Today I Sat Down – Nurturing Myself as a Woman

~ womeninlivingness

by Beverley Brown, UK

It was a usual Monday morning and I was getting ready for the day. I noticed I felt a little off as I had my period and it was a little uncomfortable, so this I gently pondered on.

I proceeded to shower, gently washing and drying myself, as part of my morning ritual. I then put on my underwear, which I had felt to warm on the radiator beforehand. This felt amazing and a very loving and nurturing thing to do.

Then came the make-up and hair. I usually stand in the bathroom (the light is better here) for the make-up, or in front of a long mirror at the top of the stairs where the hairdryer, brush and product station is.

Today, due to achy legs and a mild ache in my uterus, I felt to see what it would be like to sit down whilst doing both these tasks. I got a small folding chair from downstairs and placed it in front of the mirror and I sat down. I noticed the metal edge of the chair was slightly cold on my bare legs, so I put back on my pyjama bottoms and slippers to keep me warm. My make-up did not go on as usual and the mascara smudged down under and above one of my eyes. This did not faze me at all as I was caring for and loving myself so much by sitting down that it rubbed out the potential annoyance of the smudge effect, so to speak. As I sat applying my make-up I noticed that from my seated position I was not close enough to the mirror to see well enough without straining to reach forward. To correct this potential straining I chose to use a smaller hand held mirror. I felt like a movie star in a black and white film as I gently, carefully and quite elegantly applied my make-up, taking my time, paying attention to myself… and actually enjoying myself, too.

I continued to dry my hair and I noticed I was paying more attention to my body in my new found position of being seated. “Why had I not done this before?” I asked myself, as it felt amazing.

The hair and make-up were complete; not looking as tidy as they normally do, but all of this was absolutely fine as inside I felt amazing and not fazed by the fact that my hair had suddenly decided to become static and lively at the front, and also that one eye was not quite as perfectly made up as usual. I had taken so much care of myself and I felt the beauty of me from the inside to be so great that I just knew the outside would reflect this, even though to the eye it may not be perfect (a smudgy eye and static fringe!).

I then took the chair back downstairs and I used it to stand my washing basket on so I didn’t have to bend to the floor to get the washing from the basket. Again this simple and obvious choice made a huge impact on how I felt.

I had really taken care of me and it took no extra time and there was no ‘to do’ list about what I was doing.

A recent discussion with other women around nurturing has emphasised to me how self-nurturing is not about a long list of ‘have to dos’,  ‘to dos’ or a time consuming regime that ‘must be completed’ and “then I’ll feel like a woman because I’ve done it”. No, to really nurture me as a woman is about taking care and honouring myself fully. Not compromising my body in any situation, even when applying my make-up and doing my hair! I have learned through this experience that nurturing is a gentle flow of self-care from within that then plays out as an outer experience. The key for me was to actually bother to take notice of how I was feeling and honouring that in the moment it was felt, like sitting down when my legs ached. How easy is that???

The point really is how simple it is to introduce those little things in our everyday tasks and routines that can make a HUGE difference to our day, without taking extra time or putting undue pressure on ourselves.

Hey, I even ended up with plenty of time to write this down to share with you and still leave for work on time without rushing.  What an Awesome start to my day!!

153 thoughts on “Today I Sat Down – Nurturing Myself as a Woman”

  1. Pulling up a chair to do one’s make up can seem like being a ‘princess’ or being a ‘movie star’… and though there is nothing ‘wrong’ with this, I know a part of me can sometimes feel uncomfortable about this, as I have had this upbringing and grown up with an understanding where it was seen as a fluffy or unnecessary thing to do. But today, I enjoy this, and actually have a make up table dedicated for this – something I have never in my life imagined I would ever get.

  2. Those little things do matter…. I can sometimes be in a rush and feel like there is no time to attend to the detail of things, but this is actually often my un-doing! When I attend to the detail, then everything feels complete and this feeds me back and looks after me too.

  3. “The key for me was to actually bother to take notice of how I was feeling and honouring that in the moment it was felt, like sitting down when my legs ached. How easy is that???” – So true Beverley, this is actually very simple and easy to do, though so many times we can fight it.

  4. While reading this blog my body was delicately opnening up and somehow experiencing the nurturing that you were describing on it. It’s like your body was talking to mine and the language of care was instanly clocked and understood. Thanks Beverly

  5. The routine of ‘This is how I’ve always done it’ can easily become a ‘to do’ list. When we stop and feel what honours our body those seemingly small changes can make an enormous difference to how we feel.

