You’re working hard to achieve your goals and live your best life. And while all this hard work is an effort in self-love and care, sometimes you need to take a step back from your fast-paced hustling and show yourself love in another way. A night in at home is one of our favourite ways to rejuvenate and restore our energy after a long day, week, or month of chasing our dreams. It may seem like staying home to read in a bath, enjoy some dessert, and meditate by candlelight isn’t getting you closer to your dreams. But really it is. It’s giving you the energy to take charge the next day, and the ability to accept that, yes, you are worth a night of at-home pampering!
Whether a night in your week frees up, or you find yourself without plans this Saturday, take that opportunity to stay in and relax, restore, and rejuvenate.
Partially fill up your bathtub or a bowl or bucket with hot water (not too hot!) so that the water hovers just above your ankles. Add in either epsom salts or himalayan salts; the amount you add will depend on how much water you’ve poured, so start small and make sure the salts are melting in the water. Add a couple drops of peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, or your favourite essential oil to the water. If you want to add a moisturizing element to your foot soak, you can put a dollop of coconut oil into the water or rub it on your feet before immersing them. Sit back and enjoy for 5-10 minutes, or longer, if you’re comfortable.
Curl up by the fire, in a blanket on the porch, or get cozy in bed with a good book. Reading is something you can do every day or night, and it’s so good to let your eyes have a break from screens. Some books we love are:
How Yoga Works, by Geshe Michael Roach
Behind the Beautiful Forevers, by Katherine Boo
The Mindful Athlete, by George Mumford
Yes, Please, by Amy Poehler
Women Who Run With the Wolves,Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Light some candles, turn on your salt lamp and grab your pillows. Restorative yoga isso good for you, even though it looks like adult nap time. Embrace it! Try out one of our restorative sequences to help you relax and completely let go of the hustle stress.
Who says you can’t have romance yourself?! Turn down the lights, light the candles, add some epsom salts, essential oils or bubbles (or all!) and slide into a warm bath with a book, your favourite playlist or a show you’ve been meaning to catch up on. Don’t have a bathtub? Check to see if your gym or a local sauna has a steam room or jacuzzi you can use.
We firmly believe in the passive practice of restorative yoga, but it’s also super beneficial to stretch your body. You can even do both in the same night – a few forward fold variations, child’s pose side stretches, and cat cow, then legs up the wall and savasana. Can it get any better?!
