Days that begin with self-care enable you to show up and better care for your community and loved ones. But why stop there? We’ve partnered with Wanderlust and Sophie Jaffe to share a full day of wellness rituals — morning, noon, and night — to help you optimize your energy and health when you need it most.
Morning — Nourish with Abhyanga
Mornings are the perfect time to start your day with a warming, calming Ayurvedic ritual. Increase circulation and release toxins through Abhyanga.
Ayurveda is a sister science to Yoga and an ancient technique of balancing the body through diet and herbal treatment. Dinacharya, or the daily routine of the Ayurvedic lifestyle, provides a series of rituals to prime the body for optimal health and wellness.
Some examples include: waking up early, saying a prayer, washing your face, drinking lemon water, oil pulling, dry brushing, and self-massage.
Self-massage is also known as Abhyanga. It is a warming, calming ritual that can be done right from your bed. Different oils can be used at different times of the year for different body types or doshas. Sesame and almond oils are for heating, sunflower oils are neutral, and coconut and olive oils are for cooling.
Give Abhyanga a Try
Select your oil and warm it if you choose. Start at the crown of your head, massaging in a circular motion, eventually covering your entire scalp.
Then move onto your face, massaging your forehead, temples, cheeks, jaw and ears in a circular motion.
Massage your limbs (in the direction toward your heart). Massage the abdomen and chest in clockwise, circular motions.
Finish with your feet. Sit with the oil for five to fifteen minutes, then take a warm bath or shower.
Midday — Rewire Peace using EFT
Use EFT(Emotional Freedom Techniques) to relieve anxiety and rewire the brain back into a peaceful state from the comfort of your own bed.
During busy days, it’s important to slow down and check in with your body. Feelings of chaos and stress are all-too-common in our overworked culture. EFT (also called tapping) uses the body’s meridian points to rewire the brain.
EFT can provide relief from depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and feelings of physical and emotional discomfort. It works best when you do it in the same place at the same time every day. You’ll only need five to 10 minutes.
Quiet your mind through EFT
Start at the top of your head, tapping your crown chakra.
As you move, repeat out loud (or in your head) what you’re looking to release.
Then move to the eyebrow.
Then underneath your eyes.
Underneath your nose.
Your chin.
Collarbone.
And your heart.
Repeat to yourself, “I love and accept myself fully.”
Finish feeling refreshed and in control of your emotional responses, ensuring you’ll be your best self for the remainder of the day.
Evening — Deep Relaxation in Yoga Nidra
Engage in a deeply relaxed state and prepare for you best night’s sleep yet by adding a yoga nidra practice to your evening routine.
Yoga nidra, or yogic sleep, is most commonly understood as the space between consciousness and sleep. It is a simple way to add a meditation ritual into your daily routine and benefits include reduced stress, a deep state of relaxation, and a window into your state of mind.
Yoga nidra is a form of yoga that anyone can do. The entire practice takes place while laying down (in corpse pose) and can even be done in bed.
It’s a guided practice, that can be as few as five minutes or as long as an hour. You’ll explore the five layers of self as a gateway to deep self-intimacy. According to Yoga International, “Yoga nidra offers a space to explore what you need in the moment, as well as an opportunity to work on releasing long-held emotions.”
Yoga nidra allows you to tap into your intuitive wisdom while also recognizing where improvements might be made. It’s is a space of non-judgmental and compassionate exploration of self.
Practice intentional sleep
From a comfortable, laying down position, begin to set an intention. What are you seeking to learn? Picture something which makes you feel grounded or whole. This could be a person, place, experience, or memory.
Scan your body from head-to-toe. Imagine a light leading through your body and tune into your breath. Sense the breath moving through your body. Let emotions, feelings, and thoughts pass through you. Do not force your mind into silence.
Ask yourself, what are you learning about your internal dialogue? Allow feelings of joy to spread through your body.
Reflect on your practice. Settle into the best night’s sleep you’ve had in a while.
Do you have morning, midday, and evening wellness rituals? Share by tagging us @avocadomattress or #avocadogreenmagazine.
Shop Pillows
The Essential Organic Pillow Collection
Gentle, breathable, non-toxic support.