  6. Beverley this is gorgeous; gorgeous in it’s simplicity, gorgeous in how it feels and gorgeous in it’s deep wisdom. If we simply applied the principles that you share here we would transform our lives beyond measure.

  7. Allowing ourselves the space to honour our body is huge and an ongoing process. You originally inspired me to set up my dressing table and chair but after a recent move around of furniture I have not taken the time to adjust my hairdryer position as it is now at a more awkward angle. Great reminder to not compromise and always be open to the body’s communication.

  8. ‘The key for me was to actually bother to take notice of how I was feeling and honouring that in the moment it was felt’ – how often do we clock what we’re feeling and say to ourselves that we’ll deal with it later, or just not really bother allowing ourselves to feel something fully? And what would be the impact on our levels of energy, vitality, connection with others, if we did actually pay more attention to what we felt, and honoured it in those moments? I love how you’ve shared here that self-care isn’t a tick list of stuff to make us feel good, but a moment to moment choice to pay attention, to listen, and to honour what we feel – instead of dismissing it. Listening to ourselves and acting upon that is like we’re saying to ourselves, yes, I hear you and you are worth this level of care and attention.

    1. When we choose to listen to our body’s messages we are committing to a level of self-care that truly honours and supports us as we move through our day.

  9. I have experienced this too, how attending to what my body feels actually is very impactful and how it is easy to not do it and just do it the way I always do it. Yet listening in the moment allows yourself to surrender in the body instead of hardening to cope with the pain, tiredness or tension that is there at that moment.

  10. I agree Beverley, bringing in changes that support us can be very simple, ‘The point really is how simple it is to introduce those little things in our everyday tasks and routines that can make a HUGE difference to our day, without taking extra time or putting undue pressure on ourselves.’

  11. Honouring what our body is communicating is huge and supports us to build a nurturing rhythm that is not about ‘have to dos’ but is about feeling what would support us in any situation. Thank you for the inspiration to explore this more.

  12. You raise a great point here, it is about what we are feeling in the present and honouring that now, ‘ key for me was to actually bother to take notice of how I was feeling and honouring that in the moment it was felt, like sitting down when my legs ached.’

  13. The way we can deeply care for ourselves is not determined by protocols, rules or text books; it is a moment to moment unfolding of what is there to attend to next, without rush or expectations.

  14. Thank you Beverley for sharing how easy it is to honour our bodies with that extra level of care and nurturing.

  15. This is beautiful, and makes my wonder how many times in the day there is the opportunity to be so attentive in one’s self-care. And maybe if I paid more attention to these opportunities I would feel the benefit of this throughout my body as I carry on with the daily tasks of life.

    1. Absolutely Shami it is not about doing x, y or z in the morning and then ticking that off our list as done but being open to exploring this throughout our day.

  16. ” Not compromising my body in any situation, even when applying my make-up and doing my hair! I have learned through this experience that nurturing is a gentle flow of self-care from within that then plays out as an outer experience.” Beautiful to read how we can lovingly support ourselves, even when not feeling 100%.

  17. Beautiful sharing Beverley self-nurturing can be very simple and straightforward in this example it was just through choosing a chair to support you that gave you a moment to fully appreciate yourself as a woman.

  18. It feels like nurturing is more of a movement that comes from inside of us, a connection to a quality and then being with that quality in all that we do.

      1. This is a great point Alexis – for when we look after ourselves it is a reflection for others to do so too.

      2. We are The United Body of God, it’s not possible to look after ourselves without also looking after the All and likewise when we abuse ourselves we’re also abusing the All. We simply can’t escape the fact that in truth we’re the connectedness of God in His entirety.

  19. There is a quality within us that never fades away, that represents who we are in essence and in-truth is always waiting to guide us. When we start to pay attention to this quality, to what it is communicating to us, and begin to honor these impulses, the richness of who we are comes to life and we begin to live we a greater awareness and connection to our real selves.

  20. The message is loud and clear, caring for and nurturing ourselves is very simple nor hard or something extra to fit into our day. It’s how we do what we do.

  21. Being a woman is exactly that – a being and not a doing. A being that gets tended to in every given moment to the tiniest detail until it becomes as natural to us as breathing.

  22. Self-nurturing creates space in your body which creates space in your day. It’s simple how looking after your quality in how you do things supports you actually achieve more.

  23. Beautiful Beverly, it is these little details in the moment that make all the difference.Thank you for sharing.

  24. Thanks Beverley, I enjoyed reading about your experiences again today and contemplating on those many little moments in my day that I could bring more care for myself to. I really enjoyed reading this line “…nurturing is a gentle flow of self-care from within that then plays out as an outer experience. The key for me was to actually bother to take notice of how I was feeling and honouring that in the moment it was felt”.

