Sure, salon and spa visits may signify self-care, but its scope is much wider — especially with Skillshare’s selection of e-learning offerings.
Launching its “Self-Care Class with JVN,” the brand now features Queer Eye Host Jonathan Van Ness as its new instructor. Plus, when you sign up for Skillshare’s one-month free trial, you’ll have full access to your virtual self-care sauna, along with thousands of online learning classes.
“Self-care has so many different forms it can take in your life, whether it’s physical, spiritual, emotional, mental — it’s multifaceted,” said JVN in his class introduction, debunking the myth that self-care is limited to sunbathing and sipping pina coladas.
As someone who has adopted journaling, yoga, and time for creativity as a daily practice (otherwise dubbed as “Type A”), I tried out JVN’s class on Skillshare to see if it was all the hype. And let me tell you — this celebrity hair stylist-turned-wellness instructor is certainly worth the one-hour and 21 minutes of virtual learning.
“After the year we’ve all had, self-care has graduated from luxury to necessity for many of us,” Alicia Hamilton-Morales, VP of Content at Skillshare, told the Post. “Many of the practices JVN shares in the class can be integrated into our daily routines, so it’s fitting that we’re inviting students on the journey from the comfort of their homes.”
Before sharing my thoughts on the class, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t register for the one-month free trial. Learning isn’t limited to a classroom, and Skillshare makes it simple with its expert-led classes. Seriously, you can sharpen your skills on everything from video editing to indoor gardening, so the platform is excellent for jumpstarting your next hobby or building your resume.
Now, scroll below for a better sense of why you should sign up for JVN’s class.
The in-depth, realistic instruction
JVN provides a conversational tone and open-minded approach to teaching others about self-care.
“People learn in many different ways — whether through instruction, inspiration or theory — and JVN peppers a little of each into this class,” said Hamilton-Morales. “What makes it really special is his vulnerability and openness to share stories from his personal history to reinforce how his exercises come to life today — whether that’s by sharing he once felt silly saying mantras in front of the mirror or how he resisted gardening as a hobby for so long, only to realize it brought him a lot of joy.”
What’s more, JVN believes self-care shows up in a million different ways. “It can be through a planner, trying a new class, trying to cook something you’ve been wanting to cook — it can be very narrow or very broad,” he said.
The at-home craft moment
JVN isn’t your typical, stern lecturer who gives you a million assignments, but he does have one activity: a self-care planner. His entire instruction is lighthearted while walking you through his colorful, picture-embellished book.
“It’s a beautiful thing for us to show up for ourselves in a world that’s so digital, so fast-paced, so about what we can do for other people — to really slow down and tune into what we need to do for ourselves,” he said. “That’s why I love a self-care planner.”
While I didn’t deck out my notebook quite like JVN, I’m planning on whipping out the deco podge when all the pages of my current self-care planner are filled. However, I integrated some of his helpful tips and tricks into my planner, like a gratitude list. For the rest, you’re just going to have to sign up for the one-month free trial on Skillshare.
“He encourages students to set up a self-care planner to ensure we make the time for ourselves and our passions, and that it’s also OK to give ourselves time to be not-so-productive, maybe a little lazy even,” said Hamilton-Morales.
The necessity of meditation
As a self-proclaimed overthinker, I greatly appreciated JVN’s lesson on meditation and guided breathing. He even recommends journaling “loving thoughts” and “fearful thoughts” afterward to carry out a mentality of positivity and recharge and to oppose ideas of self-doubt and negativity.
“JVN says that to unlock joy, we need to have the confidence to try new things,” said Hamilton-Morales. “He reminds us it’s harder the older we get, but it truly is critical in finding a greater connection within ourselves.”
The understanding of how negativity and mental health intersect
“How we talk to ourselves charges every cell in our body,” JVN said. “How we talk to ourselves makes such an impact in how we show up in the world, how we work with other people, how we interact with our loved ones and people we don’t know — it makes such a big difference.”
That said, he teaches in the class how positive self-talk is beneficial for our mental space. It grounds us, encourages us to rein in mindfulness, and better understand components of our personality that make us unique — the busy bee, the people-pleaser, the joyful, and so forth.
The bottom line
With JVN’s class, you’ll learn how to tap into your childhood curiosity with end-of-lesson strategies to improve your daily habits. Since I thrive off productivity, I didn’t think enrolling in a guided self-care class would miraculously inspire me.
But JVN’s class proved me wrong. I’ll be referencing my notes time and again when I’m in a funk or looking for an extra creativity boost.
“From this class, I hope you take resources and tools for you to strengthen your relationship with yourself, to learn to try new things,” JVN said in his class. “But most of all, I hope you take the idea that taking time for yourself it’s not selfish — it’s actually the most important investment you can give yourself in moving forward with authenticity, integrity, and joy in your life.”
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