Kindness, Self-Care, and Getting Back into Shape

I woke up this morning with a realization: I’ve begun to think about myself as somewhat “over the hill.” Eeek!

Now, we all know that thoughts shape our reality, so I decided I should change those thoughts, pronto.

I mean, I’m not 40 for another couple months (okay, a bit less than two months), and 40 isn’t really "old." And even if I'm lucky enough to live to an age some would consider "old," the way I think is going to define how I feel to a great degree.

Yep, that's me. Hard not to compare myself now to who I was then, but I can work towards my strongest version of myself now, with kindness and care.

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So, here’s my plan:

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1. Smile at myself in the mirror more.

2. Recognize negative thought patterns and derail them by switching to kinder thoughts.

3. Make my yoga practice first priority. No getting online before I’ve worked out and tended to my body every morning.

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Gotta get moving.

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I did a great yoga/workout today, incorporating a bit of free weights for my arms, planks and core work, and more long-hold squats for lower body strength.

My knees don’t like a ton of squat reps anymore, creaky as they are, but I can still build strength in slow, controlled ways. I know ways to use my body weight to recreate the strength I lost after having kids, and I’ve been working at it for years.

Now it’s time to take it to the next step by making caring for my body a higher priority.

photo: Nat Anfield | model: Katrina Ariel

This was me teaching one of my Yoga Boot Camp classes, quite a few years ago. I was in the best shape of my life, then. It was costume day, ‘cause why not make things fun, right? Well, time to make my own physical conditioning fun again.

It all starts in my mind.

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Affirmations and mantras.

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It’s imperative to have something to keep my mind busy when it wants to downward spiral. Here are a few ideas I plant in my brain to recreate my reality.

One of my mantras:

I am Love.
I am Joy.
I am Peace.

Another mantra I work with:

I love myself, and all is well.

Affirmations might seem like airy-fairy stuff, but they work. Repeating positive thoughts means there is less space for negativity, so I’ll stick with it.

If all else fails, I’ll put on a blue wig and tutu, and laugh at myself. Lol!

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What about you? What affirmations do you use, or how do you make your physical and mental health a priority?

Thanks so much for reading!

Peace. @katrina-ariel

(All photos mine unless otherwise credited.)

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Author bio: Katrina Ariel is an old-soul rebel, musician, tree-hugging yogini, and mama bear to twins. Author of Yoga for Dragon Riders (non-fiction) and Wild Horse Heart (romance), she's another free-spirit swimming in the ocean of Steemit.

dragon art: Liiga Smilshkalne

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