  25. Thank you Beverley for your sharing, for me this is it “The key for me was to actually bother to take notice of how I was feeling and honouring that in the moment it was felt, like sitting down when my legs ached. How easy is that???” I often get signals from my body but do I always pay attention to what my body is needing, It really is so simple as the body knows how to nurture itself.

  26. Having a ‘to do’ list and following it ticking it off can get in the way of the flow that is naturally present. Surrendering and ‘being’ in the flow means to me an allowing and accepting what is there in front of me and not dismissing and ignoring it because of what is to be done on my list!

  27. I remember the first day I sat down to do my makeup having stood and leaned into the bathroom mirror previously – it was life changing and I’ve never gone back. Soon to follow was a dressing table.

  28. I remember the day that I chose to get a stool to sit on to do my makeup instead of standing in front of the bathroom mirror. It was so lovely and it was not long after that that I went and bought myself a dressing table.

  29. ““Why had I not done this before?” I asked myself, as it felt amazing.” This is a question I have asked myself so many, many times since being inspired by the words of the Ageless Wisdom and the reflection of those who live the amazingness of who they truly are.

  30. It was such a pleasure to read of your surrender into honouring yourself and expressing your beauty through your morning routine… although the whole time I couldn’t stop thinking about warming underwear on a radiator – what an awesome and deeply nurturing idea!

  31. It’s such an honouring and ceremonial gesture to self to sit and connect to our bodies, when we apply our make up. It really does have an entirely different feel and I know I actually take more time for myself when I sit down to apply my makeup and feel into what colours and style I would like to do on any given day. It’s a great space to simply enjoy expressing and being all of who we are.

  32. I too have been exploring the joy and fun of our everyday routine and seeing that when they are done in a quality that deeply supports ourselves they take on a ceremonial style routine for me. It feels very rich and lovely to apply my make up with this level of care and it offers a moment to appreciate the love I hold for myself and also offers me a chance to deepen this awareness and see where I can add even more care in other areas of my life. it’s the consistency in these moments to bring and discover true love and support that brings through more richness to our lives.

  33. I am feeling a little fragile this morning. Reading your blog made me smile and I am inspired to pay attention to the detail of how I get ready for my busy day ahead, making sure I honour how I’m feeling.

  34. Oh how much I would love to have a dressing table in my home to sit down and do my make up at. Sitting down to be with myself and then to apply my make up would be amazing. Thank you for this beautiful sharing.

  35. To really take time to feel in the moment Beverley and to honour that, like you did with your chair, that’s the key to deeply nurturing ourselves. And that decision to honour opens up a whole other set of others. A ripple of honour.

  36. ‘I have learned through this experience that nurturing is a gentle flow of self-care from within that then plays out as an outer experience.’ Beautifully expressed Beverley and the whole flow of your writing feels so gentle and nurturing and I feel inspired to be more open to my body’s communication about what would support it.

  37. I love what you have shared here Beverly. It really is paying attention to the little details of how we are doing things that make all the difference.

  38. It is as you say Beverley so important to listen to and honour our bodies in the moment, what they are saying is wise and loving, ‘to really nurture me as a woman is about taking care and honouring myself fully. Not compromising my body in any situation, even when applying my make-up and doing my hair!’

  39. This a such a deeply beautiful reminder that the quality of our loving connection to ourselves is far more valuable and of greater purpose to the world than the efforts made to just be accepted for presenting a picture perfect image of ourselves. Through the choices we make to honor ourselves first and the love we are, we then are magnifying the beauty of our love through our bodies through which we can only emanate this inner-beauty for all to see and feel. To be met by this quality of connection, inner-beauty and sacredness is a quality that I am always inspired and touched by.

  40. This blog makes me smile Beverley, how simple it can be when we listen to our bodies and drop the expectations and pictures of how things should be. One thing leads to the next and everything flows with an ease and somehow we have time and space to care – the key is deciding to honour that inner voice and understand that our bodies know exactly what we need, it really is that simple.

  41. I find that I can have thoughts sometimes of – if I stop, or allow myself to rest, or take a more gentle path, then this is a failure somehow – that I should be able to do all these things without needing to rest, stop, or take the more gentle path. It is these thoughts that are so insidious because they come cloaked with the promise of being better – if I do a certain thing I will be a better woman, mum, etc. But none of this is true, and the real beauty comes from honouring the needs of my body – what it tells me it needs, without my mind getting in the way and running the show.

