What is a Practice?

If you’ve been around the block in the magical, meditation or metaphysical world, you’ve probably read or heard the term practice used. But what is a practice? A practice is any activity that applies different concepts and methods. For example:

• Medical practitioners apply their knowledge to heal the body.
• Yogis practice yoga to improve their mind-body connection.
• Educators practice teaching to enrich the mind.

The common thread between these examples is that they require action and cultivated skill. Where we take the concepts we’ve learned, and we apply them in real scenarios. Practice is less of an event, and more of an activity. When we look at a practice this way, it can easily be said that anything that requires our presence of mind and focus can be considered a practice.

Why Practices Matter

We call it a practice because we always have room to improve and to hone our craft – whatever it may be. There is always more to discover each time we pick up our chosen tools and set aside time to allow ourselves to experiment, grow and learn. The more comfortable we become with our practice, the more we can discover organically.

Any musician can tell you that learning to play an instrument isn’t the same thing as making music. The ability to play the instrument and the knowledge of which keys make which sound are the tools required. The practice itself is applying this knowledge to play a written piece, or to make something completely new! All of this is possible because of practice.

Self Care and Practice

It may seem strange to think of self care as something we have to practice, but hear me out. Like the other activities mentioned earlier, self care practices require the same ingredients of action, presence of mind and willingness to learn and iterate to be fruitful. If you’re an athlete, practice is key to maintaining your ability to do what you want to do. The same is true for our self care practice – if we don’t invest our time and consistency, we don’t see the full spectrum of benefits.

In many cultures we get the message early on that if we’re not doing something productive with our time, we are wasting it. And unfortunately, taking time for oneself from a busy schedule is often looked at as a cultural faux pas. Burnout culture is steadily becoming more the norm as the world moves faster each day. But self care is a productive way to spend our time. When you take the time to refill your proverbial cup with purpose, you’ll find you have much more to pour from it when it counts. Humans were not designed to be hyper-efficient automatons – we are beings that need as much time to process our realities as we spend building them. As the stewards of our own mental health and wellbeing, we must reframe our view on taking a personal day, treating ourselves, or allowing ourselves to recuperate.

Self Care Activities You Can Start Today

Set a calendar event once a week to take an hour by yourself to do something enriching that you want to do. If you’re not sure where to begin, try…

• Meditation or reflection
• Creating something (art, baking, music)
• Treat yourself to a spa day
• Take up gardening or horticulture
• Learn something new
• Cultivate a mind-body connection through yoga, dance, weightlifting, etc. – Move your energy!

• The methods for your self care practice ultimately aren’t the focus, and there is no golden rule for what you have to choose. If you’re not into yoga, don’t do it! Go with the flow of what feels most natural to you. What makes you feel enriched and leaves you with a positive mindset when you’re finished. Taking the time to invest in and enrich yourself will pay back huge dividends as your self care practice becomes a part of your lifestyle.