So much of the wellness and self-care worlds have to do with things you can see or touch. There is also a lot of discussion about vibes, energies, emotional states, and levels of consciousness. It’s confusing and it can even seem a little mystical. That’s because self-care doesn’t just benefit your physical body but your spiritual body too. This doesn’t mean religion; it means the intangible energy inside all of us that connects us to the universe (however you conceptualize it). The tools that increase spiritual awareness can seem esoteric and impractical to skeptics, but even partial-believers can find surprising benefits.

As you get deeper into the self-care conversation, you might start rolling your eyes. That’s okay! Self-care is a journey, not a destination. But you shouldn’t discount the importance of spiritual health. Self-care practices that focus on more than just how your body feels are important. When reading about these more out-of-the-box tools, remember that they serve the same purpose as the other more common practices in this book: making yourself better. The only difference is that these aim to heal your mind and help you forge a meaningful connection with something outside of yourself. After all, we all need to feel like we’re part of something.