When we think about recharging at Smudge HQ, we don’t just think about lavender bath bombs and vegging doing our favorite things - Netflix binge, anyone? We think about intentional recharging. Recharging that moves the needle forward in our lives even while we take some time to rest. Intentional recharging adds power to your drive within and helps you focus on more than just refilling your self-care cup. It helps you focus on things like reflecting on where you are now so you can nail down where you’re going, and reclaiming what’s yours that might’ve been lost along the way to your current space.
One of our favorite ways to implement gentle nudges, gratitude, and change within our lives is through rituals! So today we’re sharing a few rituals that align with your journey to recharge through the month of July as you find yourself filling up and becoming the empowered goddess you are after what’s been, let’s all agree, a rough go around for us collectively through the last year or two.
Rituals can be as powerful as you make them, and as simple or complex as you make them. Take our outlines here, do the ritual of your choice by the book or choose pieces of it that feel right for you and leave the rest. Our feelings won’t be hurt, promise. Part of a great ritual is a ritual that speaks your language, and we want you to make these your own and bring their power into your practice.
Self-Reflection Ritual. This first ritual is perfect for a ritual beginner. You’ll likely have everything you need around your home (score!) and can follow the few, simple steps without feeling overwhelmed.
- You will need:
- a journal
- a crystal (rose quartz works beautifully for this ritual)
- a candle
- Step 1: Sit in a quiet place with your items. Light your candle and use a technique you love to ground yourself, whether that’s a breathing exercise, short meditation, or something different.
- Step 2: Think about and identify three things in your current frame of life that you’d like to improve upon.
- Holding your crystal in your hand, close your eyes and repeat these words:
-
I reflect on the situations I find,
Those that bring unease to my mind.
I ask to have them replaced with love,
And seek strength to change from my guides above. - Step 3: Take several deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, until you feel rooted in your reflection and ready to move forward into positive change.
- Step 4: Keep your crystal with you in a pocket or purse throughout the day.
Ritual for Saying No. This powerful ritual will shed some light on the art of saying no, which in turn brings you more power to reclaim your time, energy, essence, and preserve yourself when needed. Perform this fresh, clean, and revitalizing ritual when you need to turn down a BBQ invite or a brunch date with the girls and have a hard time gathering up the strength to just say no.
- You will need:
- 2 candles, white are best
- mint leaves
- eucalyptus oil
- Step 1: Anoint the two candles with the eucalyptus oil, and light them. In this step, you can also add eucalyptus oil to your wrists or chest.
- Step 2: Add several mint leaves scattered around the base of the candles.
- Step 3: Focus on the flames and recite the following:
-
Empowerment and strength, enter my life,
Away with stress, pleasing others, and emptying my cup,
I am cared for, I am love, I am free from strife,
I can say no and still gently and powerfully lift others up. - Step 4: Hold your hands in the warmth over the flames for a few moments and focus on the warmth you feel, allowing that warmth to permeate through your body, carrying the power to say no from the top of your head down to your feet.
- Step 5: When you feel ready, blow out the two candles and use your newfound strength to call up that friend and politely decline their pool party.
The Replenish from Inside Ritual. The Replenish from Inside Ritual is a bit more involved than the others and requires a few more steps, but is a powerful way to bring replenishment into your spiritual practice and life if you’re running low on, well, overall physical and spiritual wellness.
- You will need:
- a piece of paper and a pen or pencil
- a candle, preferably blue
- Step 1: With paper and pen close by, light your blue candle in a calm area where you can focus fully on the ritual.
- Step 2: Spend a few moments visualizing the outline of your body filling up with pure blue water, replenishing and cool, cleansing you from the inside out.
- Step 3: On your piece of paper, draw this visualization.
- Step 4: Around your drawing, write a few words that represent replenishment to you. Some examples are: fulfillment, full cup, mentally well, etc.
- Step 5: Fold the paper to form a small square.
- Step 6: Holding the square in your left hand, close your eyes and recite these words:
-
I replenish from the inside out,
I allow refreshment to surround me now.
Filling up with wellness and love,
I feel ready to begin anew. - Blow out the candle, and carry your small folded square with you. Daily, recite the prayer over it as you begin your morning.
Rituals for recharging may potentially be the most important rituals you can find around - why? Because as we all know, we can’t give our best selves when we can’t be our best selves. Taking time to incorporate rituals for recharging and creating a core foundation for them to live on ensures we all - no matter who you are - have the stamina to stop, replenish, and continue on in times of stress and strife. Caring for ourselves in this way is one of the most empowering ways you can live your life, knowing that nothing can break you as long as you have your Rituals for Recharging to fall back on. Choose your fave ritual and don’t forget to share it with us on Instagram @SmudgeWellness! We can’t wait to see which one spoke to you the most and how you enjoyed it!
