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Embodying Self-Care

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Challenge Overview

Why is it that putting ourselves first can be so challenging? What does it mean to truly nourish ourselves through self-care and yoga and how does that idea extend to how we react to difficult situations?

These are just two of the topics Amber explores in this four-week course that’s designed to help you become better attuned to your own needs so you can live a more balanced life and be a source of support to those around you.

Each week you’ll explore a different theme related to self-care: self-compassion, gratitude, trust in your body, and rest and productivity.

The course includes:

  • Eight 8-to-15-minute dharma talks (two each week)

  • Weekly guided mindfulness meditations

  • Yoga practices to help you embody each week’s theme

  • Worksheets for self-reflection

Certificate of completion

3 CEU’s Upon Completion

Self Paced Learning

Challenge Outline

3.1hrs to complete

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Section 1
  • Amber tells you about the format and content of this four-week self-care course and encourages you to carve out time in your calendar so you’ll be ready to fully embody the concepts and form new habits.
Section 2
  • In this talk, Amber discusses why self-care can be particularly challenging for women and how a tendency to put others first can leave us feeling depleted. Using the concept of ahimsa (non-violence), she explores how being compassionate toward ourselves first, and practicing self-care as a result of that compassion, will enable us to serve as better support systems for those we care about.
  • Sometimes the difficult part of engaging in self-care is figuring out what you actually need. In this talk, Amber discusses the steps you can take to cultivate a better relationship with yourself so that you can figure out what is best for you and bring more of it into your life.
  • In this meditation, which you can do seated or lying down, Amber invites you to settle into a comfortable position, observe your breath, and reflect on the mantra “I nourish myself with the best.”* Have a pen and paper (or the week one worksheet) handy for a short writing practice after the meditation. *From Manifest: 30 Days of Intentional Mantras by Kelly Carboni-Woods (All of the mantras in this course are from this book.)

  • Printable Worksheet: Big Questions As We Begin

  • In this whole-body stretch practice, you’ll explore the mantra “I nourish myself with the best.” Nourishment begins with the food we eat and extends to the media, conversations, and interactions we take in. You’ll learn about getting in touch with what the best nourishment is for you and then learn how to cultivate an awareness of that as you practice basic poses and flowing movements.
Section 3
  • When you find yourself in a negative thought spiral, it can be hard to change the flow of your thoughts. In this talk, Amber gives you suggestions for how to create a gratitude practice in the face of negativity so you can move forward no matter what your circumstances are.
  • Sometimes we react to things in our lives in ways that don’t ultimately serve us. In this talk, Amber discusses how you can work with your thoughts in a very practical way so you’ll be able to move out of a place of negativity and into a place of neutrality—a place where it’s easier to see what your options are and to move forward. Using a concept from the Yoga Sutra (pratipaksha bhavanam, 2.33), she teaches you the steps you can take toward forming constructive alternatives to a negative mindset.
  • In this guided meditation, which you can do seated or lying down, Amber invites you to think of one thing, situation, or person you are grateful for in your life.

  • Printable Worksheet: Daily Gratitude

  • In this balanced yoga practice, you’ll connect with the mantra “I choose to focus on gratitude.” You’ll begin with a centering practice and then move into a sequence that includes dynamic movement, standing poses, a supported child’s pose, and more. Along the way, you’ll pause occasionally to reconnect with your intention.
Section 4
  • How can we trust our bodies and give them what they need in a culture that tells us not to? In this talk, Amber offers a statistics-backed analysis of how diet culture has failed us as well as suggestions from Health at Every Size (an approach to wellness by Dr. Linda Bacon) for getting in touch with our bodies in an intrinsic way, so we can be at peace with them.
  • How can we live more fully in our bodies and connect with them in a more intuitive way? In this talk, Amber discusses the physical and mental benefits of movement and offers suggestions for how to find a movement practice that brings you joy and is beneficial to your overall health.
  • In the first part of this guided mindfulness exercise, Amber discusses the concept of intuitive eating and how it might differ from what we’ve previously learned about eating. The second part is a mindfulness meditation you can use to help you feel grounded before and while you eat.

  • Printable Worksheet: Goal Setting Through HAES Lens

  • Weave the mantra “I listen to myself” into this sequence, which includes a seated warm-up, tree pose, familiar standing poses, and more.
Section 5
  • What is your cycle of rest and productivity? In this talk, Amber focuses on the importance of rest in day-to-day life and helps you explore how to bring creation and restoration into better balance through self-trust and self-care.
  • What is rest? In this talk, Amber explores concepts from the Yoga Sutra to explore the topic of rest and asks you to contemplate the activities that make you feel truly connected, rested, and recharged.
  • Find a comfortable seat and enjoy this meditation that includes a stress-reducing guided body scan and visualization.

  • Printable Worksheet: Reflection Prompts On Rest and Productivity

  • In this final class, you’ll weave in the mantra “I deserve my own care” as you explore side-body and hip stretches. Enjoy the process of feeling your way into the poses and tuning in to sensation as you hold them.
Section 6
  • Here's the link to Linda Bacon's book, Health at Every Size: https://lindabacon.org/HAESbook/pdf_files/HAES_Manifesto.pdf And my resources, which includes a list of books I recommend: https://bodypositiveyoga.com/resources/

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Meet Your Teacher

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Amber Karnes
Amber Karnes is the founder of Body Positive Yoga. She’s a ruckus maker, yoga teacher, social justice... Read more

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely, you can include this challenge in your Yoga Alliance training hours, with each hour equivalent to one continuing education credit.
This challenge is entirely self- paced, allowing you to learn at your convenience.There are no imposed deadlines or time constraints for Challenge completion.
No prerequisites are required; this challenge is open to anyone interested in deepening their knowledge and practice.
No, the challenge is accessible to all individuals interested in enriching their understanding and practice of yoga.Yoga teaching certification is not a prerequisite.

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