Happy Wellness Wednesday: Self Care is the theme of the Year!

Hi my loves!

Over the weekend I had the amazing opportunity to join some amazing ladies for the Fresh Start Rejuvenation retreat facilitated by the lovely Maxine Blagrove from Live Well with Maxine!

2 1/2hours north of Toronto, my daughter & I were given the opportunity to spend the weekend at the JW Marriott hotel to attend this amazing retreat & delve into some serious Self Care! The weekend was full of tips & activities that kept us in check when it comes to taking care of ourselves. And lately, I have been lacking in that area. I’d been having a hard time carving out time for myself lately & this retreat couldn’t have come at a better time. It forced me to not only come out of my comfort zone & make a long drive to an unknown place, but it also made me take a good long look at myself, where I am, & where I want to be. While I do take my own advice on how to regain & maintain that inner Peace, it gets to be tough when your plate becomes too full. That has been my life for the last little while (hence the lack of posting here, sorry guys). So when I got the chance to attend the retreat, I took it. My window was opened & I needed to go through. I’m so glad I did.

The time with the ladies (& my lil lady) at the retreat was well needed. We listened to each others stories, shared loads of laughter & at times, tears. We grooved our way through our lived experiences to Afrobeats with Sanaaj from AFIWI Groove, we posted our good vibes & intentions on vision boards, we ate gourmet food, learned more & more about self care with the lovely Maxine & Karen, & the girl talk, ohhhh the good ol’ girl talk. We got it all in & left the retreat feeling refreshed & ready to walk confidently in our Fresh Starts!

There are so many blessings I received on this trip. The most important one is to remember that I am worthy & deserve to make space for myself. This is so important when it comes to your inner Peace, as we must make the effort to cultivate it, make time for its nurturing & growth. If we crowd ourselves with too many external commitments & tasks, & not make time or space for ourselves to replenish, we do ourselves a disservice & end up in miserable & depressed states, and many times not even know it. I initially wasn’t going to this retreat. I didn’t have babysitter for my daughter & I was concerned that the cost was out of my budget. But in true Fresh Start fashion, an opportunity arose & instead of overthinking it I went forward & jumped at the chance. And my daughter was able to join us which was an even bigger bonus & blessing! She witnessed the coming together of women that are invested in their personal growth & helping others along their journeys as well😊

My encouragement to you today is to make time for your Self Care. When provided with the chance to develop your Self Care routine, such as a bubble bath or taking a nature walk, gym time or meditation, whatever it is that brings you Peace & Joy, make time to do it. It is so crucial along this journey of Peace(ful)ness. Today, I make time for me, to be present for me, to be vulnerable with me, & to Love me. One of my favourite things to do is journaling, so tonight I will make time to journal before bed. It’s a great way to clear my mind & put things into perspective in time for another new day ahead.

How will you make time for your Self Care & Love in 2019? Feel free to leave your Self Care activities & suggestions in the comments! Love yourself & be yourself. Peace & Love❤💫