RITUAL FOR SELF-COMPASSION AND CARE
SIEDEH FOXIE
This act of self-care is to acknowledge the body as an altar: a place of loving worship and devotion. Your physical vessel honoring those who came before, and those who will come after.
The following ritual is meant to soothe and nourish the multidimensional aspects of your being: physical, emotional, and spiritual. All it requires is that you give complete attention and awareness to your soul, granting yourself a moment to connect and instill harmony.
Begin by preparing an indulgent rose salt scrub, created to brighten the aura and enhance radiance. Follow with a healing ritual bath that utilizes a calming breath meditation to cultivate self-compassion and care.
For the rose salt scrub you’ll need:
1 cup dried roses, crushed
1 cup raw unrefined coconut oil, melted
¼ cup pink Himalayan sea salt
5–7 drops rose otto essential oil (optional)
Roses have a wealth of benefits for the skin and therapeutic properties that can aid in relieving depression and stress. Coconut oil helps regenerate and restore elasticity, while pink Himalayan sea salt banishes toxic energy to balance emotional and mental well-being.
Combine dried roses and pink Himalayan sea salt in a large bowl. If using, add rose otto essential oil to melted coconut oil. Carefully pour the coconut oil mixture into the bowl with the roses and sea salt and stir. If it appears too dry or coarse, you can add more coconut oil. Transfer finished product into a glass mason jar or container with lid.
For the healing ritual bath you’ll need:
1 white candle
1–3 cups fresh red, pink, or white rose petals
(if store-bought, make sure they are pesticide free)
Sandalwood essential oil
Neroli essential oil
3 whole bay leaves
Fill the bathtub with warm water (not too hot or the skin will become dehydrated).
As you wait patiently for the bathtub to fill, light a white candle and sing your intention, prayer, or song aloud, allowing the vibration of your voice to infuse and bless the bathwater.
Add 5 to 7 drops of each essential oil. Sandalwood is known for inducing serene, meditative states; uplifting Neroli balances emotions, bringing about feelings of self-recognition, worthiness, and joy.
When the tub is half full, add the bay leaves to cleanse any negative energy and bring wishes into fruition. Finally, add the fresh rose petals. As the stream of water disperses them, continue to infuse loving intention into the bath.
Step into the bath and while standing, gently scrub your body using your hands, slowly massaging in a clockwise motion from the neck down, all the way to the soles of the feet. As you do this, sing or hum to activate the heart center and call in divine guidance and support.
Once finished, lie down in the bath. Close your eyes, and tune in to your breath. Simply observe how the breath is moving through your body, being mindful how you feel in this moment. Let yourself acclimate to the feeling of the water and petals against your skin, the fragrance of oils permeating the air. Allow yourself to drift for a moment, sending your awareness into the heart.
Start to deepen the breath, inhaling from just below the navel, visualizing the breath as a luminous thread of white light. Take in a full belly of air, allowing this breath of healing white light to naturally flow into the chest, stirring there for a moment as you exhale slowly through the mouth with a soft haa. Repeat cycles of this breath for 5 to 7 minutes or longer if you wish. You’ll notice the nervous system shift into total relaxation, as the sound haa activates the heart center to invite more calm and sweetness.
In this transcendent state, invite any feelings or sensations to be explored and released with each exhale. Use the full inhale of every breath to call in all that you wish to receive, feeling the blessing of new possibility expand through every inch of your skin. Rest in this place for as long as you wish, noticing the quality of your thoughts. Are they kind and compassionate? What aspect of your life deserves more tenderness? Where and how are you showing up for your dreams and desires?
When the water begins to cool, let it drain as you say a closing prayer in gratitude. Visualize all of your fears, sadness, judgment, anger, resentment being washed down the drain and transmuted for the highest good. Allow yourself to air dry to retain moisture, and so that the healing properties of the bath can continue working. Collect the rose petals that now contain your energetic imprint and return them to nature by placing them at the base of a tree or rose bush the next day.
FOXIE