Create a home Hammam

One of the most decadent and nurturing experiences for the body is the Hammam ritual where exfoliation and deep cleansing work to purify the body. The Hammam is likely the oldest surviving bath tradition in the world. The ruins of the oldest known Islamic hammam in Morocco dates back to the late 8th century. Hammam treatments include many beneficial components; from warm, steamy, circulating air, to vigorous exfoliation to therapeutic massage; the results are glowing skin and rejuvenation. Create your Hammam at home. Light some candles and turn on your playlist and start your steamy ceremony. Create your own sauna-like atmosphere at home by letting the hot shower run until the room becomes steamy and warm. You can place 5 drops of Eucalyptus or Rosemary essential oil in a diffuser to infuse the air with a cleansing aromatic scent.

Practice phone fasting

It’s really easy to get caught up in social media, texting and the constant barrage of emails. Tune out all of the digital chatter for one day- perhaps a Sunday. If the thought gives you a panic attack, then try half a day. Phone-fasting includes iPads, computers, gaming, etc. Take that time to tune inward, be with yourself, with family, go for a run, read a good book, spend time doing what you love with who you love, and take time to appreciate the precious moment that is the present.

Take a nap

That’s right, nap time is no longer for toddlers. It’s a very useful wellness tool. When we take naps, we create space for our dreams. We allow the body to recover from the stress of our week and prepare for the week ahead? Take an 8-to-20-minute nap and tuck yourself into your bed or find a nice cozy resting space to catch some Zs. Napping can help to restore nervous system and allow the mind to take a break from all of the cognitive overdrive associated with accelerated living.

Ground yourself

Stand on solid Mother Earth, with your bare feet. Our bodies are bioelectrical in nature. The functions of our cells and nervous system are governed by electrical power and pulses of energy. Electrons and fluids in the earth’s core generate continuous, powerful magnetic forces and complex energy fields. The earth’s energetic cycles and rhythms play an important role in our own bodies’ electrical rhythms, such as regulation of our hormone production and sleep-wake cycles.

Sing your heart out

When we open up to sing particularly with songs that have a deep lower tone, we are triggering the use of the vagus nerve, which snakes throughout our body. It innervates the voice box, throat, upper palate, lungs, parts of the digestive system as well as the heart. What most people don’t know is that the vagus nerve is directly hardwired to the cervix and uterus. Opening the mouth and chest cavity through slow, meditative deep breathing awakens the vagus nerve and opens a pathway for pleasure. Your energetic singing actually works the muscles in the back of the throat to activate the vagus as well as your sympathetic nervous system. This conducts a feeling of being in a flow state. When women emit deep, low sounds that originate from their wombs with their mouths wide open this can sometimes lead to longer lasting arousal. A relaxed mouth and jaw while singing may also lead to powerful orgasms.

Bask in moonlight

Moonlight plays a role in our monthly rhythms. Research has shown that sleeping with a 100-watt light bulb on during the five to six days of the full moon—and sleeping in complete darkness for the rest of the month—regulates menstruation. Just being outside in natural moonlight is incredibly healthy physically and recharges us energetically: you may have the urge to go out dancing with friends during the full moon. You can place your crystals in the moonlight to charge them, too. Whether you spend time outside, attend a full-moon yoga class, or just open the blinds fully during her five days of luminosity, you will feel charged up.

Latham Thomas