Self-care of mind and body is often forgotten, delegated to an unscheduled future vacation, or dropped into the “I’ll do it some other time,” category.
I’ve been guilty of playing victim to the digital age and the slow-to-catch-up Industrial Age mentality of corporate America.
The mental and physical stress we are gifted by the “Right now” world has our eyes sore, muscles tight, and our minds racing.
The Mobile Spa
Why not Netflix and chill, then Netflix and treat your quadriceps to a foam roller?
Today you can have the benefits of a bliss wherever you are: On a bus, at the office, in the airport, or in your bedroom
These are my five favorite self-care tools that I take with me to the office, on trips, and to friend’s houses.
Packed together, these tools can fit into your carry-on, or laptop bag and provide you with on-the-go physical and mental therapy.
1. The Beastie Bars
This is torture device number one. If you’ve tried your friend’s foam roller and thought it was painful, you haven’t tried the beastie bars. As firm as a lacrosse bar, this is my favorite tool for full body deep tissue massage:
2. Acupressure Mat
One of the guides I’ve met in life introduced me to the acupressure mat, and I still enjoy watching the look on a person’s face when they first stand on it with bare feet.
The lesson here is to move beyond the pain into the realm of relaxation. Take your shirt off and lay on this mat for 10 minutes. The 6,000+ points of pressure relax the muscles and ease tension. That is, if you can get beyond the initial shock.
3. MINDFOLD
Sean introduced the mindfold to me as a mobile sensory deprivation tool. And it works. It’s eliminates all light and can induce a psychedelic time. Today, I use the mindfold for meditation, sleep, and as part of a mindfulness technique to bring a client to center.
4. Bose Qc35: Active Noise Cancelling headphones
When I was spending 40 hours per month on a packed city bus, these headphones changed my life. Flip on the noise cancellation switch and the sonic landscape of your environment disappears. It’s you and your personal soundscape.
Great for office workers, travelers, meditation, and focus in a noisy world.
5. Insight Timer
Insight Timer is my go-to meditation app that offers a large *mostly free* library of guided meditations and a basu bell timer. There are meditations for sleep, shamanic journeys, gratitude building and even a spirit animal quest. Plus, your meditation stats are tracked. Sign up for free then feel free to add me:
Mix-And-Match
My favorite self-reset combination: Put the headphones on, turn on active noise cancellation, lay on your acupressure mat with your neck on the beastie bars, and set insight timer to 11 minutes. Once you hit start, put on the mindfold. Bliss!
What are your favorite mobile self-care tools or practices? Let me know in the comments!
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My favorite self care tool is to focus on breathing. There are many times throughout a day where things can become stressful or a blur. Taking the time out, even if its a minute on a crowded bus, to concentrate on ones breath and the listen to your lungs and heart sing their song is tranquillity.
Wise. The song of tranquility clears the fog of perception.