Your Self-Care Isn't Selfish favorite_border
Hey there!
How has the past week been for you? Were you able to spend any time connecting to your heart? To Mother Nature? We very much hope so! If not though, that’s okay - healing and self-care is a practice, and some weeks are tougher than others. Wherever you are with yourself in this moment, take this as your sign to check in with your needs and decide on what actions or steps you may need to take to help you continue moving forward, whether that be giving yourself time to rest without guilt, scheduling your personal self-care time in your calendar, asking for help, or even taking a moment to remember how far you’ve already come.
As we reflect on last week and this week ahead, the Yoga Girl team was excited to finally share our newly updated newsletter (which you can revisit at any time here on our new Yoga Girl Blog) and we’re nearing the end of our 15-day “Fall into Practice” yoga challenge, where we’ve been trying our very best to commit to daily practices on YogaGirl.com (some days are easier than others!) If you haven’t started the challenge yet, but want to, it’s not too late. All of our subscribing members will be able to find the full class playlist on their virtual Mat to revisit again and again.
Also this week, to close our 15-day yoga challenge, we’ll be hosting a live Healing Hour on Saturday, October 22nd, where we will move and connect with some of our favorite plant friends to make a special heart elixir to support us in the season ahead. We’re so excited to be offering this type of class and can’t wait to share it with you!
If you’re looking for some extra guidance this week, you will find a handful of free practices to anchor into below. From setting an intention, journaling, taking a free restorative class, and navigating the world with some helpful astrology insight, you’ll have many tools to return to all week long.
Happy practicing!
Join us in this week's intention setting practice.
This week, set the intention to do something healing every single day. Commit to showing up for yourself with a healing self-care practice you know serves you well, but that you may need a little more discipline around, and stick to it. This may push you to get out of your comfort zone a bit, but your future self will thank you! Remind yourself that even if the practice changes in length of time, or your energy level varies and adjustments are needed, as long as you continue showing up, you’ll be on the right track and keeping that promise to yourself.
Need some ideas to help get you started? Tune into the 6-minute Yoga Girl Daily podcast episode here.
Showing up for yourself can be hard work when you have so many things in life calling for your attention. It takes discipline and commitment, but it’s so important. You can’t show up for others unless you are grounded in your own wellbeing, so use this prompt to contemplate where you may need to make adjustments in the way you are living your everyday life.
Want to go deeper with this inquiry? Listen to the 6-minute Yoga Girl Daily podcast episode here.
Your astrology forecast for October 18th-25th
Here's a brief overview of what this week has in store for you:
- Libra season ends and Scorpio season begins on October 23rd
- Venus is still in Libra until October 23rd
- Venus moves into Scorpio on October 23rd
- New moon solar eclipse in Scorpio October 25th
Hold space for relationships with Venus in Libra
With both Venus and the Sun dancing in the charming sign of Libra this week, you can expect your focus to be pulled toward your different relationships (including your relationship with yourself!), with an invitation to create more harmony so that you may strengthen the connections that nurture you most.
As you tune into the different types of relationships you are holding space for, notice if there are any areas in a particular relationship that feel off. What changes need to take place or words need to be said so that you can bring more compassion and balance into this relationship? Are your needs being met? Is there a boundary that needs to be spoken more clearly so you can feel less anxious or resentful? Are you meeting the relationship’s needs to the best of your ability? With Venus in Libra to support you, this is the week to focus on this area of your life.
New moon solar eclipse in Scorpio
Later in the week, on October 23rd, the Sun and Venus will move into the investigative sign of Scorpio, and on October 25th, there will be a new moon solar eclipse in Scorpio as well! This eclipse will be focused on exposing the darker parts of yourself you tend to keep hidden (your shadow/Ego), and will also encourage you to pay attention to your finances, your emotional investments, and any power dynamics happening around you. As the energy swiftly shifts away from the enamoring sign of Libra, strengthening your relationship bonds will be as important as ever to help you feel supported during any periods of emotional processing that Scorpio or this eclipse may stir up.
Embrace your shadow and transform
Scorpio energy tends to unearth emotional and subconscious memories hidden deep in the psyche, but it also asks us to lovingly accept all parts of ourselves that it calls to the surface because that is where our transformative power lies! When we learn to accept, and even love all parts of ourselves, we are able to embody and experience the true, transformative, and beautiful power of Scorpio. Uncomfortable things may come up, but try to approach them with compassion and curiosity.
As you work to embrace your shadow and transform your consciousness, draw upon the practices that help you feel regulated, lean on the support of those closest to you, and trust into the deep knowing that beneath it all, you are a whole, perfect embodiment of darkness and light, just the way you are.
Your class of the week: Self-Massage for Tired Legs
Give your tired legs a treat and follow along with Liz Arch as she guides you through her go-to routine for releasing stress and tension from the legs. This healing sequence is especially great for if you're on your feet all day and the best part? It can be done in less than 5 minutes! From hips to feet – your legs will thank you!
This class is free for everyone - even non-subscribers! Log into (or create) your YogaGirl.com account to practice this class for free all week long from the Practice page. Click here to practice now!
Community spotlight
Do you know someone from the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities or someone from any other underserved community (LGBTQ+, refugees, victims from social injustice or abuse, discrimination, etc.) that inspires you in some way and you'd like them to be recognized? Or someone with a small business that you'd like more people to know about? Or maybe someone making an impact that needs their voice heard and supported by a larger community?
As part of our initiative in amplifying and uplifting the voices and experiences of those in underserved and underrepresented communities, each month we will be selecting someone nominated by YOU to feature in our Yoga Girl Weekly newsletter.
Along with being featured (where they can share their businesses, projects, stories, etc.) each nominee selected will also receive a HOME: A Self-Guided Journey course (with lifetime access) + a 12 month membership to YogaGirl.com. If you know someone in your community that you’d like to nominate, we encourage you to learn more about our Community Spotlight and fill out a nomination form here.
Thank you for reading our newsletter! We'll be back next week with more, so until then, remember that you are worthy and it is not selfish to put yourself first.
With love,
Rachel and Team Yoga Girl