Being Present & Practicing Self-Care for Caregivers with Jo Bregnard
Essentially, we are living two lives as a caregiver- one of our own and the other of the person we are caring for, how exhausting is that? How do we keep up that pace? We don't. Not without really caring for ourselves.
Today, I interview Jo Bregnard. She is a cancer survivor and caregiver. She is a certified Yoga teacher as well as trained in Thai bodywork, Reiki, Yoga 4 Cancer, and Yin Yoga. She brings her caregiving journey and experiences into our conversation today and we talk all about how she can help caregivers support themselves with yoga and everyday self-care practices.
While Jo was serving as a family caregiver several times in her life she discovered simple ways to add moments of self-care into her day. She found that it is "much more than bubble baths and that even with limited time and resources it's possible for a caregiver to fill their own cup". In my interview with Jo, she exudes a calm and gentle spirit that brings compassion to caregiving and our imperfect selves. Thank you, Jo.
Jo and I talk about:
How our stories lead us to purpose
Family caregiver needs and challenges
The importance of not forgetting different pieces of yourself
What is self-care and why we need it
Simple ways to add self-care into caregiver's day.
How we can incorporate self-care with our loved one
What can we do with our loved ones to incorporate self-care
Encouragement to caregivers
In 2009--seven years after her cancer was discovered and moments after yet another potentially embarrassing wardrobe malfunction during class--Jo ditched her breast form at the yoga studio, acknowledging she had found her second home on her mat. Since tending to her husband after a burn injury and serious cardiac issues (and caring for her mother after her Alzheimer's diagnosis) she's used yoga to nurture herself as a caregiver. She began teaching in 2015, and she treasures finding new ways to share the benefits of true self-care with those who care for others: through movement, aromatherapy, Reiki, bodywork, and more. She brings the spirit of the natural world to her mat, especially when she can teach outside from her Vermont homestead alongside her pet cows, Blossom and LouLou. She launched her online studio in 2020 and has loved being able to connect with caregivers from around the globe through her monthly self-care membership.
To connect with Jo, please visit https://www.jobregnard.com/
We are not medical professionals and are not providing any medical advice. If you have any medical questions, we recommend that you talk with a medical professional of your choice. willGather has taken care in selecting its speakers but the opinions of our speakers are theirs alone. Thank you for your continued interest in our podcasts.
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