Self-Care
In a society that has told us to be productive 24/7, self-care may seem indulgent, even hedonistic; however, it is vital to maintaining not only our physical health but also our mental and spiritual well-being. Self-care practices have been shown to improve our relationships with others, prevent burnout, and enhance our focus, consequently increasing our productivity. Ultimately, self-care practices are the antidote to stress and challenging situations, having been clinically proven to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, while increasing happiness and energy. For all these reasons, you can find some of our favorite practices and some resources to support them below. Soon, we will also have a list of Self-Care activities planned by Lompoc Indivisible!
It is a full time job managing the feelings that come with the chaotic environment of today’s society, so please reach out if you need help. Find an Indivisible Friend, someone you can trust or call 988 for help.
Some of Our Favorite Practices
Journal and/or Reflect ~ Practice Gratitude by Journaling or Sending Thank You Letters ~ Read a Book ~ Do Something Artistic ~ Listen to Music ~ Sing Like No One is Listening ~ Go for a Walk ~ Garden or Tend Plants ~ Nature Bathe ~ Work Out ~ Perform Breathing Exercises ~ Take a Bath ~ Enjoy the Sunshine ~ Rest or Nap ~ Sit in Silence for 10 Minutes ~ Meditate ~ Work a Jigsaw Puzzle ~ Volunteer ~ Do Something Kind for Another Person ~ Pray ~ Practice Mindfulness ~ Engage in Yoga ~ Ride a Bike ~ Play with Children and/or Pets ~ Dance Like No One is Watching ~ Center Yourself with Breathwork or an APP like Calm or Headspace ~ Be Mindful of the Information You Consume ~ Spend Time With Family or Friends ~ Enjoy a Massage ~ Cooking or Baking ~ Learn Something New ~ Explore and Travel ~ Knitting or Crocheting ~
Let us know what works for you and we’ll build our list!
Practice Resources
MOVEMENT & NATURE
Yoga Class with Julie – Wednesdays, 2PM at The Dick DeWees Community Center in the Multipurpose Room, No Fee – Along with Yoga positions, the class also includes stretch, balance and core exercise. The class is based on each individual’s ability, and everyone is encouraged to modify their participation, according to their experience, abilities, and taking any injuries or other limitations into consideration. Students should come a few minutes early and bring a yoga mat with an optional exercise pad to put under their yoga mat. Come hydrated and ready for a good workout. Please note there will be no class on 9/24/25.
Down Dog Yoga App – Yoga Anywhere – www.downdogapp.com
Burton Mesa Chaparral Trails – Take a walk through nature on one of the many trails. More information here – https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Burton-Mesa-ER#999090-recreation and here – https://healthypeoplehealthytrails.org/art-from-the-trail/burton-mesa-loop-trail-south/
La Purisima Mission Trails – With over 25 miles of trails to hike there is something for everyone at La Purisima Mission. More information here – https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/california/la-pursima-mission-state-historic-park and here https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=598
Arroyo Hondo Preserve – Located between Refugio State Beach and Gaviota State Park the preserve is rich in Chumash and California history. The 910 acres are home to winding trails, creeks, shady trees, magnificent views, and a variety of flora and fauna. Visitors are welcome on the first and third full weekends of each month and reservations are mandatory. To make reservations or for more information visit – https://www.sblandtrust.org/arroyo-hondo-preserve-reservations/
Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden – Highlighting plants native to the Santa Ynez River watershed, the Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden is a peaceful refuge and an easy drive to Buellton. It is open sunrise to sundown, 365 days of the year and there is no fee to walk the garden. More in formation may be found here https://santaynezvalleybotanicgarden.org/
Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cams – take a moment to view one of a variety of soothing videos of the natural world set to relaxing music of natural sounds – https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams
Meditation and Sleep
Headspace App – Meditation and Sleep Made Simple – www.headspace.com
Headspace for Educators – Headspace offers free access to K-12 (primary-secondary) teachers and supporting staff in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. https://www.headspace.com/educators
Calm App – Improve Your Health and Happiness – www.calm.com
The 7 Types of Rest – Did you know there are 7 types of rest? Click the link to learn more: https://www.calm.com/blog/7-types-of-rest
Insight Timer App – Free Guided Meditations and More – www.insighttimer.com
Tara Brach Guided Meditations – https://www.tarabrach.com/guided-meditations/
Building Capacity and Dealing with Overwhelm
Nice News – News, But Only the Good Stuff from Around the World – www.nicenews.com
1440 – News without the drama – www.join1440.com
Grounding in the Present – Doom scrolling and unable to stop? Overwhelmed and paralyzed? Unable to find the motivation to move forward or change a habit? Count backwards from five; 5-4-3-2-1 to ground yourself in the present and interrupt the paralysis. More information here www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czz2qv2kBA0 and here www.youtube.com/watch?v=30VMIEmA114
Staying Connected to Yourself and Others
Resistance Through Art – https://lompocmuse.com/vivelaresistance and https://lompocmuse.com/art-prompts/
Builders Movement – Defy the Divide – www.buildersmovement.org
Self-Care Calendar
Scheduled~
8/14/26 Self-Care Committee meeting 11AM-11:30AM at Capulin Eats and Provisions ~ Join us as we discuss strategies, techniques, and share tips and stories about how to stay grounded during these challenging times.
