Make your self care SACRED

Romanticize your routines and rituals with the below five staples for any scared and spiritual experience. Intention is everything so whether you choose to include one or all of these, the magic is truly felt when you take time to be mindful, loving and intentional about the feeling you want to call in and create within! When I feel like I need some answers, some deep self-love and an opportunity to connect with my soul, I am always sure to incorporate these tools. These can be used in any setting, the bath, a cosy room in your house or even outside! I found myself spending many summer evenings in my garden using all of these and having such a gorgeous and mindful experience. So, whether you prefer a morning, midday or evening ritual, find a playlist to set the most zen, goddess, meditative tone and follow these steps. If you’re worried about time please don’t be! You can create a ritual that lasts for just a few minutes if that is what works for you. Remember, it’s about the intention! If you are into crystals then you may wish to have some near you to enhance the moment. I like to use smoky quartz to support me in feeling more grounded and rose quartz to for amplified self-love.

1.  Light a candle! This is my very first step (after putting some music on) in my sacred self-care routine. This is where your intention setting is most prominent. By lighting a candle to start your rituals you are letting yourself know that you are here for YOU. This moment and the next moments that follow are to go inward and connect. To show yourself some love. Lighting the candle is symbolic to connecting with your own light.

2. Smudge yourself and your space! Your energy is so important and is a body all on it’s own. We might not be able to see it but we can FEEL it. It deserves to be loved and my way to do this, especially as I’m settling in for a sacred moment of self-care is to use the candle to light one of my smudge sticks or an incense stick. Once lit I encourage you to speak an intention that you hope to receive from the sacred moments to follow. Maybe you are looking to feel more relaxed. If so you could say something like “I set the intention to use this sacred experience as an opportunity to connect with myself and feel ultimate relaxation”. If you are hoping to release anything energetically heavy you could say “My intention from this moment on is to let go of any heavy emotions that do not serve my highest good. I choose to feel, heal and release them now”. Then waft the smoke around your space and around your body. Breathe deep as you do so.

3. Give yourself a massage! This step will really start to invoke those feelings of self-love and care. Grab an oil blend of your choice and connect with the intention you are setting as you massage into your hands, shoulders and neck. Keep your eyes closed and breathe deeply. Use this step as an opportunity to incorporate meditation into your experience. Perhaps you take five deep breaths in and out as you work the oil into your areas of tension. If you are creating a longer sacred experience then you can extend this step to give yourself a full body massage, including arms, legs and feet. Essential oils have so many benefits to offer us not just on a physical level but emotionally and spiritually. Good quality oils are sourced from plants and trees. Using oils is a profound way to bring nature into your practice and therefore will support you to feel more grounded and therefore more present. If you want to learn more about the sacred power of oils I invite you to join one of my monthly workshops!

4. Pull yourself a card! This is my favourite step. I really enjoy the magic that this creates as you allow the universe to gift you with messages and guidance. Whether you are just beginning your journey with Tarot, are slightly more experienced with reading or just a little bit curious it really doesn’t matter. Think of this step as something fun for your Inner Child. The purest most innocent part of ourselves that was in awe of the magic the world offers us. This step also encourages you to really listen to your intuition. Your absolute truth. The little voice inside that carries an energy of unconditional love and will always be guiding you on your path. Tarot and Oracle card reading is a really beautiful way to allow you to hear that voice by creating visual messages via the artwork and the words you see.

Click image to view The Inner Child Deck created by me :)

5. Time for some reflective journaling! This is the most loving last step and will support you with total release. I encourage you to put pen to paper and let the words flow without thinking about them too much. You might be surprised at how light and relieved you feel after this step. We often feel tense and overwhelmed just by the thoughts alone in our head. When they have nowhere to go they can just swirl around as little balls of energy receiving little to no validation and subsequently growing bigger and more intense. When we let them pour onto the page we are showing them that they are seen and heard. We are showing them compassion as we let them go and we are creating the space within for more empowered and uplifting thoughts to circulate.

There you have it! You have gifted yourself the time, energy and space. You have shown up for YOU with a simple but powerfully effective scared self-care routine. One that you totally deserve and can continue to do week by week, maybe even day by day. You can add to this with other practices or tools or you can even remove some of the above steps to create an experience that work best for you!

Thank you so much for investing in yourself by reading my blog. I am so grateful for your support and to be able to share my experiences and guidance with you.

All of these sacred tools are available via my shop below and I would be delighted to hear in the comments how you choose to make your self-care sacred!

Love Arianne x