  42. I really love how the chair plays such an important role in Beverly’s morning. Such a simple and practical tool. Perhaps on another day the chair would have seemed too far away, or to much effort to get. But on this day, nothing was too much effort in the care of Beverley Brown, gorgeous woman.

    1. Great point SD – that when we choose to honor and care for ourselves there is no limit to how far we will go, for we are worth it all when it comes to honoring our love within.

  43. Thank you for sharing this, it just reminded the power of simplicity and self honouring. If we just stop to consider there is always a simple way, with out tension and straining.

    1. Self honouring is simple in practice but we bar our own access to it with all manner of ideals and beliefs. For example the belief that we ‘should go to the gym’ often over rides our ability to just lay down instead, our belief that we are stronger if we ‘soldier on’ prevents us from resting when we need to, our belief that we can’t cancel guests means that we entertain when we’re exhausted, the list is quite literally endless but the results are the same and that is that we don’t even look after ourselves let alone honour ourselves.

  44. “Nurturing is a gentle flow of self-care from within that then plays out as an outer experience.” I love these simple words about what nurturing is and that when we honour our body our self nurturing will naturally deepen as our body leads the way.

  45. Lovely to read this today and appreciate how much more nurturing I am than when I read it before, and also to recognise that this nurturing awareness and ever deepening quality that I feel can be more consistent and ever expanding.

  46. By using the our cycles app I’m discovering how many nurturing moments I have within my day. In the past I would have considered nurturing to be a list of things I did to get ready for the day but as you describe nurturing is not this it is honouring what my body is asking for at any given moment. What I love about your experience Beverly is how all the little details made the difference and that each one built on the next.

  47. Beverly what I love about this blog is all the moments that you chose to honour what you were feeling and nurture yourself added no time to your day. They were things that you were going to be doing anyway and by honouring what you felt you changed how you felt and changed the way you started your day.

  48. I read this blog some time ago and was inspired to re-arrange my bedroom so that I had a stool to sit down on whilst I got ready in the morning. It has made such a huge difference to the way I get ready, I’m no longer straining to get to the mirror or wanting to get ready quickly because I’m on my feet, instead I really enjoy the process of getting ready and feel far more delicious within now when I start my day.

  49. Beverley,
    I can feel the elegance of the movie star in your sharing. We are all that elegant and tender, so maybe as women it is acceptance of this irrefutable truth that will encourage us all to care for ourselves with the grace that our bodies naturally call for.

  50. So gorgeous Beverley. It makes a difference when we take note and listen to exactly what our bodies are telling us we need. Its amazing.

  51. I love how it was your body Beverly that guided your morning and how by honouring what your body was saying to you actually supported you even more than you thought. Simplicity is the key and not perfection and getting things completed off our tick list. I continue to learn this one.

  52. So simple, listening to our body and taking steps to support ourselves in whatever creative way is needed. Nurturing ourselves this way would undoubtably build a beautiful feeling of self worth.

  53. Life is so simple if we take a moment to feel what is needed from moment to moment, what I have learnt is that there is no tick-boxing in nurturing, every moment is fresh.

  54. Beverly your experience show me that there are many ways to care and nurture to ourselves. This can be done in a so enjoyable way where we connect with our inner-beauty. Is not about do the right things about care, or acting the delicacy in our daily routine, is about connection and feeling first what our bodies needs in every moment.

  55. “Nurturing is a gentle flow of self-care from within that then plays out as an outer experience.” Such an inspiring words. Thank you Beverly.

  56. It is so worth it to take care of our bodies and to make sure we have the right position to complete a task without straining. Because when we strain, we start to rush as we try to speed things up to get out of the discomfort we put ourselves in. When the body is supported we can enjoy what ever we have to do and life and its chores is so much more beautiful when done in the enjoyment of the moment.

  57. Gorgeous Berverley. I love how simple this is. Simple easy but with a huge effect. Paying attention to yourself and feeling what your body needs makes a huge difference to the quality of your day.

  58. What I love about what you share Beverley is that it is all about the loving quality we take in every moment that can truly honour how lovely we feel inside without perfection. Thank you.

  59. The beauty that we feel within should always be the standard we measure to, if we measure at all. Even though the outer can reflect the inner doesn’t mean the outer has to be perfect to represent this. I love how this blog shares that you can be imperfect however to extremely lovely from the inside out.

  60. “then I’ll feel like a woman because I’ve done it”. Thanks Beverley, this made me smile as it felt very familiar. Choosing to appreciate myself for the amazing woman I am before I get out of bed and I know who I am with nothing to be done.

