Strong boundaries help us say yes when we mean yes, and gracefully say no when our hearts tell us no.
On an energetic level, yarrow and mugwort are the first herbs that come to mind when I think about strengthening boundaries. I like the two in combination. While yarrow strengthens our personal boundaries, keeping our energy in and others’ out, mugwort sparkles up our intuition, helping us tune into ourselves. Without that, it can be hard to know what our limits are, when we’ve reached them, and how to express, from a grounded space, that we are tapping out in order to tap into ourselves for a recharge.
May was a long and varied month. There were some delightfully memorable times shared with our community, as well as some hard times for those in my closer circle. With Memorial Day, comes the blossoming of summer. Navigating all of this requires energy. And sometimes energy requires rest.
It’s hard for me to say no to an invitation for fun, but what if I just can’t muster what’s needed to enjoy that social time? I need to wiggle down into myself and ask: can I party? or should I snuggle up?
Some of us are very clear with boundaries, while some need the strength of yarrow to close up the permeability, allowing us to walk through our days as a self-contained unit sharing life with others instead of a porous, amoebic blob, blending into any energy bubble we come in contact with.
I find solo walks, yoga, long baths, time alone in nature, even time alone binging a show, to refresh me in a way that sharing those experiences with others might not. But, I have to be grounded enough first to have the clarity that it is time to take myself out to the tub, the river bed, or the hiking trail.
I’m listening as mugwort whispers its wisdom.
Scent is a powerful way to work with our energetic/emotional bodies. The olfactory system is deeply connected with our emotions. What happens here may not be consciously registered, but thoroughly impacts our well-being. We created the Chakra Roller Set to play with this system through a variety of essential oil blends designed to ground and soothe or stimulate and inspire these seven energy centers.
I use these as attitude adjusters.
If I’m feeling scattered and all up in my Vata head, I’ll use Carlisle’s Blend to get rooted into the first chakra, connecting my own energy with the deep, grounding energy of the earth through delicious, resinous vetiver.
Forest Shower came out of a chat with a friend who wanted to have a ritual to transition from working with her clients to being fully present at home with her family. Lavender, lemon, and cypress are used here to whisk broom our auras of any energy that is not ours to carry along for the ride.
And then, of course, there’s the Third Eye Chakra Roller. Based in mugwort-infused jojoba oil, neroli and frankincense essential oils help open up the portal of our intuitive minds so we move with a knowingness that comes both from deep within and through our connection to the divine.
The other four rollers are explained here. Working with these rollers in a conscious way allows me to flow through life with a little more grace and ease. And, at the very least, I’m surrounded by good scents, and that makes me happier ;)
Our skin is a physical barrier, offering both protection and a source of elimination. As such, it’s important to guard and nourish this armor of ours.
My skin is so happy when I moisturize, and my current daily habit is to dry brush for exfoliation and lymphatic health, followed by abhyanga, or self-massage, with an infused oil. What do I use for my infused oils? Yarrow! And mugwort! There are so many options.
There’s nothing better than a good soak in a hot springs, mineral bath, or your own delightful bathtub. I love working with the energy body via hydrotherapy. Water cleanses and purifies our physical, mental, emotional, and energetic bodies. Why not add herbs to enhance this shift?
This past winter, I made a quart of yarrow tea with about a half cup herb to the four cups water. Instead of adding the herbs to the bath, steeping them in a pot and straining directly into the tub means no scooping out bits of plant matter after a relaxing soak! I had been feeling a little drained from the season and all the wonderful events that occur between late November and January 1st. Into the bath went that yarrow tea, and I swear I felt the strength of yarrow flowing into my body.
Many of us do Epsom salt soaks, which is great for soothing aching muscles. I like to do a pound of Epsom and a pound of baking soda. I learned this combo in massage school when we talked about how to keep from absorbing our clients’ energies into our own. I find this combination to be super relaxing, and I imagine my aura being cleansed of anything that isn’t mine as the water swirls down the drain.
*As I work on this, it is nearing 100 degrees outside. How did you stay cool on Saturday?? A hot bath doesn’t always sound appealing. No worries: foot soaks are refreshing, and you can add that strong herbal tea to your dish tub of cool water after a long day just as well. I find even simply washing my feet in cold water helps reset my energy. Instead of feeling uppity and not-so-nice, I feel like it’s safe to be around other humans again. I miss spring already!!
When we work with our psychic boundaries, we want to
tune into ourselves so we are clear with what is a bountiful yes and what is a gracious no
strengthen our auric body so we don’t mesh and meld with other energies
cleanse out that which we no longer need, inhaling what we want to bring in, and exhaling what we are ready to let go of
Enjoy the kick off of summer festivities with music on the plazas, lazy floats down the river, and creamsicles, which we were craving and tried the other night. Just as good as you remember them being!
