU all to know that your participation and engagement is what makes sharing Steemit so rewarding. Here’s to more connections, better self-care and a healthier global community. We all know that when we hone our thoughts and put them into words, they grow in power and seal our intentions.
Update: In less than 12 hours, we are blown away by the incredible responses!
There is something magical happening with some deeply honest and powerful shares. Please take some time to read and upvote other responses and cross pollinate~~Thank you everyone.
Rules of Engagement
Write in the comments some self care practices that you commit to. Ones that light you up inside.
If you resteem this post, your name gets entered three times into the hat, so you increase your odds of winning the giveaway. (It will be an automated random selection.)
Be honest and open. After all, this is one of the best ways to build connections and understanding.
Bonus points of 1 SBD to two Steemians who write the two best responses in the comments (regardless of who wins the giveaway) *everyone encouraged to participate.
Upvote this post.
(Free shipping within the US. For anyone outside of the US, you can still win, but you’ll need to send us the equivalent of shipping in Steem or SBD.)
Contest ends when this post pays out.
The first few years after the wreck where hell. Struggling with PTSD was bad enough, but learning to walk and communicate with my voice again was a major struggle. I felt like I was trapped inside a body that was determined to make me give up on life, and I admit, I almost allowed it to do so.
About 3 years after the wreck, it was like I woke up one day and realized I was still alive. I didn't have any friends left by then and to this day do not know why they deserted me when I needed them most, but talking to others, that seems to be a common thing with people who go through severe trauma.
I still had my little family and my animals that loved me and I knew I had a reason to go on living. But, sometimes having support makes it easy to use that support as a crutch which slows down and can actually halt your progress to overcoming what life throws at you.
Over the next 5 years, I fought my way back, but looking back, I realize I could have fought a little harder. Family made it easy to not fight as hard. My husband was the bread winner. I didn't have to work. My DIL did most of the housework, so I didn't have to worry about that too much. It wasn't until about 14 months after my husband died that I realized I had to fight back. It was now or never.
Two things have become the highlights of my self care. Getting back to nature and believe it or not, Steemit.
Steemit has given me a voice again. A voice where the fact that I have a hard time getting words out of my brain and through my mouth doesn't matter. No one sees my stutters and if I can't find the correct word, I can take as many seconds (or minutes) as I need to find them. You can't do that when speaking directly to someone, which creates a LOT of stress.
Getting back to nature started out as simply going into my own yard. To this day, I still have problems with uneven ground, so just getting out into my own yard was a major challenge. But, it is slowly getting better and I can now come close to walking the entire lot (about an acre).
It took me two years, but I built raised beds along the front and back of my house. It would have been a one day job for most people, but that is OK. I am much stronger now because of it. It may take me 2 more years to completely fill all the beds so I can actually plant something in them, but that is OK too. I will be stronger by the time it is finished.
I will be growing food this year for the first time in who know how long. Not sure yet how much I will accomplish, but if it is nothing more than tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce, it will save me a fortune as that is a large part of my weekly food bill.
Steemit has given me a voice and the opportunity to take all of the good that has been trapped inside of me and bring it out to help others. If everyone could experience how cathartic that is for me, it would change the world.
I am a real, live human being again. I have hopes and dreams. I want to get up each morning so I can be productive again.
One step, then the next, gets you where you are going.
Wow! @fernowl13 your post is so touching 🤗
I am going to follow you to learn more about your journey. I am so excited you have your voice now, and that you'll be growing your own food this next season!!!! That's just awesome! I am recovering from a wreck right now too. It's crazy how much life has changed. I definately struggle to integrate it all. I hope i can find the courage to blog about the healing process. Today, i am sleeping at my new appartment. It's 6 months post car wreck and just over a month after the incident i had to separate from my husband. He couldn't care for me. I am just so glad my sister and her family could take me and our son in. Our daughter stayed with her dad. It's a wild life!! Who knows what is next. 💜💛💚💙❤
Awesome entry!!
oh @yogajill, I am so sorry to hear about your struggles. If you ever need to just talk or even just need someone to listen to your gripes, please feel free to email me at [email protected]. I can relate, I can be a shoulder to cry on and I can possibly give you some tips to help get through the struggles. My name is Denise and I am more than willing to be there to help you get through this.
That is an awesome testimony. I’m grateful that you found your voice here. I look forward to your posts and comments. I don’t know how to measure what you get from Steemit, but I know that what you give to Steemit was one of the first things that got me hooked. Thank you for everything you do for us!
