Is self-care selfish?

No. Self-care is the foundation that allows you to show up for others. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Airline safety instructions are instructive: secure your own oxygen mask before helping others. Self-care isn't self-indulgence—it's the maintenance that keeps you functional, present, and capable of service.

What's the difference between self-care and self-indulgence?

Self-care addresses genuine needs and leaves you feeling restored; self-indulgence often masks avoidance and can leave you feeling worse. Eating a nourishing meal is self-care; numbing with junk food is indulgence. The distinction lies in intention and outcome: does this practice serve your long-term wellbeing, or does it just feel good in the moment?

How do I make time for self-care?

Start by recognizing self-care as non-negotiable rather than optional. Schedule it like any important appointment. Begin small—even 10 minutes of intentional practice counts. Notice what you're saying 'yes' to that depletes you, and consider what could be released. Often the issue isn't lack of time but lack of permission to prioritize yourself.

Self-Care Defined: The Yoga Approach to Caring for Yourself | Yoga Near Me

Self-Care Defined

Also known as: Self-Nourishment, Self-Tending, Personal Wellness Practice

Self-care is the intentional practice of attending to your physical, emotional, and mental needs—not indulgence or luxury, but the essential maintenance that allows you to function, heal, and show up fully in your life and relationships.

TL;DR Summary

Intentional practices that restore and maintain your physical, emotional, and mental health
Not selfish—it's the foundation that allows you to care for others
Includes rest, movement, boundaries, nourishment, and practices like yoga

What Is Self-Care?

Self-care has been commercialized into bubble baths and face masks, but its actual meaning is simpler and more essential: the deliberate actions you take to tend to your own wellbeing. It's recognizing that you are not an infinite resource, that depletion is real, and that restoration is necessary—not optional.

In yoga philosophy, self-care connects to ahimsa (non-harming)—which includes not harming yourself through neglect, overwork, or ignoring your body's signals. It also relates to saucha (cleanliness/purity) and tapas (discipline)—maintaining practices that keep you clear and healthy.

Authentic self-care often isn't glamorous. It's going to bed at a reasonable hour. It's eating vegetables. It's saying no to commitments that would overextend you. It's taking your medication. It's ten minutes of stretching when your body aches. These mundane acts are the real substance of self-care.

The Dimensions of Self-Care

🏃 Physical

Sleep, nutrition, movement, medical care, rest, hygiene—the body's basic needs that are easy to neglect under stress.

Emotional

Processing feelings, setting boundaries, asking for help, therapy, journaling—tending to your inner life.

Mental

Managing stress, limiting overwhelm, challenging negative self-talk, learning, intellectual stimulation.

Social

Nurturing supportive relationships, setting limits with draining ones, community, connection, belonging.

Spiritual

Meditation, prayer, nature, meaning-making, practices that connect you to something larger than yourself.

Practical

Financial planning, organization, time management—the structural supports that reduce chaos and stress.

Self-Care Through Yoga

Yoga offers multiple self-care pathways:

Asana — Physical practice that moves stagnant energy, releases tension, and reconnects you to your body

Pranayama — Breathwork that regulates the nervous system and reduces stress hormones

Yoga Nidra — Deep rest that restores when sleep hasn't been enough

Meditation — Mental training that creates space between stimulus and response

Savasana — Intentional rest and integration often skipped but deeply restorative

Community — Class attendance provides connection, structure, and accountability

Self-Care vs. Self-Indulgence

The distinction matters. Self-care addresses genuine needs and leaves you restored. Self-indulgence often masks avoidance and can leave you feeling worse.

Self-care: Taking a rest day when your body needs recovery
Self-indulgence: Skipping workouts indefinitely because you don't feel like it
Self-care: Enjoying a nourishing meal
Self-indulgence: Numbing with junk food to avoid feelings
Self-care: Setting a boundary with a demanding friend
Self-indulgence: Ghosting everyone because socializing feels hard

The test: Does this practice serve my long-term wellbeing, or does it just feel good in the moment while creating problems later?

Note on privilege: Self-care requires resources—time, energy, sometimes money. Acknowledging this doesn't diminish its importance but recognizes that access isn't equal. Start where you are, with what you have. Even small acts count.

Building a Self-Care Practice

Start With the Basics

Before adding practices, assess the fundamentals: Are you sleeping enough? Eating regularly? Drinking water? Moving your body? These unsexy basics are the foundation—no amount of meditation fixes chronic sleep deprivation.

Identify Your Signals

What tells you you're depleted? Irritability? Physical tension? Withdrawal? Somatic awareness helps you catch depletion early, before crisis.

Schedule It

What isn't scheduled often doesn't happen. Put self-care in your calendar like any important appointment. Guard that time.

Make It Non-Negotiable

This is the hardest part. Recognize that self-care isn't selfish—it's what allows you to show up for everything else. The oxygen-mask analogy applies: you cannot help others if you've collapsed.

Make Practice Part of Your Self-Care

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