Last Thursday, I gave an hour-long solo vocal concert with my friend Eddie at a wellness retreat in the Berkshires. As a perk of performing at this retreat, my husband and I got to spend an extra day and night to relax on the property as guests. The hum of electricity in my chest, that feeling of always being on call, started to go quiet.
I should’ve been celebrating. Instead, in the space vacated by my ever-growing to-do list, what I felt was sad. The thing about working most hours of the day, about having those blinders on, is that it doesn’t give you much time to process anything else. And this big world is so sad. The crush of stories of human devastation and disappointment and absolute despair is relentless. And now I am receiving them, without distraction. Dropping back into my body feels like dropping into a lake on a grey day: quiet, lonely, melancholy.
I think I may not be the only one currently experiencing a well of unprocessed emotion. So, instead of a fashion post this week, I have a different offering. (It’s woo.) At this wellness retreat, I tried reiki and abhyanga for the first time. It reminded me of how long humans have been using ritual to process—in the physical body—unknown things and terrible things and big things.
So I made a simple ritual for myself, which requires nothing but yourself to recreate, if you want to. I am gifting it to you. A rock to skip over the lake.
Clear the low back/clear the mid back/clear behind the head (R/L)—releasing anything dragging behind you, that you may have picked up on accident. Clear the right side/clear the left side. Clear the throat chakra, heart chakra, and solar plexus in one motion. Drain the left side with the right hand—six taps. Drain the right side with the left hand—six taps. Three taps on the third eye/three taps on the bridge of the nose/three taps on the chin. Brush the body. Repeat. At the end, drum the low back, hips, and anywhere else you need. Remind yourself you are here.
I think you could do this standing or sitting, so long as the space behind your back is clear. Three times felt like the right number of repetitions for me this day, so that’s what I’ve done, but do it however many times feels right for you. Ten times might be right. Also two.