By Dr. Jennifer L. Yocum, Licensed Acupuncturist & Nicole Maisel, Licensed Massage Therapist
Self-care is the practice of taking an active role in your health, well-being, and happiness. Anything that benefits your body, mind, or spirit can be considered self-care; it does not mean that you are being selfish in any way. It’s particularly important to include in your life in order to combat personal and environmental stressors. Unwinding from your day is an important part of your self-care routine. Having intentional activities that signal the end of the day gives you a mental and physical advantage for processing and expressing your experiences. Here we share evening self-care rituals to practice this winter to bring you in touch with the deep calm and stillness of this time of year.
Whether or not you realize it, you have an evening routine in place. It currently may include things like brushing your teeth, washing your face, and/or tucking your kids into bed after reading them a story. It may seem overwhelming at first, but there are simple ways to bring more self-care into your evening routine:
- Slow down. Leave the busy bee antics behind, and start to move slower around your home. This will activate the rest/digest part of the brain and prepare you for restful sleep.
- Cleanse away the day by taking an evening shower with Frankincense or sweet almond scented body wash, or use a relaxing Epsom salt bath scented with lavender essential oil.
- Create a playlist of soothing music that helps you feel relaxed and at peace.
- Hum your favorite songs while you cook dinner or before bed to relax the body and mind.
- Take an evening stroll. Clear your mind with a simple 30-minute walk. This simple self-care routine gives you space and time to relieve stress, and you may even find that you observe new sights and sounds around you that you were too busy to notice before.
- Chew slower. This is a health practice that aids in digestion and brings greater awareness to the flavors. Eating slower helps reduce overeating because you are feeling satiated before all the food has been consumed. Try to chew each bite of food at least 30 times before swallowing, or as close to that as you can get before the food totally dissolves. This helps the stomach digest the food by not only making the food smaller, but also by adding more of the natural digestive enzymes present in our saliva.
Breathe it out, and then think it through
Use this yoga breathing technique and the power of positive affirmations to support the body and mind.
3 second yoga breath with affirmation- Begin by sitting or lying down. Place one hand over your heart and one hand gently over the belly button. Breathe in through your nose, slow and full. Hold your full breath for three seconds, then release out through the mouth. You can say an affirmation out loud. Here are some examples of affirmations you can try:
“I am using my breath to let go of anything that holds me back and no longer serves me.”
“My day is behind me, my peace is within me, my best is in front of me.”
“I have made my day the best it could be. I honor myself by honoring this day.”
Space Clearing: Burning Dried Herbs
Herbs and plants have been burned for centuries by cultures from around the world to help prepare the mind and body for restorative healing. Sweetgrass is used in the Midwest, incense and is burned before entering temples all throughout Asia, and sage is burned by many native peoples in America. According to fengshui, a system based in Chinese Medicine five-element theory, burning sage or other herbs can clear space of negative energy and improve health. This negative energy can keep us stuck in patterns that do not serve our highest good. By clearing our space with herbal smoke, we release these obstacles and create space for what we want to bring into our lives.
Sage
The smoke that is created when burning this plant has more than aromatic benefit; research has shown that sage smoke has a 99% antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal component. These benefits are long-lasting, and keep surfaces sanitized for up to a week after the sage smoke has settled. The smell of burning sage is calming to the nervous system as well. It leaves a slightly sweet, smoky scent on clothes, hair, and skin.
Palo Santo
This wood comes from the high dry lands of South America. Related to Frankincense, it is part of the Pine family of trees. It has a high concentration of sweet scented oils in the wood. The name translates to “holy wood” and is used to relieve colds, fever, anxiety, and inflammation in many native cultures. The smoke created is a strong antibacterial source that has been used to treat sore throats and sinus infections when inhaled gently.
Space Clearing Ritual
Once you have chosen your herb(s), which can be bundled, loose-leaf, or singlesticks, using a fire-proof bowl or container to catch any ashes, light the herbs. Always remember to burn these items when it is safe to do so by making sure that there is plenty of ventilation and that you have a safe means of putting out the embers. Both Sage and Palo Santo need to have a flame burn for 15-30 seconds. Then blow them out and use the smoke to clear the desired areas. If clearing a room, walk the perimeter and fan the smoke into other areas of the room. Once you have walked around the full perimeter of the room, repeat a mantra or saying 9times, such as om mani padme hum, or I release what no longer serves me, or whatever resonates for you. Then, close your eyes and imagine what events and people you want to have in that space. Imagine moments of joy, friendship and love. Take a few moments to paint the picture in your mind. Once you are done, the ritual is complete and you can extinguish your herbs using a bowl of sand or dirt.
If using the herbs to clear your own energy, after lighting the herbs and blowing them out to create smoke, move the herbs around your body to allow the smoke to cover you. Envision all negative energies clearing from your physical and energetic bodies. Complete the mantra ritual as above, and see yourself as light, whole, and safe. Extinguish the herbs as detailed earlier.
Note: This article was originally published in a local magazine for their February 2024 issue. For citation references, please contact Dr. Yocum at https://jenyocum.com/contact/
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