Rituals for self-care #7
Uplifting jasmine, an open heart and self-compassion. Micro-moments to find radiance this month.
There’s a celebratory feel in the air: school’s out for summer, barbeques are fired up for garden gatherings, road trips and adventures are planned. August is active and sociable, reminiscent of the carefree summer days of childhood.
Ancient wisdom sees this as time of the heart: joyful, optimistic and radiant. There’s a brightness to it. As well as noting the energy of the sun and it’s effects on the body - aiming to balance the external heat with cooler practices - it also invites us to acknowledge the source of our own light within.
This month’s micro-moment is to honour your heart. Discover the wisdom and guidance of the heart, as well as finding a sense of self-compassion. The lack of structure and routine in the summer months can mean there’s less opportunity for practices of self-care - tempers can fray and the heat can lead to agitation.
Tune into your heart, listen to what it needs you to hear.
I’m sharing a few practices to offer you micro-moments of self-care this summer. Have a read below…
This month you’ll find me…
Practising this:
Sphinx
A baby backbend, sphinx is an open-hearted pose. Physically it opens up the front line of the body, from the pelvic bone to the neck, as well as strengthening the muscles supporting the spine and firming the glutes. But also think of this energetically - opening up your vulnerable heart space to face the world.
As you’re in the pose you might explore a little self-inquiry: imagine breathing in and out of the heart space and contemplating “who am I showing up as in the world?”. It might be something else you’d like to meditate on, maybe considering a current situation for you - allow it to settle into the ‘cave of the heart’. What does your heart say?
To get into sphinx pose, lie on your front and draw your elbows underneath your shoulders and lift your upper body. Start to feel into the space at the front of your abdomen.
As always, adjust the pose for any contraindications.
Using this essential oil:
Jasmine
This little beauty is sweet and floral. The name jasmine is said to originate from the Persian phrase gift from God. Jasmine essential oil has many benefits for hair and skin - calming and hydrating for skin that’s a little skin-parched - but it is its scent that makes it my pick this month. It’s an uplifting scent and gorgeous for summer evenings.
“Summer breeze, makes me feel fine. Blowing through the jasmine in my mind….”
Making time for:
Self-compassion meditation
Our Meditteranean friends have got it right with their siestas. Many cultures encourage rest in the peak of the day’s heat - for example, traditional Chinese medicine encourages rest in the ‘heart energy’ time of day between 11am and 1pm.
Maybe a full-on siesta is out of the question but, just maybe, you might like to try a short meditation. On the theme of the heart energy, I’m sharing here a short practice by self-compassion expert Kristin Neff. This one is called affectionate breathing but she has loads of resources on her website if you want to explore.