  61. So great to read how simple nurturing can be Beverley, nothing dramatic or difficult just everyday things done with loving care for the body and for who you are as a woman.

  62. What a gorgeous blog Beverly I was with you all the way. It is the little things that we tend to over look that make the difference. I could feel how you took the time to really honour what was loving for you at that moment..

  63. Listening to my body and honouring it in simple everyday tasks as Beverly has shared so beautifully sustains energy rather than wastes it and brings greater efficiency to the day as well. Instead of feeling drained and incomplete, there is a rhythm that can support more activity without losing quality.

    1. I agree Simon and I could feel this from Beverley’s beautiful blog. Staying consistent in this love and care brings a natural harmony and order to our lives that totally inspires and supports everyone.

  64. It is so lovely to read this and recognise that not compromising ourselves is so easy to choose. With so many compromising themselves for the sake of their to do lists, it has become so normal, that stepping outside of the box appears a big step when in fact it can be such a simple and yet powerful act of love towards oneself. Thank you for sharing how easy and profound honouring and nurturing ourselves can be.

  65. We can use nurturing as an alibi to bring ourselves down if we do it from our heads as in I have to do this and that to tick the nurturing boxes. Or nurturing can be something very simple and beautiful that comes from honouring where are we at and what is that the body needs and giving it to it.

  66. Beverley I really loved the simplicity of the loving choices you made, it’s amazing how easily we can override this, yet the moment we follow our feelings, just by choosing to support ourselves in such simple ways, what a huge difference it can make! Thank you for sharing your experience, it is such a gentle reminder to honour what we feel and begin to nurture ourselves.

  67. It is easy to start to do something with the intention of nurturing myself, only to get taken off track when something doesn’t go right. One of the points I have taken from you blog is that setbacks are just that: the main point is to come back to nurturing and keep going. Thanks Beverley – your blog is appreciated.

  68. Beverley, it’s really is about noticing what we feel, and then as you say honouring that. And those little fine details make a huge difference, I can feel how your day opened up with that one thing of sitting down – simple and yet far-reaching.

  69. Thanks for sharing this Beverly. We must not underestimate the power of every simple gesture and how it can support us or not. I can see that over time, choosing simple loving gestures will become a pattern, a way of being. Likewise, simple unloving gestures can also become a way of being.

  70. I love this blog Beverley, especially how in honouring yourself you dropped the ideal that everything had to be perfect. Also amazing how when we attend to the details it creates so much more space in the day. Priceless wisdom in this simple blog, thank you.

  71. Absolutely Beverly, noticing how we are nurturing ourselves is hugely important, no detail is too small.

  72. Beverley, I was inspired by your sharing to be more self nurturing to myself in the most simple ways, as you mentioned, instead of standing sit if need be. I am sure there are many ways I can find to be more gentle and loving to myself! Thank you.

    1. The simplicity of noticing and honouring what our body shares with us is a truly beautiful relationship to develop and I love how this continues to unfold.

  74. Beverley, I love the gentle way you shared your beautifully nurturing morning and steps you took to honour how your body felt. We often put up with annoyances and discomforts rather than, as you did, feel, remove and replace them with something that supports us. It’s true what you say, self nurturing isn’t about to do lists but introducing more gentle ways to be with ourselves as we carry out everyday and routine activities.

  75. Thank you for your great explanation of what nurturing is for you. I love how you share its not about ticking boxes but feeling in that moment what is truly needed.

    2. This is gold for me too, how you have explicated it for me in such tender detail. Yes the beauty that you are would shine through and I love that yiu didn’t react to the mascara moment!

  76. The details you share in your level of care Beverley demonstrate such a high level of body connection, awareness and honouring of yourself. It is gorgeous and indeed makes as you describe a HUGE difference in the quality of our life – in all its aspects.

  77. I am sure most have felt the tension of wanting to do something extra to nurture and honour themselves in the mornings and felt how that is yet another thing to ‘fit in’. But then again don’t we deserve the space to truly honour ourselves?

  78. Thank you Beverley for sharing this very basic and down to earth means of nurturing yourselves. I have done this in the past but I can say that most of the time the task becomes my sole focus over what my body is feeling. However, with the current really noticeable feelings my body is telling me when I do listen to them I do feel lighter in myself and that I say current because it has changed over the years. Once upon a time I would never had even considered changing a top and was too tight on me, the other day I couldn’t bare 5 minutes in the thing before changing it! This shows me that nurturing how we feel is not instant, does require repetition but the benefits we experience are massive because all those little nuisances quickly can build up if left there.

