On the First day of Christmas, CocoonCare Gave to Me: An Advent Calendar for Holiday Pampering

Well, it almost rhymed! If you’re reading this, you are likely either pregnant or breast-feeding and unable to enjoy more than a few sips of wine, so we thought we would do you one better. As moms, we all tend to succumb to the super-mom role, which leaves little time to remember ourselves. So without further adieu, here’s your opportunity to take a moment for yourself, just a little smidgen of time for the next 12 days. Tis the season to be pampered! (There we go singing again!)

Day 1: Pause. Breathe. Repeat.

In the hustle and bustle of the holidays you’ll more likely remember your husband’s- Great-Aunt’s-cousin’s-mother’s favorite type of candle that you just HAVE to pick up before your family’s annual Christmas party before you remember to take a breath for yourself. But this is your moment, and our Advent Calendar. So we’re reminding you, before you pick up that candle, light one for yourself and take a moment.

Find a quiet space to be alone, pause and breathe deeply. For a minute or two, let the craziness of the season go, and reflect upon the things that make you feel joy, peace, and an overwhelming sense of being at home within your body. Take into consideration any aches and pains you may feel, think about the parts of your mind and body that need a little extra care and place your gentle, peaceful, focus there.
Breathe deep and remember to be grateful for this body growing your little one, or that has just brought them earthside with strength and perseverance. Remember you, your needs, and your limits. And once you’ve cleared your mind, rise refreshed from the quiet, ready to take on whatever comes next. (Repeat 3x’s per day)

Day 2: Get Grounded

No we don’t mean the punishment you give your kids for bringing home bad grades, although, what sounded like a punishment as a child sounds like a much needed break when you’re older, am I right? The “break” part is a little closer to what we’re going for. To piggyback on our recommendation of Pause, Breathe and Repeat on day one, day two is all about being present.Take a few moments to yourself to let everything go once again. A wonderful, safe pose for both moms and moms-to-be is child pose.

That being said, let’s begin:

Find a quiet place to be alone with enough space for you to get into a comfortable position for child’s pose (pictured above). Take a few deep breaths as you rest into the pose, becoming present within your body. Let the busy-ness of the day go. Take special notice of any tight areas within your body-- the head, neck, shoulders, spine --- and intentionally relax them by softening your muscles in the areas you are finding tightness. Become at home in the space that you are in, at home within your body. And relax.

Day 3: Find Your Strength and Flow

There’s no better time to warm the muscles than on a cold winter’s day. In addition to being warm, there are so many benefits to strengthening the body through exercise during and after pregnancy. Enjoy the increase in blood circulation which will in turn redistribute all of those pesky hormones, leaving you feeling more balanced than ever. *pregnant gals space your feet wide as baby width and use blocks.

(Photo credit : Spirit Voyage)
Watch this simple tutorial video to get the blood flowing and muscles strengthened with Frog Pose.

Day 4: Meditate

What does it mean to meditate? What is the purpose? I think Yoga International describes it perfectly:

The goal of meditation is to go beyond the mind and experience our essential nature—which is described as peace, happiness, and bliss.

If you haven’t caught the message hidden within our Advent Calendar yet (spoiler-alert) self-care is all about being at peace with one’s self. Finding those moments alone, to become grounded and look introspectively while allowing everything else to fade away--- it’s a vacation from the busiest part of our lives, which is our minds. Meditation is another great way to get grounded, become present, and find that blissful place away from the thought super-highway housed between our ears.

Not sure how to mediate? Not to worry. There are plenty of apps that allow you to disconnect to reconnect with yourself. We recommend the insight timer app.
You can also join us at CocoonCare for a one-on-one or a semi-private group sessions starting January 7th!

For now, here’s an amazing meditation to follow by Sarah Blondin from her “Live Awake” series. Click the image below to follow her mediation titled “Learning to Surrender” and escape for a few sacred moments.

(photo credit: Sarah Blondin LIVEAWAKEPROJECT.COM)

Day 5: Get Some Sleep Mama

Sleep can do wonders for the body. If you haven’t read our blog on beating insomnia during pregnancy, que that up for your next read. Sleep is essential for so many functions throughout the body and in benefit for your little one. Give yourself the gift of rest by allowing yourself to rest at an earlier hour than usual.

If you have little ones at home, ask hubby to take a turn at bedtime to allow you a few extra hours of zzz’s. Don’t skip this one, after all, you’ve got an Advent calendar to finish --- and we know you’re committed! You can even combine day 4 into day 5 and allow a meditation sesh to set you up for some restful sleep. Goodnight Mama. You deserve this.

Day 6: Connect With Nature

Yes, even in the winter time. Heck, especially in winter time. When daylight hours are few and we are inside for the colder months, we tend to miss out on a healthy dose of Vitamin D. Interesting fact: states have begun doing away with Daylight savings time because of its’ negative impact upon our health! So go outside! Get some Vitamin D!

Have you been experiencing swollen hands and feet during your pregnancy? Ditch the gloves and galoshes for a few quick moments and enjoy the snow on your fingers and toes. If ice can reduce swelling, snow definitely can. Let it snow!

And with that we wrap up day 6/12 of our 12-Days of Self Care Advent Calendar. Stay tuned for days 7-12, coming soon!