Self-Care
In this writing exercise you will identify and explore how you think about self-care and some of the challenges you face regarding self-care practices as a massage therapist in training.
In addition, you will imagine yourself in the future as a licensed massage therapist encountering professional self-care for yourself. Further, you will explore your current thinking regarding providing self-care instruction and encouragement for your clients.
The purpose of this low-stakes writing exercise is for you to cultivate appreciation for the many factors that account for how one might relate to and ensure optimal self care.
Please complete the attached Table now.
Table: Social Cognitive Approach to Understanding Your Self-Care Behaviors
I believe that it is very important to start take care about yourself right now. The benefits you can earn now can be very productive when you will start your career.
| Dimension | As a MT Student | As a MT Practitioner |
| Self Care Goals | Vegan food: we are what we eat. The food we eat turns into the biomaterial that makes up our body. If we eat meat then we cannot split its’ DNA and the dying states of animal enters our consciousness and begins to sprout in the forms of emotions and words. Biorhythms – balance of internal and external. Wake up before 6 am go to bed before 10 pm. Eat same time. Do yoga and exercises at the same time. Start to keep a daily gratitude diary. Meditate every morning at least 15 min | ecology of consciousness – do not let evil go beyond oneself. Keeping resentment is violence towards yourself. To master intuitive eating |
| Skills you have that support your self-care practices; skills you may need | I’m responsible, confident. I see the difference of my health when I follow my biorhythms, eat right, meditate, but sometimes I’m loosing motivation and I want to lay down on the bed and do nothing. I need to take vegan culinary classes to cook different variety of food | Change my relationship to the world, learn how to control the feelings with mindful understanding and acceptance. Learn to listen and understand your real body needs |
| Challenges to practicing your ideal self care | sometimes an inner voice, consisting of self-opinions, doubts, permeated with fear, greed, limitation, says: “do not do this, better lie down, go there, do not do it” | Fear of leaving my comfort zone |
| Others affected by your ideal self-care practices & how they may be affected | “Happy wife- happy life”. Happiness is the key to make my family happy. A woman is a vessel that is drawn by the power of nature. A man came to this world empty and he is filled only through his woman. Therefore, being energized is very important for family prosperity. | Massage is not just a physical touch. You give energy, and if energy does not flow through you, if you do not have an energy source, then you will quickly get tired. This is very dangerous. You give not just physical energy, which is easy to replenish -sleep, eat and the energy will return. When you massage someone’s body, you share subtle energy, two energy bodies, two biofields are involved. |
| Past Experience with self-care/associated memories | After going through my first Vipassana, I realized how important it is to combine all 3 elements of spirit, soul and body for a successful life. Therefore, at the beginning of your spiritual path and self development, it is very important to pay attention to nutrition, physical activity and spiritual development | After my successful initiation into the second stage of Reiki, I realized that for completion of the picture of my world I need massage therapist license to help people awaken. |
| Expectancies (how do you think self-care practice will go in your time as a student or when an LMT) | I believe that it should be done now and through all of your life. We should teach our kids in school about that practices. The era of Aquarius has come. The era of mindful people | |
| Self-efficacy Beliefs (how effective do you believe you are/can be, on a scale of 1-10) | I will try to be the best version of me every day |
