5 Things To Do During Quarantine In Order to Stay Calm & Destress
Add an altar to your home
After several months in quarantine, you may have already done your spring cleaning. If not, follow these simple guidelines, if you haven’t used something in past year and it doesn’t bring you joy, part with it. Either donate, recycle or if it’s broken, throw it out. If you’re more ambitious, consider selling your items online for some quick cash.
Once you’ve done your clearing, considering adding an altar to a quiet corner of your home. Altars have been used over the centuries by many religions as a place to make offerings. Modern home altars are special places to practice mindfulness and support your spirituality. You can buy a beautiful altar or simply dedicate a shelf or small table. My altar always has a few spiritual items - small deity paintings and statues that I have picked up during my travels, as well as some crystals and currently also a small stuffed animal from my childhood, a reminder to be playful. I may add a special leaf that comes my way or a photo. How do you bring an altar into your daily routine? You may want to meditate in front of it or just take a few moments every day to be inspired by the items on your altar, which can change and be moved around. If you want further inspiration, you may want to take a feng shui approach to creating your altar.
Apply the power of scent
Aromatherapy is an easy and effective way to support your wellness. If you are new to essential oils, it may be a bit overwhelming to know where to start. You can find an oil to support any condition, so eventually you may want to have a small collection. If kept in a dark, cool place, oils will keep for years. The most important thing is to buy quality oils. My favorite company is Young Living (in full disclosure I became a distributor once I experienced the quality of their oils). Some oils like lavender and tea tree can be applied directly to the skin. Most others will need to be diluted with a carrier oil (eg almond, coconut, jojoba) so that it doesn’t burn the skin. You can also scent your home or a particular room with a diffuser.
If you want support reducing stress, I recommend you start here:
lavender - is an essential oil staple. It has been proven to have a calming effect on humans and can reduce nervous tension;
Stress Away is a blend of oils in a handy rolleron bottle that makes it easy to keep in your bag. Simply apply it to your pulse points.
Rescue Remedy (not from Young Living) is a blend of essential oils that was always in my desk drawer. It has calming properties that I best describe as it takes the edge off. Note that it comes with an without alcohol. There’s also veterinary version for your pet.
Bring vibration into your world
You don’t have to be a gongster (what some gong players call ourselves) in order to bring vibration into your world. Move the energy in your space with chimes and trigons. Playing a Koshi chime (or two) over my head is one of the easiest ways I know to relax. These are not the outdoor chimes you may have in your garden. Each of the four chimes has a different tone inspired by one of the elements. Trigons are like mini tuned gongs so they’re super portable and more affordable than a gong. To start, get one whose vibration is supportive of a chakra you know consistently needs rebalancing. Play it over that chakra, around your head or simply in your space. Explore what brings you and your home greater balance and calm.
Dance It Out
If you are a fan of Gray’s Anatomy, you may remember how Meredith and Christina would dance it out at the end of a stressful day. They turned on some good music and moved. They didn’t care how they looked. Dancing is a simple, free and effective way to combat stress. Research has shown the many benefits of dance, including reducing stress and improving mood. Additional studies has demonstrated that dance can also combat depression. So turn up the. music, move and play!
Take an outdoor wellness class
If you have Zoom fatigue, take an outdoor class that allows for social distancing. Check out my schedule of gong sound therapy and Kundalini Yoga classes. Gong classes are the best zero-effort way to reduce stress and anxiety. You simply need to lie or sit down and allow the vibration of the gong to wash over you. It is an internal massage. Kundalini is the acupuncture of yoga. Classes can target specific stress-related issues, including supporting the adrenal glands. Coming together in community is also a powerful component of wellness. So grab your mat and come practice outside!