8/14/26 Steep and Speak monthly 11:30AM-1PM at Capulin Eats and Provisions ~ Steep and Speak is an opportunity to meet like-minded people and get to know others, discussing life and how we are dealing with it, finding common interests, sharing our joys, etc., without having a specific goal or need to do something. Stop in for a minute and share a smile or stay the whole time! This is your time to enjoy and connect! Feel free to bring coloring or sketch books, needlework or sewing to work on and create while we dream together!
BOOK DISCUSSION at Steep & Speak on 8/14/26 ~ For anyone interested, there will be a discussion on ‘The Beginning Comes After the End-Notes on a World of Change’ by Rebecca Solnit. The book may be ordered and purchased from Chapter Two Bookstore, 805-735-9729 at 1137 North H Street, at a discounted price of $12.72+ tax. To receive the discounted price, please mention the Indivisible Book Club when ordering. Limited audio and e-copies are also available through the Lompoc Library.
5/16/26 Thank you to everyone who came out and enjoyed the garden! Special thanks to Karis for sharing her knowledge and leading the group! Botanical Garden Guided Tour 10AM at SY Valley Botanical Gardens ~ Lompoc Indivisible Self Care Team is hosting a guided walk in the SY Valley Botanical Gardens led, by Karis Clinton, who helped with the development of the gardens. She will share her knowledge of plants and indigenous culture with us. Bring a snack or goodies to share afterward for an informal picnic in the gardens. Meet in the parking lot at River View Park, 151 Sycamore Dr. Buellton. See you there!
Monthly~
What We Are Reading!
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
Book recommendation by Jane Rees
I read about breathing exercises to de-stress and to sleep, practiced some of them, and realized that I understood very little about the effects of breathing on my body-something most of us do automatically. I found Breath at the library, a book that explores how the simple act of breathing impacts our health, longevity, and well-being.
James Nestor’s viewpoint is that most modern humans have developed dysfunctional breathing patterns, especially mouth breathing, which contribute to a wide range of health issues, including snoring, sleep apnea, asthma, anxiety, and even autoimmune disorders. Through interviews, personal experimentation, and investigation into ancient techniques, Nestor demonstrates the profound effects of breathing through the nose, slowing down the breath, and harnessing the breath intentionally for healing and improved performance.
Part 1: The Forgotten Power of Breath
Nestor points out in Chapter 1 that humans are the worst breathers in the animal kingdom. Human breathing has declined because of facial structure changes over time and changes to diet, particularly after processed foods became common.
Chapter 2 explores the damaging effects of mouth breathing, such as higher rates of snoring, sleep apnea, and reduced physical and mental performance. Nestor describes a surprising and interesting experiment he conducted on himself: blocking his nostrils for days so that he could breathe only through his mouth.
Chapter 3 discusses the benefits of breathing through the nose, such as filtration, a nitric oxide boost, and the ability of the nasal passages to humidify the air entering the body. Nose breathing has a positive influence on oxygen use throughout the body. Ancient and modern healing traditions favor nose breathing over mouth breathing.
Part 2: The Science and Art of Optimal Breathing
Chapter 4 is about how breathing slowly and deeply can trigger relaxation, improve heart function and stress resilience. Meditation and yoga are recommended as ways to learn to breathe slowly and deeply, along with other breathing exercises to ideally train the breath rate down from around 12 breaths per minute to five or six for better health.
Chapter 5 shows how important it is to exhale fully and to get optimal balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. Exercises are suggested to improve endurance or calm anxiety by, for instance, exhaling longer.
Chapter 6 discusses facial structure and the importance of chewing.
Chapter 7 investigates ancient breath techniques, such as yogic breathing and Buteyko. Buteyko Breathing Info
Chapter 8 looks at super breathers—for instance, free divers and monks—who manipulate their breathing for extreme endurance, healing, or body temperature regulation.
Part 3: Practical Applications and Summary
Chapter 9 details how breathing exercises can help manage health conditions such as asthma, anxiety, and autoimmune diseases.
Chapter 10 summarizes the practical steps for everyday breathing: shut your mouth, breathe through your nose, slow your breath, exhale fully, chew food more. This chapter encourages experimentation with ancient techniques and mindful breathing, but urges seeking medical advice first.
The final chapter offers a list of daily breathing habits as well as many exercises for optimal health.
The book combines scientific research, historical perspectives, and Nestor’s own journey to learn how to breathe, and he champions conscious, correct breathing as a lost but vital art. The exercises at the end of the book are easy to understand and very helpful for sleep and relaxation as well as many other conditions. I still use exercises I learned from this book.
Find the book at Lompoc Library:
James Nestor’s website:
Sage Warrior by Valarie Kaur
The author takes the reader on a journey through the history of her Sikh faith as she and her two small children visit historic sites featured in the stories. She shares the lessons she learned at the feet of her grandparents and gives actionable suggestions of how these lessons may be employed today. Ultimately, in an effort to shift the paradigms of patriarchy, colonialism, and capitalism, she invites us to see how the Sage Warrior can meet anger with compassion, violence with kindness, and hatred with love. It is a beautiful peek into how life could be.
The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
It’s a mini-philosophy lesson every day!
