Anna Speaks

As a people pleaser, I often find self care to be a challenge. I'm sure some of you can relate to that. It is easy to focus on others to the point that we forget about ourselves. But over the last few months especially, I have learned that in order to truly take care of others, we need to be taking care of and loving ourselves. According to VeryWell Health , “ Self-care is the practice of taking care of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life to promote health and wellness”. (Bottaro, 2023) Every aspect of who we are needs to be taken care of. From our skin to our deepest feelings and emotions, it all deserves time and attention. I’d like to discuss self care in regard to all four aspects mentioned in the definition above. Image Source Taking care of our physical bodies is essential and probably the simplest form of self care. Some examples of this would be: taking a walk, eating a food we enjoy, taking a bath, stretching, doing skincare, or washing our hair...

Melissa Hayden once said, “L earning to walk sets you free. Learning to dance gives you the greatest freedom of all: to express with your whole self the person you are”. I believe dance to be one of the most beautiful, exciting art forms. I started dancing when I was three years old and continued taking lessons until I graduated last year. Dance has always infused my life with freedom and joy, while teaching me what hard work and discipline look like. Regardless of what I feel on any given day, I feel better when I dance. As cliché as it may sound, my worries disappear as I pirouette or grand jeté across the floor! Dance has always been a safe space for me. Photo Source In the last year, I recently started teaching dance and I have made it my mission for my classes to be a safe space for these children. I have found that teaching is almost more fulfilling than dancing myself. Sharing these moments with young ones and seeing their passion for dance ignite is so special. It is something ...