5 No-Cost Daily Self-Care Practices for Self-Growth and Joy

by Veladya Chapman of Earth Mama Medicine

Veladya Chapman is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, author, and actress with a vast following across social media and a highly engaged YouTube channel. She is an educator and advocate for plant-based nutrition, sustainable living, and unconditional love for all beings. 

As an actress, Veladya has performed on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning musical, The Book of Mormon, and guest-starred in roles such as CBS’ Instinct. 

Veladya merges her talents and knowledge to produce inspiring content that has reached over 1 million people to date. Through her books, educational Youtube videos, personalized wellness plans, and public speaking, Veladya aims to heal people all over the world.

You can find her on social as @earthmamamedicine and at www.earthmamamedicine.com

5 No-Cost Daily Self-Care Practices for Self-Growth and Joy

In this age of wellness where new brands are popping up left and right to capitalize on the popular trend of “self love,” I think it’s important to be reminded of the tools I can use every day that do not require me to whip out the wallet. Do not forget that our ancestors lived long, fruitful lives using only what Earth provided while honoring our planet and the great Spirit above. It is empowering for me to remember this and helps bring clarity to my desires to live my most elevated life.

1. MEDITATION

Every day for me begins with a meditation. Doesn’t matter if it’s five minutes or 50 minutes, as long as I take the time to be with myself and check in to my waking surroundings. Meditation is important to me because it allows me to take the reins over my mind. Our subconscious minds are on autopilot all day and when left unattended, they can begin to feed us thoughts and ideas that do not serve our best interest. Most of the time, they aren’t even ours! It’s outside judgments and thought patterns that hitch a ride on our ego and let themselves right in. So by giving myself the silence and attention that meditation requires, I can listen to those thoughts and let them pass, filtering the ones that are for my highest good and releasing the ones that are not.

2. WATER FASTING

Water fasting in the morning improves my energy and digestion for the day. The first couple of hours of waking, 7am-10am, I drink warm water with lemon or a few glasses of room temperature water to wake up my digestive system and give a little wake up call to the rest of my organs too. It’s nice to give my body some time to cleanse before starting another full day of digesting foods. Sometimes I’ll take a supplement like my Elanveda's Triphala Cleanse to help get things moving, but it isn’t necessary for me to have a complete morning.

3. STRETCHING

Stretching is one of the most beneficial practices we can have for ourselves. Stretching increases blood flow to our muscles, improves overall circulation, increases flexibility which limits possible injuries, improves posture, calms the mind, and is a helpful tool for stress relief. If one develops a daily stretching routine, they will notice improvement within the body and mind in no time!

4. WRITING

Writing is a practice I have found to be extremely therapeutic. Especially at the start and end of my day. Most of my writing is in the style of “brain dumping,” which is basically just writing anything that comes to mind so that it doesn’t have to stay in my brain and get all tangled up with the other thoughts. Try it yourself! Just write down everything you’re thinking; it doesn’t have to be poetic or grammatically correct. It’s just a way to clear the mind! Plus, journaling is rewarding because I am able to revisit my writing months and years later and learn so much about myself and how I’ve grown.

5. NOURISHING

Lastly, I feed myself nourishing, vibrant foods that serve my body well. By following a diet rich in color, diversity and nutrients, I am able to reduce my stress levels and feel good. Food is so important, I’d go as far as saying it is the second most integral part of a healthy life, right after a healthy mindset. One can take all of the supplements and expensive powders in the world but without a wholesome diet, health is not optimized.

As human beings on this beautiful, magical planet, we must recognize that there is a reason why we are here and it is bigger than us. We are sacred and we are powerful. We can bring about big change and the best way to do that is to start within. By integrating practices into our daily lives that bring us self-growth and joy, we will be opened up to possibilities beyond our imagination. We deserve it.