My Evening Ritual

At the end of last year I made a commitment to myself to start doing some much-needed inner work. There were (and still are) a lot of patterns I’d become accustomed to that were not serving me anymore and were trending towards detrimental rather than helpful. For instance, I was finding myself in a recurring pattern of having a big dream or goal, writing it down, then thinking it was impossible to do so I would quit before I ever started. Basically I have an issue with getting in my own damn way. And it was time to break that familiar pattern.

So what exactly does that have to do with an evening ritual? In times of change, flux, stress, or instability, rituals create structure. They present a source of stability or earth when it feels like everything else might be toppling or shifting. Rituals take otherwise mundane or normal tasks and give them intention and purpose.

Since I’m a Capricorn, I thrive on structure. When I was a kid I wanted to know the exact plan for events and was even known to ask about things months in advance of them actually taking place so I could plan accordingly. As an adult, having a certain sense of structure helps me stay focused and grounded. One way I’ve created that for myself is with my current evening ritual. It provides a bookend to the day and signals to my brain it’s time to stop working and wind down. It’s also become a way for me to devote at least one hour per day strictly to MYSELF. Here’s the ritual I’ve created:

My Evening Ritual

• I’m a night owl so my evening ritual begins later than those of an early riser. At around 10pm (sometimes earlier, sometimes later), I disconnect from whatever work I’m doing or shows I’m watching and head to the shower. The shower is both a literal and figurative rinse from the current day.
• After I’ve showered and dressed, it’s time to take care of my face. I use either one of my own hydrosols or one from Marble & Milkweed, then I apply a nourishing serum (also from Marble & Milkweed). While I’m applying the serum I massage my face and throat, specifically the areas around my sinuses and lymph nodes.
• Next it’s time for herbal tea. I don’t drink the same blend every night. Sometimes it’s an Herb & Stone blend, sometimes straight chamomile, or sometimes it’s an intuitive blend of what my body needs. While the tea steeps for roughly 10 minutes or so, I get my bed ready, tend to my sourdough starter, and take a couple of light stretches if needed. Or I simply close my eyes and pay attention to my breath.
• Once my tea is done I head back to my room. While I enjoy my tea, I journal. I fill in at least one page with random thoughts from the day or whatever else I need to get down on paper. It helps my mind feel clear and eliminates that monkey mind feeling as I’m trying to go to sleep.
• The last part of my ritual is to read for a bit while enjoying the last of my tea. Sometimes I can read a chapter in a book, other times I’ve barely read a page when my eyelids grow heavy. When I start to feel that heaviness and my focus starts to wan, I brush my teeth and drift off to sleep.

If you want to learn more about rituals, specifically with regards to herbal tea, check out my workshop coming up on March 29th! You can find the details here.