We interviewed some of the exceptional women in our community.
These are some of their rituals they use to come back to themselves in chaotic and confusing times.

JEAN CALLAWAY

I first met Jean 4 years ago, she is an accomplished spiritual health and wellness coach, teacher, healer, intuitive, and guide. What she did for me was like a jedi-hybrid-reiki-therapy-exorcism: in the best possible way. Jean is one of those rare people who efficiently combines her strong intuition with multiple techniques to assist others to heal and reconnect with their true and divine self. Generous and kind, Jean is an exceptional person who works with the Intelligence of the Heart with those who want more of what's possible; physically, mentally/emotionally, and spiritually.

I have been on a committed path of healing, awakening, enlightenment for 14 years and have studied with some of the best on the planet. Along the way I have learned many different clearing practices from guided journey’s to different mudra rituals.

For immediate relief grounding is key. I find the most simple and effective way is to simply STOP… Just STOP whatever you are doing and be still.
Sit or lie down with eyes closed.
Place your hand on your heart and breathe... deep belly breathing following your breath into your body. Coming back into the body stops the mind chatter and brings back those parts of self that have scattered.
Bring your consciousness right through your heart, deeper and deeper.
Relax into the body. Let go of the need to do anything at all. Let your body breathe you.
Feel the peace begin to emanate through your body. Sink deeper, deeper. Deeper into the body.
Imagine the body expanding, expanding, expanding. Relax, Breathe….
If possible, an Epsom/Sea Salt/Baking Soda/Lavender Bath finishing with a cold shower will bring the body back to its natural state. A nap is complementary with a deep inner knowing that this too shall pass …and it does… every time!!!
Burning /Smudging with White Sage/Palo Santo

Personal daily routines which assist in maintaining a natural state of openness, expansion and fluidity include :

   •   Plenty of movement/exercise/ yoga ( I prefer hot yoga for the sweating/detox element)
•     Fresh air/sunshine
   •   Healthy Eating
   • Drinking lots of water (I routinely add lemon and trace minerals to my water)
   • Periodic rest/breathing breaks as required.
•   Avoid television/social media
   •   Incorporate high frequency music into your daily routine
   •   Trust trust trust in myself and the divine that is me.
•   A willingness to feel; for with feeling comes higher consciousness and clarity.

BRYONIE WISE

Bryonie and the most magical pooch - Winston

One of our favourite yoga teachers and poets (Heart Roars: A Book of Tiny Prayers), Bryonie Wise is an alchemist of the heart and believes that when we come from a place of love, anything is possible. When not teaching yoga or writing her heart to the bone, she can be found frolicking in the sunshine with her camera & her dog, Winston, living her yoga. Her friends would say her greatest strength is her attention to detail and the love in her lioness heart. Moments when she feels lost or out of alignment she turns to;

Long walks
Long baths
Long periods of making. Singing. Crying. Feeling. Speaking it all aloud. Laughing. Forgiving. Breathing, one breath to the next. Trusting that the things will shift and I can soften. Remembering to remember. That it's okay for me not to be okay.

JESS MILLER

Jess Miller is a queer femme Toronto-based home organizer, self-care kit curator and energy healer. She uses Tarot, ritual, magick and Reiki to support her clients. (www.spacelogixca.com). She is one of our favourite shining faces to see nearly everyday at our yoga studio and has helped us immeasurably with inspiration for bitchesbewitches.