  79. The simple and specific reminders in your article are timely for me; I have been letting my mind tell me ‘I don’t know how to self nurture, it’s hard & my old patterns are in my way…but I can listen to my body and it feels good and so right.
    Thank you Beverly.

  80. Beverly, a true piece of writing. The love and care that you showed to yourself is so well described. The simplicity of you sitting down on your stool, keeping warm and beautifully honouring yourself is a testament to the qualities of a true woman.

  81. I cant believe I haven’t seen this lovely blog before.
    It is awesome, and so timely as I have just found a very beautiful dressing table for my bedroom that I can sit at with ease to do my makeup etc. I used to sit down in the bathroom but it was awkward with the cupboards in the way under the sink.
    It feels so gorgeous and I am in the process of putting not just my make up in the draws there but also my body lotions and other yummy girly products. My ‘appreciation station’ as tonisteenson has written above.
    My bedroom is tiny but by moving my bed over a little and bringing in the dressing table and chair it somehow feels and looks much bigger and more spacious too.

  82. I love this blog Beverely, it is a beautiful confirmation of honouring ourselves, our body and our feelings very simply,

  83. Thank you so much beautiful Beverley for showing that it could be so simple to care for ourselves!!!! I love the easiness and the flow and that inspires me to allow myself to be more aware what my body needs.

  84. I read this blog quite a while ago, and created myself a space to sit and get myself ready. Now we are building a house and I have allowed a special spot for this, now very magical place in my day. My area not only has a getting ready (adoring) station but an appreciation station. The appreciation station is made up of four huge wardrobe mirrors so I can watch myself dance and have fun, thank you for the inspiration you offered me the best interior design space ever.

  85. Not compromising my body in any situation. I just love that line. The way you describe your make-up and hair procedure is to loving. The power of the details. I realize with your blog that I can pay some more attention to such details i.e.more light to truely see both my eyes clearly, a place to put my make-up things so I can easily pick it up. And the idea of sitting down doing it, great!

  86. Beverley having re-read this fantastic blog again I really loved this. ” To really nurture me as a woman is about taking care and honouring myself fully. Not compromising my body in any situation, even when applying my make-up and doing my hair! ” Even such simple tasks of our day to day lives can be nurturing moments of self care. This just makes me look at so many more things with a deeper feeling of love and responsibility for how I care for me. Thank you.

  87. Awesome, indeed, Beverley. Thank you for sharing. “Why had I not done this before?” – I love that. I feel your appreciation of how a tiny adjustment could make a huge difference, and this is very inspiring to feel. The whole blog feels like you are holding a baby’s hand as she takes her first steps. Walking beside her, letting her take the lead and wobble. Gorgeous.

  88. “The key for me was to actually bother to take notice of how I was feeling and honouring that in the moment it was felt, like sitting down when my legs ached.”
    So simple to honour what we feel: why is it overridden? I have been recommending for months that my students bring cushions / towels to place on their hard, cold plastic chairs: not one cushion or towel in evidence yet….this lack of self awareness starts oh so young. SO very inspiring to share how we feel when we do honour our body and that becomes our self nurturing.

  89. Thank you for taking the time to share Beverley. I noticed as I was reading your blog that my hands were resting on the laptop ready, poised to make my comment and I could feel a discomfort in my arms, wrists and hands. I realised that I can relax my arms when I am not actually typing (revelation!).

  90. Beverley that is awesome and to nurture yourself and your body without compromise is beautifully honouring.

  91. So awesome! A great inspiration to look at the ways I compromise my body everyday. Thank you!

  92. Beverley, this is a beautiful reflection on how nurturing and supporting ourselves comes naturally when we choose to truly listen to our bodies and honor it – thank you.

    P.S and thank you for the tip on warm undies… I’m looking forward to trying it!

  93. “I have learned through this experience that nurturing is a gentle flow of self-care from within that then plays out as an outer experience.” What an inspirational line from an inspirational blog. I love how the detail of you honouring became a such a deeply nurturing experience: it’s inspiring.

  95. Nurturing ourselves in these little ways builds until it becomes a way of life. Gorgeous it is too! I also found a seat and a table mirror to sit and do my make up and I love it! Rituals like this may seem small but after a morning of honouring ourselves while getting ready sets up our whole day – just showing us that every gesture back towards loving ourselves has a knock on affect in our daily lives.

  96. Beverley, what a beautiful expression of how you so lovingly attend to yourself in the most natural and nurturing way, paying attention to the detail of every little thing. Love it.

  97. Thank you Beverley for showing what a huge difference paying attention to small things can make in our life. This is a beautiful reminder to always check in with myself every now and then to see how I am doing.

