​Reader,​

I don’t know anyone who has a “perfect” life.
I don’t think we’re even supposed to have what is considered the perfect life.

But, I also know that a lot of spiritual practices and rituals I see out there in social media land are designed for people with lives that are more… pulled together(?) than mine.

And so over the years, I’ve really had to get creative with how I approach things like mediation, pulling cards, journaling, rituals, etc. Because when life is handing me challenge after challenge, I 100% want to lean into my connection to self and spirit, but I can’t always do it in a picture perfect way.

And since we’re in Mercury Retrograde and may be feeling the bumps a bit more, I thought I’d share a few of my alternate spiritual practices. These are the things I do when I don’t have it in me to do something fancy with all the bells and whistles:

1. I turn on music and let it fill up my space. Music has always been really healing for me. And I love the ease of turning it on and feeling the vibrations move through me and the room. It shifts something energetically and emotionally and requires zero effort on my part.
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2. A Nap. I know, I know. If you have time to nap surely you have time to meditate! No. Sometimes I really need to sleep more than I need to meditate. Sleep helps me process all the stuff. So, I put headphones on and listen to binaural beats. 20 minutes (ok maybe 40 minutes) later I wake up and I’m ready to tackle the rest of my day.
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3. I look for magic. I think that there’s always something magical in life – even in the most stressful of times. And if we can choose to see it, it can give us some much needed relief from whatever is going on around us. I’m a big fan of nature signs, like interesting bird or dragonfly encounters or a lilac that once bloomed in September right in the moment that I needed it most. Yesterday, it was the world's smallest bunny hiding in my flowers. Simple things that remind me life is more than just what’s happening in the moment.
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4. Doodling or some other form of art. I am not an artist. At all. I joke that I can’t draw a straight line even with a ruler. But my friend Mary constantly reminds me that I don’t have to create professional grade art to tap into the healing energy of creativity. Somedays this looks like water color blobs on paper while other days I grab an old Mozart or Beethoven piece and see if my hands will still play it. My busy mind turns off and I enter a sort of zen zone similar to what happens when I meditate for long periods of time.
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5. Connection with other humans. It may not sound like a spiritual practice, but it is. Sometimes we just need connection to other human beings that are outside our own zone of chaos. And usually that connection is the first thing to go for me. In those moments, I feel like things are just too much, but when I reach out to a friend, grab a cup of tea with my husband or go for a walk and just say hi to all the strangers doing the same thing, something releases inside of me. It’s like I remember we’re all in this together and I’m a little less judgmental about my situation.

None of these things are complicated or need to take up a ton of time, but they will help you weather whatever storm you might be feeling challenged with.

I would love to hear about what you do to find center, take a breath, and connect. Hit reply and let me know.

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