Create A Sanctuary Rituals

Pre-Holiday Grounding Rituals

It’s no secret that tensions start to rise as the holiday seasons approach. Maybe it’s the stress of hosting a large dinner party, or maybe the nerves of seeing distant friends and family. Whatever the trigger is, we want you to feel good going into the season and have the necessary tools to ground yourself before the madness begins!

Morning Stretching. Movement is one of the best ways to work out the kinks in life. Simply taking ten to fifteen minutes in the morning to stretch and move your body will start your day with positivity and wake up your mind for success.

Gratitude List. The act of writing is powerful. Words that are jotted onto paper are thoughts that go into the universe and soon manifest. One of the best ways to create positive energy around yourself is to make a daily gratitude list of ten things you are thankful for. These can be simple phrases outlining the things in life you appreciate. When you live with gratitude, your life becomes magical and it’s almost as if you have a bubble around you blocking out any negativity.

Fresh Air. When the walls feel as if they are closing in, step outside! The fresh air will jolt your mind into a new realm and release serotonin. You can take a walk around your street or even suit up for a run. Being outdoors, whether it is cold or hot outside, will help you to remember the beauty in our world– just keep your mind and eyes open!

Find Moments of Peace. Around the holidays we are usually surrounded by large groups. Family dinner parties, work events and various other obligations make finding quiet time difficult. For more introverted people, this can be exhausting. Finding a moment of silence can make all the difference in your day or night. A few methods could be stepping outside for a few moments alone or escaping to another room for five minutes. These few minutes of alone time will help to wind down the mind and reset.

Endorphins. Endorphins make you happy! These little guys are our natural energy boosters. Ditch the coffee and move your body instead! We release endorphins while working out, laughing and meditating. Ease your mind and radiate happy vibes.

Music. Ambiance is everything. Turn up tunes that make you happy. Dance around and do a little jig, or simply have it playing in the background. Songs that you love will be sure create a happy space for your day. It’s also a great way to set the mood for any gathering and ensure no awkward silences!

Create a Sanctuary. Make your home a sanctuary. Decorate your space with things that give you peace. Embrace color therapy and stick to an aesthetic that will bring clarity to your mind rather than clutter. What you include in your home is intimate and special to you, so make it your dream space!

Create A Sanctuary Rituals

Five Minute Journal Ritual For Daily Clarity

Imagine waking up slowly, filling up a cup of coffee, nestling into your favorite chair and taking an hour of quiet time to journal every morning. As this is a nice thought, the reality of our modern day world is that time is NOT a luxury we all possess!

Whether it be early office calls, waking up your little ones or just feeling like your day has already gone haywire, the mornings can be a quick downhill slope! The one thing from the imagery above that we can apply to our everyday routines is journaling– maybe not for an hour, and definitely won’t always be quiet, but starting your day with a five minute journal ritual will provide clarity moving forward!

Instead of scrolling through your email or socials first thing in the morning, replace this time with a journal and pen in hand. It’s okay to be lying in bed, or folded halfway over your breakfast bar. Allow your mind to stay quiet for just a bit longer. And if you’re feeling antsy or like your day just has to begin, write down these feelings! Write anything. Just the act of taking your pen to paper will provide your nerves and mind a calming sensation.

Beginning to write is scary for some. You do not need to attempt to write an award winning novel first thing in the morning. Jotting down how you feel, dreams you may remember from the night before, or just a simple list of ten things you’re grateful for that day will pave the path to clearing your head! No word is too small, no sentence too wordy, it is your journal. For your eyes only. Want to doodle? Go for it! The sole purpose of this five minute journal session is to simply turn your focus inward, resulting in a clear mind.

Five Minute Journal Ritual — (Photo Via AllsWell Creative)

Nobody is perfect, and some days even just five minutes feels impossible. Try your hardest to stick with the five minutes no matter how daunting it may seem, but really, if you write for three minutes or even just two your mind will thank you! As you dive deeper into your practice, consider writing out intentions for your day. This could be as simple as writing “I will be happy today!” or “Today my production levels will be high, and I will get x,y & z done!”

As mentioned above, anything you write is welcomed and encouraged as this is a space for you, in your own time. Even though it is just a small ritual, journaling is a way to take hold of your day and clear the headspace needed to navigate the craziness of our modern world.

Create A Sanctuary Rituals

Beginning the Week with Intention

The start of the week is an opportunity to renew and revitalize your energy.

In ways, the beginning of the week is a kind of rebirth of your sense of self, resolutions, dreams, and responsibilities. Cultivating a drive to revive your inspiration and stimulate your creative forces can be done simply through formulating a ritual.

Whether you commute to your place of employment, or work from home, begin your week by taking 30 minutes to an hour to fully dedicate to setting an intention, and engaging in a form of mindfulness practice.