Thank you very much!. I greatly appreciate your kind words. Oh, packages went out yesterday so it will probably get to your on Monday.
Doin’ my happy dance! I’m not a very good dancer, but I’m putting my heart in it! lol
I use to dance all the time. I was determined I was going to be one of those little old grandma's walking down the street dancing to a tune only she could hear. Now it is more like shake the booty and swing the arms, but its still fun!
Well, I don’t make a habbit shining a light on my crazy, but I’ll make an exception for a good cause, and the chance to get my hands on a new book to devour is a good cause!
I spent a whole lot of years in a constant state of anger. During those years, everything I touched seemed to fall apart. I felt and acted like a victim, the world was out to get me, I was cursed. I participated in self-destructive activities, and then blamed everyone but me when my behavior bit me in the butt.
Then one day, it dawned on me, that I was angry, and that anger was driving my crappy attitude, and attracting crappy circumstances. But what could I do about it? I couldn’t go back in time and change the events that left me so hurt and mad. I figured out that it was an unwillingness to forgive those who hurt me, and those who allowed me to be hurt. It was also an unwillingness to forgive me.
It was a long process, but I was able to give forgivness to everyone I felt had contributed to my anger. What I discovered was, forgiveness isn’t about those who need to be forgiven, forgiveness is about me. I’ve come to believe that anger is a poison to the soul and to the physical body, and that it grows in strength over time. And forgiveness is the antidote for that poison. As I began to forgive, even though I didn’t tell anyone I had forgiven them, I began to see changes in every area of my life: my relationships, my habbits, my finances, my health, even my luck began to change.
My most important self-care practice is to end everyday with a spirit of forgiveness. I don’t go to sleep with anyone on my mind that I haven’t given forgiveness to, including myself, so that I can wake up every morning with a spirit of thankfulness and peace.
I have to say this is one of the best yet. I agree about forgiving. Not just saying "sorry" because as my husband puts it, it's like saying take it or leave it.
You sleep better when you know you can forgive and have received forgiveness. There is something about forgiveness that releases that poison, that stronghold on you.
Yeah, I agree. It’s the same as just saying “I forgive...” It’s about truely forgiving and letting it go, otherwise it is just lip service.
Forgiveness and gratitude go hand in hand, great work! I'm going to try that before bed now.
It is hard to be grateful when you’re holding onto feelings of hurt and anger, isn’t it?
Yes! I totally agree about the effects of anger on our own physical and mental well being. Also, I believe that what we focus on, we create more of, as in the Law of Attraction. That being said, forgiveness is one of my biggest challenges. It frustrates me and I find myself reminding myself to be gentle and patient because 40 years of living a certain way is a strong habit. I just keep trying.
Sometimes, when I’m having a hard time with forgivness, I write a note to the person I need to forgive. Maybe they don’t know I’m even upset, and that’s not what’s important. But I write a note explaining why I’m upset and that I forgive them. Once I’ve truely forgiven, I can just throw the note in the trash. I don’t know why it works, maybe just having something tangible to validate my feelings gives me something to ‘aim’ my forgiveness at?
I like that. When I'm better about getting to bed earlier and find myself with more time in the morning I like to do that I call 'm meditative journaling' or a brain dump. By grabbing a pen and paper and just writing everything that comes to mind, I feel lighter after! Even if it's something like, "This is a stupid. I have nothing to say. Why aren't I... Why did I..." Even if it seems pointless and negative, I get it out. It's kind of like nurturing and angry child by letting them punch a pillow so that they can then breathe easier and come back to themselves in a gentler state. So if this works for my inner critic, I can totally see how it could help me with forgiveness! Thanks so much!
New follower here. I went on a rabbit trail of who uses the homesteading tag and found you! And to top it off, a giveaway too.
Well, self care that we commit to and lights me up:
Hi @lovenfreedom these are such good self-care activities! Good for you and your family 💜💛💚💙❤
Thanks! There's more but they're already listed by @kokibyivana haha. She almost got it all esp. the chocolate :)
Hope you're getting better and stronger! One day at a time :)
Hi! :-D
Upvoted & Resteemed.
Things that light me up inside:
Honestly, I have so many but that's all I'm going to share for now. Thank you for this great opportunity!
Ahhh! I love these 💜💛💚💙❤
I forget about dancing 🎶
...and, i love that you talk to your mom every day. I am going to consider that!!
Awesome entry!! Good Luck 👍
Its crazy to read this because it was like reading my own list! I love steemit because of this! 💗💖💓
Wow that was fast! You’re doing a great job here. Keep up the good work, you’ll be to 1,000 in no time.
