How Tiffany Cruikshank Makes Self-Care Part of Her Day

Tiffany Cruikshank takes Yoga Glo through a day in her life. Learn what her yoga practice looks like, when she meditates, and how she makes self-care a priority.

A Day in the Life of Tiffany Cruikshank

Hi, I’m Tiffany Cruikshank and I’m a YogaGlo instructor, teaching everything from energizing flow sequences and yoga for athletes to meditation and restorative practices!  In addition to YogaGlo, I have a Chinese Medicine practice (now The Athletes Point, I used to have a practice at the Nike headquarters and before that with the incredible Frank Lipman. MD in NYC as well as a clinic in Portland ) where I specialize in sports medicine & orthopedics (and most people don’t know this but I also have a secondary specialty in women’s health & fertility). I founded and run (with my fantastic team) Yoga Medicine which is where I spend most of my time these days. I train teachers, work with pro athletes, collaborate with doctors of all sorts and speak at conferences around the world.

A Day in the Life

Today, I’m sharing a sneak peek into my day and how self-love shows up in habits throughout my everyday life. For me self-love is all about the day-to-day work we do to cultivate self-awareness and the self-care practices we include in our routine which are so critical to keep us feeling nourished and balanced.

I was inspired to share some simple, accessible ways to make self-love a part of your day-to-day routine with my new YogaGlo program: Strength and Stamina Basics.  In our modern sedentary lives, movement can be so therapeutic, this is why I created these short, energizing practices to easily fit into your day to help you show your body and mind a little love even if you’re short on time.

I’m excited to share my “day in the life” and all the little ways that self-love shows up in my routine. Share how you schedule a little me time into your day in the comments below!

The short and sweet of my self-care routine starts with a meditation, then a smoothie to give me fuel for the day and a yoga practice to suit my needs for the day.  I spend most of my time on my computer when I’m home so I try to get up and move around often and cook some quick healthy foods. I end my day with a short restorative practice to nourish my body & mind and transition into some time to connect with those I love.  Here are the details:

Waking Up

7:00 AM – First off, as I roll out of bed, I do my morning meditation. Regardless of how busy the day ahead is, this helps me set the tone for the day. Usually 20 minutes.  Here’s one of my favorites for self-compassion.

7:30 AM – It’s time for what I like to call my “everything but the kitchen sink” smoothie. The ingredients really depend on whether I need a kick of energy or some stress relief but some of the things I love to throw in include: a high quality protein powder without any extra ingredients or sweeteners (I like to change it up: hemp, pea, rice, whey protein, etc), collagen powder, glutamine powder, vitamin C, brain octane oil or coconut oil, turmeric, ashwagandha, hemp seeds, probiotics, glutathione powder, vitamin D (especially now that I live in Seattle), etc.  I usually pick 2-4 each day and rotate. I respond to any urgent texts or emails but mostly I spend some time with my fiance while we sip smoothies and tea together and prepare for our day.

Mid-Morning

8:00 AM – Time for some myofascial work!  Great for so many things including connective tissue hydration, cellular communication, immune function and it helps prepare me for my yoga practice.  Similar to yoga there are so many different techniques to use depending on your body’s needs (scar tissue work, mobility, recovery, nervous system communication, more efficient movement, pain and so much more…).  I’ve used myofascial techniques with my patients for over 14 years now and find it to be a critical part of their self-care. I recently created a myofascial ball with Rad Roller made specifically for tissue recovery that launches soon as well.

8:30 AM – Today calls for some movement! My practice changes daily based on how my body is feeling and I’ve learned over time that each day is different.  What I love about yoga is that it has the capacity to be specific to our needs at that moment. I like to have a focus since there are so many therapeutic aspects of the practice that I find beneficial for my own self-care: movement, circulation, coordination, body/ self-awareness, balance, mobility, strength, precision, stability, mindful attention, breathwork, meditation, mental focus, interoception, compassion, subtle body awareness, emotional intelligence, mental perspective… and so much more.

When I’m not traveling for work I spend most of my days working on my computer from home so I often start my day off with some sort of movement-based practice. The details of that depend on the day. Because I travel so much I also like to do some movement in the morning to help match the normal cortisol/circadian rhythms through the day. Some days this even turns into more of an exercise or interval based practice but either way I like to get my heart rate up. My practice today: Tune Out the Noise!

Mid-Day

9:30 AM – 1:00 PM – Work until lunch.  I spend a lot of time running Yoga Medicine and our non-profits, managing our employees & contractors, responding to emails, creating new classes and programs, writing new teacher training content.  I recently finished writing a new manual on the nervous system & restorative yoga for our advanced Yoga Medicine teacher trainings.

11:00 AM – I try to take a 10-minute movement break and grab a snack mid-morning.  I have a mini trampoline next to my desk that I jump on when I just need to move. 🙂

1:00 PM – Lunch! There’s something so nourishing about taking the time to prep your own food. Even if it’s a simple meal that takes a few minutes, it feels great to take a break and fuel your body with healthy, simple foods. I usually keep it quick and simple for lunch.  Usually some sort of veggies, maybe a grain if I have something ready and some sort of protein. Toss in some olive oil and vinegar (I have so many different vinegars I love, right now my favorite is a honey white balsamic vinegar I found), sea salt, maybe some avocado or pine nuts.  Voila!

Afternoon

2:00 PM – 6:00 PM – Work, work, work, work, work, work.

3:00 PM – Time for a quick movement break. I love a quick 5-minute back bending practice on a chair to keep me focused and productive – check out Chair Rejuvenator.

Evening

6:00 PM – Time for a quick restorative pose! I like to do a restorative pose as a way to bookend my day, turn off my brain and start to wind down from a busy work day.  This helps me combat stress, maintain a healthy cortisol/circadian rhythm with all my travel (my adrenals take the brunt of this long-term so I try to stay on top of it)  and stay balanced mentally & physically. I find this part of the practice the hardest for people (including myself) to prioritize in our schedules. Personally, I find it to be such an important tool for my overall health, especially for the things you can’t necessarily see or feel like physiological health & emotional health.

6:30 PM – Cook, rest, read, and reset for tomorrow. When I’m home I love cooking for myself and my fiance.  I try to turn off my work brain and spend time making memories.

Wrap Up

Making time to learn new things about yoga and wellness is an act of self-care that I try to weave into my routine as much as possible.

Thanks for joining me today. I’d love to hear the ways that you approach self-care in your life. Share how you make self-love a habit in the comments below!

Click here to view Tiffany’s bio, programs and classes on YogaGlo!