I recently posted on Facebook about the ways my self care has evolved since developing a chronic illness. Many layers of privilege have played a role in my diagnosis and treatment, which isn’t the case for everyone. This is unacceptable. Being sick is hard enough when you have good, affordable health insurance that covers doctor’s appointments, lab tests, and medications, and a work schedule that can accommodate doctor’s appointments and getting to the pharmacy while it’s ope

Every year I share a list of holiday self care reminders. This year I want to add something to the list. You are allowed to pause. When you’re busy, emotions are running high, and you feel like you need to be in 10 places at the same time, it’s tempting and possibly even automatic to tune out your needs and your body’s signals. Sometimes you do really need to disconnect to put out fires and ensure that everyone is safe. But many times checking in with yourself can be don

There's an old Zen proverb, "You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you’re too busy. In that case, you should meditate for an hour a day." A similar sentiment applies to taking care of ourselves. When we're busy and overwhelmed and it feels like we don't have a single moment to take a deep breath, self care becomes even more important. For many folks, the pressure to be joyful or bring others joy during the holiday season can feel burdensome. When you're

At times it can feel like telling your story, protesting, donating, crying, yelling, making phone calls, educating, and earnest conversations don't make enough of a difference. Some days you feel worn down, heartbroken, and helpless. No matter how you're feeling right now, you are valuable and deserve care. Today, and especially on days when it feels like nothing is in your control, please do one good thing that reminds you that your well-being matters. One of these may be

How many times have you wanted to take action toward feeling better and said to yourself: "Yes, I want that! But I can't start right now. I'm too tired, busy, distracted, overwhelmed, ____. I'll start tomorrow, when it's easier." In my work, I hear about so many walking shoes not yet broken-in, bedtimes ignored, doctor's appointments put off, vacation days unused, calls to friends never dialed, relationship conflicts never resolved, novels unwritten, lunch breaks skipped,

A great, relatable question came in over email recently and I thought you might like to hear the response! Dear Emily, I recently received professional photos from a happy family event that took place a few weeks ago. The photos are beautiful but I have to admit that I was very unhappy with my own appearance in the photos. I am trying not to be that person who 'hates all photos of themselves' and I'm also trying not to be that person who says to any photographer 'you've got p

If there’s one thing you remember the next time you get on your mat to practice yoga (or lace up your running shoes or get on a machine at the gym), let it be this: If it hurts, change it. You are welcome to challenge yourself to your comfort level in class, but please don’t connect suffering through painful movement with yoga. You can find suffering in plenty of other areas of life! During our first yoga lesson together recently, a client told me, “squats always hurt my knee

Back in November, I took a break from my daily cup of coffee and was a little surprised to find that within just a few days, my vocabulary had halved and my ability to finish a sentence seemed to be on the fritz. I’ve always been sensitive, so it made sense that caffeine withdrawal could make me feel fuzzy and tired. But months later, my brain fog hadn’t gotten even a bit better and I was still super tired. Mid-sentence I lost my train of thought, never to catch it agai

I often hear from folks who want to try yoga but are convinced that they don't have the right gear or the right body or the right lifestyle for it. It's no wonder! When we think of yoga in the West, we often think of thin, bendy, white ladies wearing Lululemon, and practicing arm balances on $80 yoga mats in a yoga studio. It makes yoga seem very exclusive. There are lots of guides out there for the "essential" things you need to practice yoga, which are usually laundry li

Have you ever done a social media search for the term "self care?" The search results tend to be dominated by fancy bath products, essential oils, and beautifully photographed meals. To a passerby, it might look like self care is pretty luxurious. I'm not saying that face masks and $8 smoothies aren't good ways to nurture yourself. They can be pretty great even if the effects wear off in a couple of hours. However, the self care that has the biggest impact on our daily liv