When I feel lost, I use Tarot to help me find focus. It's a powerful tool to uncover the roots of a challenge, potential allies or supports, what needs to be released or embraced, as well as unconscious relationship patterns.
I also use the practice of shamanic journeying to help me re-align. Accessing non-ordinary reality to receive wisdom, healing, support and accountability is always a healing and clarifying experience. After a journey, I've usually been gifted with a plan of action, an intention to work with, or a new healing technique.
Meditation is one of the big guns in my arsenal. Whether it's a grounding meditation to settle anxious energy or a self-love meditation before a date, meditation helps me to remember how spacious my heart is, how resourceful I am, how rare it is that something is actually an emergency, and that my power lies in the present moment.
Chakra Healing Visualization
I visualize healing white light streaming down from the heavens, filling me with radiant life force energy. Then I direct that energy to each of my chakras starting at the root chakra. With each chakra, I visualize the colour associated with it, and I picture it spinning smoothly with the colour clearly, rather than looking murky.
Tree Visualization
When I can, I like to do this visualization sitting outside against a tree. I sit up straight and visualize a soft green light filling my entire body from head to toe. Where my body connects with the earth, I imagine roots forming, connecting me to the traits of stability, groundedness, protection and patience.
As I breathe in, I take in life energy, and as I breathe out, I exhale any energies, thoughts or ways of being which no longer serve me. I like to do a variation of this practice in the morning so that I start my day feeling grounded and clear.

DAYLE MCLEOD

Dayle Mcleod is my neighbour and witchy sister that I always serendipitously see in life. She is a singer, songwriter, actor and explorer of ancient mysteries living between Toronto and Los Angeles. (www.soundcloud.com/babydayle) Check out her music! It's amazing!!

I love rituals and they’re a huge part of my life! The most important practice to keep me in balance is transcendental meditation, without it I’m an anxious mess who can’t sleep, socialize, or create anything interesting.
I go to the Scandinave Spa in Collingwood at least once a month to spend the day in nature, read and enjoy the eucalyptus steam room. That place clears my head and relaxes my body like no other!
Hot Yoga gets me out of my head and deeply into my breath and body. Does the trick anytime I’m worried about something.
Every morning I drink plain hot water, tidy my apartment, burn palo santo, water and write three pages in my journal. Its like taking the trash out of my mind.
Spending time with someone who loves me and makes me laugh can often do the trick if Im feeling lost.

EMILY MILLEN

Emily Millen is our friend Caroline's cool big sister. She resides in Vancouver, BC and has been teaching yoga and leading retreats for the last 7 years. When she isn't on the mat she can be found supporting birthing Mothers as a certified Doula and will be studying to become a midwife this fall.

I am really sensitive to ungrounded feelings and it bothers me when I'm off-kilter. To renourish I have to have alone time. Being at home alone is one of my favourite ways to reset. I'll usually sing/belt along to my favourite tunes, read a book or watch either a thought provoking film or a romantic period piece, depending on what I'm in the mood for. Going for a run and being in nature also helps.
However, my most imperitive ritual that allows me to remain grounded and connected to myself is meditation and yoga.

EMILY DICKINSON

Reading about what the amazing women in our circles do to keep themselves centred, I thought a lot about my own practices. I wanted to share a few things I do to keep myself grounded. I've always been arts-and-crafts focused, so most of my rituals are rooted in creating :)

Morning writing as captured by my sis.

I keep a pad of paper/water colours/sharpies on my desk, and I find doing a quick painting when I'm feeling anxious or scattered really drops me into myself. I never think it's going to work, but as soon as I start, the internal dialogue quiets right down.
I like to write first thing in the morning. Whether I'm working on a current project or just journalling, it taps me into my heart and reminds me what's important to me. I find it's like a meditation meets a brain clean-out.
On Sunday night or Monday morning, I make a calendar by hand, to have a rough schedule for my week. Obviously, nothing ever goes as planned, but physically writing it out is a really peaceful activity and makes me feel like I can tackle whatever comes my way. I also make three goals for the week (Professional, Personal, Creative), so I have something to refer back to if I start to get overwhelmed.
Heart Roar by Bryonie Wise sits beside my bed, and before bed, I randomly open a page and read it. It's kind of my own tarot pulling, except I pull a poem that I believe I need to manifest for a good night's sleep and next day.
Music and dancing! This is the most important one. Luckily, I have a lot of time alone during the day, so I can listen to whatever I want and dance to shift energy in my body. It's also the most fun activity ever!

RITUALS FOR RE-ALIGNMENT

We interviewed some of the exceptional women in our community.These are some of their rituals they use to come back to themselves in chaotic and confusing times.