Carleen's Body Healing Therapy

Consider This Your Permission Slip

Okay, we're doing something a little different today. 🍂

Finish this sentence:
Today, I give myself permission to __________.

Don't overthink it.
Maybe it's:
Rest.
Say no.
Take a nap.
Go for a walk.
Leave the laundry.
Order dinner.
Turn off the phone.
Ask for help.
Book something just for you.
Spend the afternoon doing something you love.
Or maybe your answer is:
Do absolutely nothing without feeling guilty about it.

And here's the challenge...
Whatever you wrote down, give yourself one small piece of it today.
Not someday.
Not when everything is finished.
Today.

If you feel comfortable, put your permission slip in the comments.
You never know—someone else might need permission for the exact same thing. 💙

You Don't Always Have to Be the Giver

Some of us are really good at giving.
We take care of people.
Remember what everyone needs.
Check in.
Help.
Organize.
Hold space.
Make things easier.
But when someone offers to help us?
Oh no, I'm fine.
Sound familiar? 😊

Receiving can feel surprisingly vulnerable.
Receiving help.
Receiving kindness.
Receiving rest.
Receiving a compliment.
Receiving care without immediately wondering what you should give back.

And this is something I see differently the deeper I go into nervous-system work:

Sometimes receiving IS the practice.
Allowing your body to be supported.
Allowing yourself to stop doing for a little while.
Allowing someone else to hold the space.
You don't always have to be the one giving the care.
Sometimes...
you get to be the one receiving it.
Breathe. Receive. Restore.

You Are Allowed to Choose Again

We put so much pressure on ourselves to stick with things simply because we once chose them.
A routine.
A commitment.
An expectation.
A way of doing things.
Even a version of ourselves we've outgrown.
But listening to yourself means recognizing that what worked before may not be what you need now.
Changing your mind doesn't automatically mean you failed.
Sometimes it means you've learned something.
Sometimes you've changed.
Sometimes your circumstances changed.
And sometimes your body is simply saying:
“This doesn't work for me anymore.”
You're allowed to listen.
You don't owe an old decision your future just because you once made it.

You can choose again.💙💜

No Is a Complete Act of Self-Care

Sometimes taking care of yourself isn't adding something.
It's saying no to something.
No to another commitment.
No to plans when you're exhausted.
No to answering immediately.
No to doing something simply because you've always been the one who does it.
And sometimes even...
“Not today.”
If you're used to being dependable, helpful and available, saying no can feel uncomfortable.
But discomfort doesn't necessarily mean you've done something wrong.
A boundary can be kind.
A no can protect the yeses that actually matter.
And every once in a while, someone else may be disappointed because you chose yourself.
You can survive their disappointment.
Your body shouldn't always have to absorb the cost of keeping everyone else comfortable.

Rest Is Not a Reward

Have you ever caught yourself thinking...
I'll sit down when I'm finished.
I'll take a day for myself after I get through this week.
I'll book that appointment when things calm down.
But somehow...
there's always something else.
Rest has quietly become the prize we give ourselves when everything is done.
Except everything is never done.

Your body doesn't need to prove that it worked hard enough to deserve recovery.
You don't have to reach exhaustion before rest becomes acceptable.
And rest doesn't always mean sleeping.
Sometimes it's sitting with your coffee instead of drinking it while running out the door.
Turning the phone off.
Taking the slower morning.
Lying under a blanket.
Receiving care instead of providing it.
Doing absolutely nothing useful for an hour.
Rest isn't the reward for taking care of everything else.

It's part of taking care of you.💜💙

Give Yourself Permission
How often do we wait for permission?
Permission to slow down.
To take the day off.
To say no.
To change our mind.
To ask for help.
To spend time—or money—on something that makes us feel better.
To rest even though there are still things that could be done.
Sometimes no one is actually telling us we can't.
We're the ones who haven't given ourselves permission.

So maybe this week isn't about adding another healthy habit to your life.

Maybe it's about removing one of the rules you've been carrying.
The rule that says you have to earn rest.
That everyone else's needs come first.
That being busy means you're doing enough.
That caring for yourself is something you'll get to later.
You don't need to wait until your body forces you to stop.
You are allowed to care for yourself now.

Breathe. Receive. Restore.

Your Body Deserves to Be Heard

All week we've been listening.
To the fatigue.
The tension.
The need for movement.
The need for quiet.
The subtle signals we normally rush past.
But listening is only the beginning.
Eventually, we have to let what we hear matter.
If your body is asking for rest, can you give it some?
If you're craving movement, can you step outside?
If you've been carrying tension, can you create space to soften?
If you realize you need support...
can you let yourself receive it?

This is where practices like Spinal Flow fit into my own philosophy of care.
Not because your body needs someone else to tell it what's wrong.
But because sometimes creating time and space to slow down, receive gentle care, and reconnect with your body is part of learning how to listen again.
Your body isn't an inconvenience you have to push through to get everything else done.
It's the place you live.
Treat it like somewhere worth caring for.

Breathe. Receive. Restore.

Give Me 60 Seconds

Okay, October challenge time. 🍂

For the next 60 seconds, don't do anything else.
Put the phone down after you read this.

Feet on the floor.
Let your hands rest.
Take a slow breath.
Notice three things you can hear.
Notice where your body touches the chair or floor.
Let your shoulders fall.
Take another breath.

That's it.
No meditation app.
No special equipment.
No perfect quiet room.
You don't even have to be good at it.
Just 60 seconds of being where you are.

And when you're finished, ask yourself:
“Do I feel any different than I did one minute ago?”
Maybe yes.
Maybe no.
Either answer is okay.
The point wasn't to change anything.
The point was to notice.

Where Are You Holding It?

Try something with me.

Unclench your jaw.
Drop your shoulders.
Relax your hands.
Soften your belly.
Take one slow breath.

Did anything change?
We can carry tension without realizing we're carrying it.
The body responds to rushing, worrying, deadlines, difficult conversations, responsibilities and all the little moments of stress that happen throughout a normal day.
And sometimes the moment passes...
but we're still bracing.

This is one of the reasons I care so deeply about nervous-system work.
Sometimes we don't need to tell the body to “just relax.”
We need to create the conditions that help it feel supported enough to soften.

Today, don't judge the tension.
Just notice it.
Where has your body been holding on?

Tired Is Information

We treat tired like something we're supposed to overcome.
Coffee.
Push through.
Keep going.
Get it done.
But tired isn't a character flaw.
Sometimes tired simply means...
you're tired.
Maybe you didn't sleep well.
Maybe you've been carrying more than usual.
Maybe you've had too much stimulation and not enough quiet.
Maybe your body has been asking for recovery while your calendar keeps asking for productivity.
Not every tired day needs to become a wellness investigation.
But it does deserve your attention.
Instead of immediately asking:
“How do I get more energy?”
💙💜
Maybe sometimes the better question is:
“Where can I use less of it today?”
You don't always have to override what your body is telling you.