Photograph Courtesy of Pinterest

Mindfulness Practice

Meditation is not an easy practice for a busy mind, but it can do wonders for the health of your mind and body. You can begin meditation with a simple breathing exercise using your hands, creating a space for concentration and grounding.

Photograph Courtesy of Endeavour Bookstore

Begin by taking a seat somewhere peaceful. Light a candle, or burn some palo santo, create an environment that makes you feel warm and comfortable. Cross one leg over the other, and begin to align your spine. Imagine each vertebrae perfectly stacked on top of one another, keeping a long neck, slightly dropping the chin, and lifting tall through the crown of your head.

Visit Heart of Village Yoga

Hand Counting Pranayama is an ancient Indian ritual used to engage the mind in meditation. Closing your eyes, stack your hands together on your lap, with the dominant hand on top. With an open palm, and use your thumb to draw a spiral, counting each joint of your fingers until you have completed 12 deep, rhythmic breaths. If you break concentration and lose count, begin again. Bring your mind’s awareness entirely to the 12 cycle spiral of breath.

Inhale deeply through your nose, opening the back of the throat to a point of making a course, audible breath. Envision the air flowing into your body and circulating like blood does within your veins. Exhale through your nose, until all the air has been expended fully. Repeat these deep cycles of breath while completing the 12 count spiral on your hand, as many times as it takes to feel completely relaxed and centered. Become completely still and aware of the present moment.

Photograph Courtesy of Pinterest

Once you feel really connected to your breath, and have quietness of the mind, you can begin visualizing all that you wish to transcend or achieve in the following week. Maintaining your lightness of being, keep your mind away from negative thoughts and energy. Only allow your focus to be on tangible, positive notions.

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Find Your Flow

Formulate positive affirmations to support the success of all that you do. After reflection, begin writing your affirmations and revelations in a journal. Carry confidence with you to your next task, and next meal. Make each household chore a time for quiet contemplation, each movement becoming a motion of zen. The next time you eat, concentrate fully on each bite of food you take, chewing slowing, savoring every flavor, and feeling gratitude for the nutrients you are taking into your body.

Release all resistance to the natural flow of the day. This means being gentle and patient with yourself, listening to your body and its needs, and releasing control over matters that are not directly within your grasp to navigate. Take care of tasks that are your responsibility to complete, and allow anything else to flow towards you. Remember that what you seek, is seeking you. The positive things that are of real necessity in your life will inevitable cross your path. Walk with openness and lightness of being!

Photograph courtesy of Pinterest

Create a sacred space, learn some ways to Improve the Vibes of Your Home!

Create A Sanctuary Rituals

New Year, New You.

GUEST POST by LYDIA JAJOURA

Setting Intentions with the Moon

As we move into a new year, we transition from decay to rebirth; the old to the new. This transition time of in-between is called “liminality”. For many of us, it’s uncomfortable to balance one foot in two places. Some times of liminality include ending one relationship before finding your next partner. Or quitting a job and looking for a new career. Moving to a new city, the change between the seasons, and personal growth changes as you let go of the old to make room for the new.

One of the most potent tools for this in-between time is setting intentions. To set an intention is to get a clear vision on how you want to feel and how you can live in alignment with your vision for yourself. The most powerful time to set intentions is on the New Moon each month. Every 29 days, a New Moon provides the energy that will manifest over the next 4 weeks!

On December 17th, the New Moon will be in the sign of Sagittarius, inviting us to move towards our One True Aim. This energy is all about conscious intention and mindful action. This is an especially strong energy that will help us close out 2017 so that we can start our new year with grace and purpose.

Sagittarius is a sign of seeking truth while experiencing freedom; sometimes freedom comes from discipline and order. So, what can you organize this month to allow you to live a new year in alignment with how you want to feel?

To let your intentions take flight throughout the coming year, take a moment to meditate on or journal the following:

RELEASE:

What are a few things from 2017 that you feel you’re ready to let go of? What do you NOT want to carry into your new year?
What is one negative habit that you can work on letting go of these next few weeks to start your year off on a new foot?

INTENTION:

What will be your personal theme for next year? It could be a word like “calm” or “joyful” or a personal mantra statement “I want to feel free” or “I am healing” …
What is one positive habit you’d like to incorporate into your daily routine in 2018?

To turn this into your own Moon Ceremony, gather a candle + lighter, a crystal or gemstone, and a journal + pen. After you write down your RELEASE answers, burn the paper (safely) or bury it in the ground. When you write down your INTENTION answers, hold your crystal close to your heart, take a deep breath in and a deep breath out. State your intention out loud, and then blow out your candle.

May your one true aim, your intention, inspire your daily actions and fuel your deepest dreams.

To learn more about setting intentions with the moon, visit www.lunarnourishment.com

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