One of the most important self care practices for me is playing the guitar, singing, and creating music in a meditative state. Whenever I fail to do this I can feel my psyche shrinking, my emotions hardening, and my life become dimmer. Every now and then new lyrics, words, and thoughts fall on me like some metaphysical anointment from the universe. It’s a really powerful and rejuvenating experience for me.
The second is simply working outside in nature. The sounds, smell, life, and depth of the forest make my sporadic disoriented mind find it’s ground and rhythm. And the movement and joy of making a tangible difference in my world is priceless to my well being.
Great idea for a contest, what a sweet giveaway and CONGRATULATIONS!!! Resteemed!
Okay after thinking hard about my life for a few moments I have narrowed it down to the core things that I consider ultimate self care.
Since we moved out of the forest and into the sunny valley and began farming full time our days involve lots of walking back and forth on the same little trails on our stead. (Hither to feed the chickens, thither to the garden to do some work, back to the greenhouse to grab the shovel I forgot, into the house as the shovel finally touches soil- little ones are hungry again- time to get them another snack, haha) All the while in the sunshine. So- I find myself craving the forest again and the green shady trees and the soft bare soil trails on my feet... So going for a long walk in the woods lights me up inside. It totally recharges me!!!
Also taking hot baths with herbs, a few drops of lavender oil, beeswax candles lit, and magnesium flakes... THIS is ultimate self care for me, it definitely recharges me and lights me up inside!!
and lastly... Hanging out by a fire with my dye pots simmering away... yarns soaking up herbal color... Stirring the pots, peeking at the fiber to see how the color is developing, and ultimately- pulling the yarn out of the pots to see the results!... that is self care and really lights me up inside!!!
@schoonercreek it is so good to see you here!! I really love your entry 💜 i can visualize it all!! So awesome. Love the sun so much!💛 But, trees too 💚 the boiling pots of fabric is mystical to me. I was thinking of you earlier today because i have some cotton fabric i might want to dye. Why not used something natural to do it! It is an ikea chair cover. But, i am fresh out of huge pots and am living in an appartment. Is there a simple way to get nice color into fabric?!@ lol, like beets in a bath tub 😂 .... just thought I'd ask ❤
You two are great, I'm really happy to have connected with you on here! Thank you for this, keep those great vibes coming.
here are the self care practices that light me up.
These are the things that feed my soul xx
#1 😙😚😙 honestly love all your self-care practices
Awesome Entry 💜💛💚💙❤
🤞
Roll out of bed- take a deep breath and thank the sun for coming up again.
Run my head under cold shower water.
Do 10 minutes of Tai Chi followed by 5 min side plank pose
Drink 50 oz of room -temp, berkee filtered water and be grateful to have the clean water. I say "thank you water."
Hug my wife for a minute and pat her heart.
Go outside and put my feet in the ground, no matter how cold (; and listen to the animals.
Thank the universe for letting me live and allowing me the chance to help the land around me.
Listen to Mozart and start the day!
Hard core awesome self -care 😁 boy i am loving this thread! I also consider gratitude for and blessings of
Image: @dandesign86
water part of my sacred self-care routine 💙
Self care is so important but something so many of us fail to be consistent with, especially when Parenthood, or adulthood in general gets in the way. I need to improve my time management skills so that I called out more time for yoga and meditation during the waking hours, but in the meantime I listen to a guided Yoga Nidra as I'm falling asleep each night. We also have been making our own water kefir and goats milk kefir. Perhaps my favorite daily ritual is my morning cup of herbal tea or my Gingerbread Not-a-Latte, which is nutrient-dense and gut-healing and came about because of my daughter's allergies. You can see the recipe here:
https://steemit.com/life/@crowbarmama/gingerbread-not-a-latte-nutrient-dense-yumminess
Btw, I'm still learning the Steemit ropes. I hope it's ok to link my recipe here. If not, please let me know. Thanks!
You continue to amaze! Thank you. I'm upping and resteeming, of course.
