What's your ubiety?
Thank you to our guest blogger this week – Amy Cousins, fitness, food and lifestyle writer, otherwise known as The Bath Blogger.
It can be hard to find moments of ‘ubiety’ in the hustle and bustle of the world we live in. We are often functioning on high alert, at 100 miles an hour letting stress overtake our lives. Sound familiar? If it does, (which it also did for me) it might be time to reclaim YOUR ubiety and some well-deserved moments of self-care.
But first of all, let’s talk about what ubiety means. Simply put, it is a condition of being in a definite place. Somewhere where you are totally relaxed, totally comfortable and totally present. A spot somewhere in the sun perhaps? Or on the sofa with a freshly brewed pot of coffee. It basically defines a moment away from the heaviness of our lives and is completely individual.
I’ve thought about what my ‘ubiety’ is and I don’t think I can put it down to one thing because there are lots of states that make me feel grounded, present and content. Some of which I’d like to share with you below. Who knows, some of these might resonate with you or better yet, give you ideas that you could perhaps try out for yourselves. Let’s hope for the latter.
The first that came to mind was Shavasana - the final posture at the end of a yoga class. It promotes rejuvenation in the body, mind and spirit all while reducing stress and tension. Its main focus is to re-integrate the body and the mind back to our world. The process of Shavasana involves slowing scanning the body from head to toe looking for tension and tightness. Its aim is to recognise and breathe into the aches and pains, wiggling anything that feels a bit sore. There is no judgement in Shavasana or yoga for that matter. Some days you’ll be more flexible than other days and that is perfectly okay. It’s about respecting your capabilities and knowing when enough is enough. That’s why it’s up there in one of my "ubietous" moments.
The next would have to be a slow Sunday morning. No alarm, fresh coffee and a stack of fluffy pancakes. It’s totally indulgent and totally where I want to be. The only thing that makes that moment better is sharing it with my boyfriend or family. We don’t have to be saying much, or anything for that matter, but I know it’s a complete state of contentment and pure happiness all round.
The final one I’d like to share with you is one that is definitely more indulgent, but definitely not selfish: a night in with a face mask, a giant bag of popcorn and a good movie. That movie you’ve seen 50 times but you know you’ll watch 50 times more. You know the ending and half of the script but it makes you grin from ear to ear. The warm fuzzy feeling it gives you when it finishes - that’s how I’d describe ubiety.
I hope these examples show you that moments of ubiety and self-care don’t have to cost the earth. It doesn’t have to be a weekly or monthly facial (although that is more than okay too!) it can be a moment of stillness, an activity or a state that is the only place you need to be.
In our busy lives, it can be hard to find moments of ubiety, because it can feel selfish but in actual fact we need it. We should schedule those moments in like we would a dentist or doctors appointment. Taking good care of yourself may require a little extra time and effort, but its worth it because YOU are worth it.
