Traditional Self-Care tools, aids and essentials vary widely, depending on the type of Self-Care modality, may that be massage, herbal medicine, bodywork, lifestyle or spiritual practices.
In Self-Massage, body parts are the actual tools, for instance, one uses the fingers, hands and elbows to apply the massage. Nevertheless, certain additional aids can come to help, such as wooden sticks, copper bowls, oils and creams, compresses, cloths, stones and crystals, but also mantras, yantras, chants, and visualizations.
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In herbal practices, a variety of methods and techniques are used to apply the healing properties of herbs. Think, for instance, of the use of essential oils, creams, pastes, balms, lotions, teas, soups, steam baths and other herbal steaming practices, herbal baths, heated pots and bowls filled with herbs, herbal compresses, herbal packs and patches, and herbal sitz baths.
In bodywork practices such as Yoga, Tai Chi, and Breathwork, it’s primarily the body itself that is used for the exercises, while sometimes aided by certain meditation and concentration techniques, which may include mantras, yantras and mandalas, for instance.
Nevertheless, much depending on the type of Self-Care treatment, other extra tools may be used. Think of tongue scrapers, bronze bowls, cloths, candles, cord, threads, and so-called “wands,” among other things.
Traditional Integrated Self-Care and lifestyle practices generally combine aspects of massage, exercises, herbal medicine, intellectual, mental and spiritual activities, and subsequently cover the use of a whole range of tools and techniques such as those mentioned above.
