Self Care #1: ‘Cool Velvet’

I recently had the pleasure of teaching a class on Personal Development, and my students and I spent a good deal of time discussing the concept of self care – what it means, what it looks like, how often it is engaged in, and so on. One thing that became clear quite early on was just how variable the answers could be, depending on the individual. For me, self care is about showing myself that I matter – that I deserve a break – and acknowledging that I can give that to myself, if I choose to and then make the time to do it. Sometimes easier said than done, but absolutely necessary to get the batteries recharged and not get overwhelmed by everything life brings – particularly important in the world of counselling and psychotherapy.

So, how do I practice self care? I aim to make this the topic of several posts here but the first port of call is usually music. By which I mean, really listening to music – lying back with my headphones (the same ones I bought in Japan in 2004) and letting the sounds spill over me, connecting with them as they do so. I have a very broad taste in music but right now I’m finding an album called ‘Cool Velvet’ by jazz saxophone legend Stan Getz to be particularly rewarding. Some might find it syrupy but to me the melding of sax and strings on this record is nothing short of heavenly. Here’s a taste:

Stan Getz – ‘It Never Entered My Mind’

Getting lost in these melodies is as therapeutic for me as taking a long, hot bath might be to someone else – whatever form it takes, the end result is hopefully a calming so palpable you can almost see the stress rising up and out of you. Doesn’t that sound good? And yet for many, self care sounds too much like ‘being selfish’ to be properly entertained, which is a very real shame. More on that another time.

For now, I might finish this particular post with an invitation for anyone reading to share or reflect on a song/album/piece of music that offers them that same feeling of nurturance or recuperation as I’m currently getting from ‘Cool Velvet’ – and why do you think it has this effect for you?

Simon