Life
5 Self-Care Rituals That Will Help All Zodiac Signs During Mercury Retrograde
While Mercury's retrograde this summer might have the power to complicate things for us, it's much more manageable than some doomsday tales suggest. From Jul. 26 to Aug. 18, Mercury will appear to move in a backward motion, creating a consistent tension that is known to manifest situational obstacles, and physical stresses. Typically, most zodiac signs can tell Mercury is in retrograde because everyone's lives essentially seem like they're not functioning properly, and everyday tasks seem to be littered with unforeseen complications. But by practicing some Mercury retrograde self-care rituals, we can all limit the extent to which the retrograde effects us. It's totally possible to fight back against planetary motion; we're a lot stronger than we give ourselves credit for.
Being proactive about self preservation and your mental health during any retrograde is of paramount importance, but that kind of work is not always intuitive. So, offering some tips on how to more easily do this, yogi and lifestyle guru Andrea Curry tells Bustle there are simple ways to stay grounded, focused, healthy, stable, and calm during Mercury's retrograde. Curry has a knack for creating easy-to-follow rituals that enable us to be less reactive and more balanced.
Here are some of her suggestions that you can try at home, in the office, or in your special retrograde safety bunker:
Essential Oil Therapy
Curry suggests relying on different calming and grounding essential oils throughout the day. Curry's favorite oils: Anchor, a lavender-forward spiced scent. Balance, a warm and woody scent. Vetiver, a calming and grounding oil. Frankincense, the king of oils and the oil of truth. And Sandalwood, which manages to be grounding and uplifting at the same time. Curry suggests, "put one to two drops on your hands, rub your hands together and take a deep breath. Then gently rub your hands on your forehead and along your jaw line and then sit in a meditation."
Gentle Yoga
Whether you have a yoga practice or not, Curry suggests doing 10 to 20 Sun Salutations each morning. "I blast a favorite song and start moving. You can generally do 10 Sun Salutations during one song," Curry says. "These specific movements wake up your body and mind, release anxiety and tension (which cause reactivity), and help to keep you grounded throughout the day." So roll down a mat and spend a few minutes jamming out and stretching out each morning.
Oil Pulling
If you haven't tried oil pulling yet, this is the time to get into it. What is oil pulling, you ask? This is the ritual of swishing a plant oil around in your mouth for about 20 minutes. "From an ayervedic perspective it helps to balance mouth bacteria and balance your doshas which positively affects overall health and wellbeing," Curry explains of the science behind the treatment. "I like to use coconut oil and to read inspiring texts while doing it. Pema Chodren’s “When Things Fall Apart” is often one that I pick up but really any inspiring book that you want to read a little bit of daily will do." You can feel free to read anything that inspires you while you do it, reading is a great distraction for a somewhat long process.
Arm Stretches
Curry suggests we all do arm movements at the end of each day, with a strap, if possible. "Stand with your feet grounded and hold a strap firmly with your arms straight. Keep arms wider than shoulder width apart. Keeping arms straight, breathe deeply and pull hands apart as you move arms forward and backward." This helps to release tension in your chest, neck and shoulders and keeps your mind alert. If you don't have a strap, you can use a belt or even a towel. After you've done these movements, get into a supported child's pose to relax.
Refreshing Drinks
Curry is a big advocate of refreshing flavored water or teas. "I like to put one drop of DoTERRA’s grapefruit oil in a glass of sparkling ice water. It is an uplifting oil that gets me through the evening [...] I am able to stay grounded and centered during these intense times." So find an essential oil, a tea, or even a fruit or veggie to infuse your water with so that you can feel on your A-game.
