Rituals, yoga & herbs for stress

We each have the power within us to be our own medicine woman (or man). We have a deep in-built healing wisdom that knows what our body and mind need to stay healthy. But when we’re dealing with exhaustion or personal or collective trauma (long-term stress is a trauma on the nervous system), we become disconnected from this wisdom. However, if we slow down and make time for rituals and healing practices – done with love, intention and purpose – they bring us out of living in our heads and down into our bodies, helping us to reconnect to its rhythms and needs and our inner guidance. We get more in harmony with our body, and with our spirit. We find our creativity, our intuition, and our magic.

Many people right now are feeling pandemic burnout, or stressed, anxious, overwhelmed or disconnected. How many of those can you tick? So in a rather epic email (!) I've brought together ten rituals and practices, drawn from yoga, Ayurveda and my own self-care routine, to support you. They're simple to do but can have a powerful effect on your wellbeing. For healing to happen we need space, and these will help you create that, in your day and mentally. 

These span the physical, energetic, emotional and spiritual. Start where you’re at, because overwhelm can stop us doing anything at all. Pick three that resonate the most, set your intention, introduce them one day at a time, and make them regular.

Healing ritual bath
Level up your bath! Add a bunch of fresh sage to recharge you, a cup of Himalayan salt to dispel negative energy, and lavender or rose oil to soothe and add fragrance. Put your favourite crystal in. It’s grounding to have a piece of the earth in the bath and its vibration amplifies the already healing effect of the water. Bathe by candlelight and listen to your favourite playlist of healing sounds, and it's magical – you turn your bath into a sacred space.

Ashwaganda

This Ayurvedic herb is an adaptogenic with a strong anti-stress effect. It strengthens the nervous system, helps with fatigue and exhaustion, and enhances mental function. I use Pukka as its herbs are organic, sustainable and traceable. Other adaptogens include maca powder, rhodiola, Asian ginseng and tulsi. I sometimes put a little maca powder in my porridge, with almonds, coconut, cinnamon and raw cacao powder. Always check the label for contraindications e.g. pregnancy.

Legs up the wall

This gets the nervous system out of fight-flight-freeze into the resting state, bringing your stress level down. Lie on a rug or blankets with your bum against the wall and your legs up it, vertically. Have a cushion under the head. Stay for five to ten minutes. After work is a good time (especially if you WFH, to create a work/personal time divide) or before bed.

Dinacharya (daily routine) 

This is a pillar of Ayurvedic healing. Our body craves regularity in waking, sleeping, eating and working. Think of how babies, cats and dogs sleep when tired and eat when hungry – their minds don’t tell them to push through and not sleep or eat on time. Nor should we. If your daily self-care routine is erratic, it can be overwhelming to try to get everything back on track. Start by correcting the thing that’s putting you most out of whack, such as skipping lunch or late bedtime. As this becomes regular, it helps the other elements fall into place.

Warm oil massage 

Every morning, spend five minutes lovingly massaging warm oil into your body. Put the amount of oil you’ll need in a small glass (almond, sesame or your favourite body oil) and stand it on a radiator to warm it. Use long movements along the limbs and torso and circular movements on the joints. If you don’t want to be oily use your regular body lotion but spend a few more minutes than usual, intentionally connecting with your body through the healing power of touch.

Yoga motivation 

Yoga has to be consistent, regular and not on autopilot to get the most benefit from it. Have a goal, one that’s specific and relevant to now. E.G. if your shoulders or hips are tight from sitting long hours at a laptop, focus on postures that stretch them out. Having a goal gives you motivation to do it and a focus to structure your session around.

Conscious breathing 

Don’t bring your stressed self into your yoga practice by going straight into postures. Allow three to five minutes at the beginning and the end to sit still and breathe. Physically this calms your nervous system, and managing the flow of prana in the pranic and emotional body helps to calm you mentally and stabilise your emotions.

The feel not the form 

Don’t bring stress on to your yoga mat by pushing past what feels comfortable or makes your breathing laboured. Find the point in the posture where you can stretch and strengthen but still feel at ease and breathe with ease.

Meditation motivation 

If you’re not meditating regularly, it helps to set an intention. Close your eyes and connect now to your desire to meditate regularly. Remind yourself why it’s important to you (e.g. you’re less anxious, your day goes more smoothly, it reconnects you with your heart, or your intuition, or centres you in your Self). Feel into how you want to feel. Then set a clear intention for when you’ll meditate, put it in your diary, and keep that time sacred. Commit, and don’t double book. 

A human, being 

Spend time doing nothing. Let go of the pressure to do things. Give yourself time to rest, recharge and daydream. Creativity, ideas and visions might arise, but that’s not the goal. Spend time simply lying or sitting and being in your being.