Hi loves! If you haven't met me yet, I'm the owner of our magical sanctuary. Amongst my many avenues of healing and wellness exploration, I'm often (daily, at the very least) asked for advice on all sorts of topics. So, I wanted to start a once-a-month blog where you could ask all sorts of questions from serious to fun, and hear my very honest but loving responses. I'm no authority, I'm just a human who wants to empower other humans to feel good, do good and be empowered to live their absolute truth. Want to ask a question? I'll post opportunities on Instagram to ask questions for future blogs. So, without further ado, here we go!

What's your favorite bed time stretch/wind down ritual, with all the "must haves" and ideal stuff?

Well, coming from someone who used to party every night and sleep in my makeup and clothes (10/10 do NOT recommend!), it might surprise you that I still don't have a picture-perfect bedtime ritual. Not in the modern day popular "sleep hygiene" sense, anyway. I luckily generally sleep like a corpse (until my cats wake me up screaming for food at 5am), but it's mainly because my days are set up to wear me out by bedtime. I think good sleep happens the minute you wake up, and how you live out your day with movement and diet. The perks of a nighttime ritual are just the extras! That being said, I'm usually so tired that I make it through about 20 minutes of Dexter and pass out on the couch, but when I don't do that, I have a few favorites to help me feel ready for sleep that still remain simple to this day.

1. Wash yo face with good skincare. As soon as you know you're in for the evening, wash your face. Do your skincare early so there's no risk of you falling asleep without a fresh face. I'm an OSEA babe myself, but it doesn't have to be expensive. Just find what works for you and prep your skin for a peaceful night.

2. Witch practice: Make your own witchy pillow spray. Grab a spray bottle and add in water (moon water for extra dream power!), a few drops of lavender essential oil, clary sage oil, and amethyst crystals. While you're adding the ingredients in, set dream intentions and sleep blessings like: "Dreams may come, Dreams may go, Bless my sleep upon this pillow". Then spray the pillow a few minutes before bed for that fresh-sheets, dreamy goodness. Seriously, one of my favorite rituals!

3. Yoga: If you want to stretch or do a little yin yoga, do it at least an hour before bed so your vital prana equalizes. I'll do a short evening practice when I'm home alone (hence, no Dexter pass outs!) and go through a toe to head body relax---moving gently and slowly from my toes all the way up to my crown. Nothing intense, just shifting and releasing any stored energy with gentle stretching, then relaxing and breathing into that area. Always end at the crown where you can take long deep breathing while turning your focus or gaze to the top of your head where your pineal gland is---where melatonin is released and your circadian rhythm is managed---activating your dream center and connection to the cosmic realm.

4. Tea! What else. My favorite go-to nighttime tea is called Seven Blossoms tea. It contains valerian root which is magnificent for calming the nerves and inducing gentle sleep readiness, as well as Linden for relaxation, and a few others. It's seriously the best for bedtime (until The Feral Herbalist comes out with a sleepy tea)!

5. Finally, no screens. Read a paper book if you can. It always knocks me out. I get a few pages in and I'm nodding off. Paper holds a completely different energy than a screen, and it's more natural to your circadian rhythm. There is one caveat here: ASMR. If your head is spinning and you can't chill out, ASMR is the only reason for a screen. I love a few special artists: Myaling, RANG, Tingting, and Bluewhisper are a few of my faves that aren't all the tappy-nail-clacky nonsense.

What does your self-care look like? You're so great at caring for us, how do you give back to yourself?

First of all, thank you for saying such kind words. My care for y'all is easy. I was called here and called to do this work. Also, all of you make it EASY to love and care hard! This community is nothing short of pure magick. FULL STOP.

For self-care, I have a few things to say. The term itself feels stressful these days, doesn't it? Yet ANOTHER stressful task to do, and perfect, and make look pretty on socials. Self care, just simply caring for the self, is a daily practice and simply a way to preserve the home we live in, i.e. our bodies, minds and souls, so we can be welcoming hosts to all guests and experiences that enrich our dwelling. So, what's the first thing we do with our home? We make sure it's safe. We protect it and guard it. My number one self-care ritual is always boundaries! Just like I wouldn't leave all my doors open and let anyone wander in, I won't do it with myself either. I can't do the work I do all day every day if I'm just letting everyone do as they please with my time and energy. Imagine a world filled with Colin Robinsons (see: What We Do In The Shadows), and we're just allowing all the energy vampires to bleed our energy dry. We'd all be dead in seconds, yet here we are doing it all the time. Boundaries are how we honor our sacred gift of life and keep the blood suckers at bay. Truly, I have to feel safe and protected to do the same for you. It's one of the first things I work on with my clients---setting firm and clear boundaries.

The rest is understanding my subtle self deeply and what my needs are, and honoring them completely. My early, quiet morning rituals of meditation, tarot and movement are how I prepare for my day. Also, as a Kapha-Pitta, it's imperative that I have time to care for myself in the ways I need throughout the day. I don't love to sit around and loaf, and if I do for too long, it has an immediate affect on my mental peace. So, I make sure I get outside and walk every single day. I'm also a long-time believer in "self dates" where I take myself out for a date that I'd like to be taken on. Maybe it's dressing cute and taking myself to coffee and a record shop, or taking myself to a picnic in the park, a sit-down meal, a tourist attraction, a show, you name it. Sure, I could go with my husband or friends, but self dates are saying, "I'm important enough to take the time to treat myself with reverence and gratitude. I deserve my time." Aside from that, I have three rules: BREATHE WELL, MOVE WELL, EAT WELL.

Until next time,

Sat Nam, my loves!

xoxo - Jillian