  98. Reading your experience Beverley has made me aware of attending to the little details in regard for self and the beneficial impact on our quality of being. This quality impacts on us and radiates to others.

  99. Lovely article Beverley. My growing awareness of paying attention to how my body feels rather than the task I am carrying out and getting it ‘done’ is rather fun and my body is certainly saying ‘Thank you’.

  100. Reading this Beverley, I am sitting on a chair with a supporting cushion behind my back and my feet resting on a low stool so they don’t get cold on the floor. Outside, It is minus 5 with a Northerly wind feeling about minus ten. The wood burning fire is going at maximum strength. I used to dry my hair standing in front of the mirror before realising that it would be more nurturing to actually sit down through this process and it is lovely. Nurturing is becoming a second nature as I now do it without even realising it. Thank you for a very enjoyable blog.

  101. Thankyou Beverley for reminding me of my preciousness, to feel what’s needed, and how simple it is to make and apply small changes to make a huge difference in how I feel.

  102. A lovely blog Beverly reminding me to be more self nurturing such as sitting instead of standing when I can and noticing how my body feels, not ignore it and just push through. Thank you.

  103. Last year I stayed with a dear friend. Her beautiful spare room came equipped with a large dressing table. I felt so divinely elegant sitting there to place my moisturiser and makeup. I wanted to take my time, enjoy the whole process. Reading you blog I have recalled my forgotten resolution to buy a dressing table for my bedroom. It is not about the dressing table in itself, it is about the fact that something a simple as taking the time and care to sit sends a powerful message to ourselves. We are worth every gesture that honours the beautiful women we are.

  104. Beverly this is an awesome blog, I love your humour over the static fringe and the lack of importance you put on ‘the not so perfect’ make up, as you could feel the care you had taken would confirm your beauty, naturally so.

    1. Hi Fiona, yes it was great to realise that what the outer looked like was second to how I felt on the inside. This was a revelation in itself for me to really feel the beauty from with in and knowingly express this without attaching the meaning of beauty to a look I had created.

  105. Loved reading this blog as it highlights the practicalities of self care and nurturing. I remember when I first sat down on a chair to do my hair and makeup it felt so different and I, more present. Now if I go to stand up at the mirror because it seems quicker it is a marker to check how my body is feeling. I agree it is these tiny changes we can all make that support us in the day. Thank you Beverley.

  106. Thanks for this post Beverley and I agree with your point that by introducing little things in our everyday tasks and routines it can make a HUGE difference to our day.
    What helps me is to prepare my clothes for work the night before.
    I use a chair with a soft blanket on for my face cleaning, make up and hair business.
    I have containers with slots for the make up and a drawer with bits that are all organised and I always put it back in the same place. This gives me a freedom beyond words and I get the whole thing done with minimum time.

  107. I loved this Beverley in the simplicity of noticing how your body was feeling and adjusting with no compromises to truly nurture yourself. Thank you such an inspiration.

  108. “The key for me was to actually bother to take notice of how I was feeling and honouring that in the moment it was felt, like sitting down when my legs ached. How easy is that???” Yes Beverly thank you for the reminder, life can be so simple and easy when we take the time to actually listen to what our bodies are saying.

    1. I think we can all relate to feeling little messages in our bodies, like if we are tired, uncomfortable, need a drink, need to stretch, need a walk, or a break from our desks, or even need the toilet! -but how many times do we say to ourselves ‘just let me finish this first’ or ‘i’ll do that later’ or not even give it an excuse, just ignore it and carry on? Your blog is a great example that if we do take a moment -literally a second sometimes, then it can make a huge difference to our day -even our life! I’m practising being ‘bothered’ to do these things I feel for myself, it doesn’t quite feel natural yet, but it is getting easier not to ignore…

      1. After reading this blog a second time I felt more deeply how profound it is the way in which we do the simple things in our day – the way in which we sit on a chair, walk in our kitchen, sit on the toilet etc, etc. It is so easy to make excuses to not honour ourselves in these simple everyday tasks.

  109. That is so cute Beverley, really appreciating that we got to read this blog, because you honoured your aching legs and decided to get a chair. A great example of how simple things in life are so precious.

  111. Hi Beverley, on re-reading your blog I am reminded how simple it can be to take care of ourselves by bringing a chair so we don’t have to bend so low. I use a small step to stand on when hanging my washing out so I’m not reaching up so high (I can also lower the line if I wish) and I had an oven built in at a height that means I don’t have to bend my arthritic knees to take hot food out. I have placed all the things I use a lot at an easy-to-reach height, and I have hooks for keys so I always know where to find them. As Meg says, we can choose to really deeply take care of ourselves as women.