There's one area of my daily self-care routine that involves my entire family, and so it feels really fun to share about it. When it's bedtime, we tuck the kids into bed and then we sings songs together. These are tender moments, when the angels seem to greet us through each other's sweet voices. Feels so soothing to me. Here's a little glimpse of this, from 5 months ago:
The most healing I have ever done and needed was when I was in a postpartum depression for 5 yrs. It came out in anger. I wanted to be alone and not deal with anything or anyone. The hardest part for me to talk about to this day is how I was with my kids. I yelled at them, didnt want to play with them, I wanted them to be independant and leave me alone so I can find a fake world to hide in. How could they be independant? They were just a toddler and a baby. How was I, a mother, fare to them. I missed out on so much. Its hard to even think about it. I missed their babyhood. (today I have 3 aged 6, 4 and 2 with quite the characters. Every night I make sure to tuck them in and tell them they are loved)I started to try healing by talking to social workers but even though I tried different ones it seemed fake. I was given antidepressants but I couldnt handle them. I really didnt feel right at all. My healing journey started when I was really tired and fed up with the way I was and talked to a special friend of mine @earthmother. She introduced me to homeopathic medicines, plants that I can grow myself or even forage in my back yard for things like colds and asthma to even balancing my dogs ph balance. Its now been 2 yrs that i have ridden that darned depression and it is sometimes a battle to not fall into it again. I have a highly supportive husband and great friends that understand with love and everything that nature, mother earth can give is the best healing there is.
Oh where to begin-
I make my own soaps and they are so luxurious!
I make my own hand lotion which really come in handy over the dry winter months.
I am learning more about the wondrous powers of essential oils and herbs and how they all can help heal you inside; and out.
I garden so much and am thrilled to be able to provide a healthier lifestyle and dinner menu for my husband.
I am looking into different herbs and remedies for hot flashes currently; as I have no desire to see a doctor and have him whip out his RX pad.
By drinking more herbal tea mixtures every day, my episodes of Meniere's Disease symptoms have calmed down so much. Coincidence? I doubt it.
Great contest! Reading the replies is uplifting and entertaining.
I have a short and simple one...
Counting my blessings.
I find just taking a few minutes to meditate on all the truly wonderful things around me uplifts my spirits even in the most maddening of times. No matter what's wrong, you always have blessings to count and positives to focus on. Nothing negative was ever made better by dwelling on it or worrying about it, but by focusing on those things you love and enjoy about your life, those things that aren't so good just tend to fade away or at the least get put into a better perspective. My grandfather once said that no matter how bad things can get, they can always get worse. So focus on what's good!
Hi @mountainjewel
As a new radio show guest-finder for @pennsif I saw during my travels (and the fact that I follow you anyway lol) that you guys have had experiences with a yurt, produce the herbal tinctures, and sing mandolin-based fungi odes, and so was wondering whether either or both of you might consider being guests on his next radio show, for a 15 minute slot?
You can read about the show here: https://steemit.com/mspwaves/@pennsif/msp-waves-radio-pennsif-s-alternative-lifestyle-show-three-guest-finders-join-the-team
The show is (obviously) about people living alternative lifestyles in some way.
Pennsif has posted a recording of his first show if you would like to listen and get a feel for it.
https://steemit.com/mspwaves/@pennsif/msp-waves-radio-pennsif-s-alternative-lifestyle-show-friday-26-january-2018-recording
You can reply or find me on Discord (same name). My fingers are crossed. Much appreciated. :D
p.s congrats on reaching the 500 followers :D
thanks @ravenruis, we'd be interested! i've seen his posts about his show before, but haven't listened to it yet, so thanks for the link do you have any numbers after your name? i'm on discord right now mountainjewel#0238.
Oh, that is fantastic!
I am ravenruis#8757 :)
Of all the self-care practices, by far the most important one is to have rest. Rest is of the utmost importance to the human body - our bodies were designed with rest in mind. No one is able to go non-stop day in and day out without reaping the consequences of such a lifestyle. And now that we are on a homestead, we recognize the importance of resting even more than we did in the city because we are working so much harder (physically) than we ever did in the city. For us, no work is done 1 day in 7, and it has made all the difference.
Love this 💜💛💚💙❤rest is so good!!
I do at least a few minutes of yoga poses in the morning outside after drinking a full glass of water with b-vitamin complex gel caps. I also drink my own kombucha all day and only spring or purified water. I do a quick khundalini rise and release into the world invisioning my goals for the day after expressing gratitude to the universe.
Love this 💙💜❤
Water is one of my rituals too.
Super Awesome Contest Guys!!
💜💛💚💙❤
I like to mindfully relax my body at times throughout the day. And, to be mindful *ALL the time to choose a loving attitude toward my Spirit and Life in general as MUCH as i can. My religious fave is to pray over and bless my cup of water which sits by me at night. And, to wake in the morning to take the water in gratitude of and send blessings to our water.
Art: www.onamancollective.com
💜💛💚💙❤