    1. Absolutely – it’s the little details of care that we (I!) often forget. What also struck me since reading this blog is how easy it is to get stuck in a routine, and do that same thing every day, even when it could be so much more nurturing and caring. I’ve really noticed that in my evening routine, it’s the same every day but I really feeling like exploring other possibilities and refining it now!

      1. I agree Meg, we get stuck in patterns of doing the same things in the same way but tweaking the way in which we approach different tasks has a huge impact and be applied to everything we do, I have also been inspired to have a look at addressing the ways I do everyday tasks.

    2. I have found the simplicity of listening to my body and noticing any discomfort as I move to be a great indicator of the need to find another way to do things. Great example of lowering the line Carmel or standing on something to hang the washing out. Simple little daily things that all support us in taking loving care of our body.

  113. Thank you for sharing this great blog Beverley. It’s amazing how you feel just by doing those little things for yourself. Truly inspiring.

  114. You are AWESOME Beverley. You are deeply inspiring re being a true woman. I am inspired by your openness and honesty and willingness to go there.

  115. I loved reading your blog Beverley and I feel very inspired – I loved the bit about using your chair for your laundry basket so that you don’t have to bend down and compromise your body… of course! How simple that is, it takes no time to do, but how easily we can ‘not bother’ about these things.

    A few months ago I felt so strongly that it was important for me to sit down while putting on my make-up, but I had no dressing table. I then realised I had odd bits of furniture that I wasn’t really using – a desk, a bedside table, a beautiful mirror that I had in the living room because it looked so pretty. So that evening I put it all together, and created the most beautiful dressing table and loving space for me… first it was just for make-up, then I felt how lovely it would be to sit down while drying my hair (this meant extensions to the socket – again, not a problem, so easy to organise), and then body creams, face creams and pretty much everything moved from the bathroom to be around my precious dressing table.

    The first time I sat down at my dressing table I cried, realising what a loving gesture this simple act can be, and how I had missed giving myself such self-care. Since then it has been a consistent delicious reference point, as I get ready in the morning and in the evenings.

    The funny thing is though, I was just noticing this past week that when I apply eye liner, the mirror is that bit too far away and I end up straining a bit… and now I just read in your blog that you use a small compact mirror! Of course!! Problem solved.

    It is really beautiful to allow and explore how we can constantly refine our connection with ourselves and our nurturing – in the simplest of ways, and how much women can inspire each other.

    Thank you for a very joyful post.

  117. Hi Beverley, I loved your blog. I especially liked the line, “I have learned through this experience that nurturing is a gentle flow of self care from within, that then plays out as an outer experience”. As soon as I go into the doing, I lose the flow. I loved your example of the smudged eye and static hair – we really don’t have to be perfect to be a woman.

  118. Awesome Beverley! I love your awareness in the simplicity when preparing yourself before setting out for work. What I have felt from reading your blog, is it is not about the end result of the make up and hair looking perfect, but in how you were feeling when doing them! I know that when I apply my make up, I have to get it right putting pressure on myself! Why? Fantastic for me to truly feel this! Thank you.

  119. How lovely Beverley, I find it is moments like these that expand upon the absolute beauty and joy we know it is to be a woman. Thank you for sharing your beauty and joy Beverley.

  120. What great blog! I loved what you said about “Not compromising my body in any situation…” along with “to actually bother to take notice of how I was feeling and honouring that in the moment”. For me these two statements stood out in light-bulbs (which you must get for your movie star mirror!) as keys to nurturing, self-care and love, love, love. Thank you Beverley!

  121. Beautiful Beverley, an awesome post offering us all the simplicity of noticing how we are and attending to that, so that the everyday things are done with as much loving care to ourselves as to the job in hand. Thank you for taking the time to feel, honour and share.

  122. Hi Beverley, thank you for reminding me – I had been feeling the need for a dressing table to sit at doing my hair… and your article inspires me to do something about getting one! I love the simplicity of what nurturing means to you when you said “to really nurture me as a woman is about taking care and honouring myself fully”.

  123. It was a joy reading your blog Beverley! Thank you for sharing this simple yet powerful and awesome experience.

  124. How wonderful Beverley. You have reminded me of the need to listen to my body in the morning rather than just DO my routine!

  125. Wow, masterly! Where’s my chair?? Currently, I live in a small apartment with little room for extra chairs… but I’m so inspired I’m going to try and make it happen anyway. Thank you Beverley, for a marvellous article.

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