My Favorite Night Time Rituals

Routine is great if it works for you. For me, it feels rigid and honestly, boring. Part of me wishes I was more of a routine person, but I’m just not. But, there are certain things I like to do every night, most nights, or a few nights a week that set me up for a good night of sleep. Every evening looks a little bit different for me, so I thought I would write a post about some of my favorite night time rituals.

Epsom salt baths:

I usually take baths once a week, sometimes twice. They’re so relaxing, good for detoxing the body, and great for sore muscles. This is my favorite epsom salt brand.

Foam rolling and Stretching:

The foam rolling part might not be the most relaxing, but it’s so good for breaking up fascia in the body and alleviating sore muscles. It’s also good for reducing cellulite too. I do find stretching to be really relaxing and something that I love to do at night. I usually try to foam roll/stretch 3-4 evenings a week.

Face masks:

I love the feeling of washing my face at night and then putting on a face mask. I don’t do face masks every night because I do think there is such a thing as using too much product on your face. I try to do a mask 1-2 times a week, maybe 3 if I need extra exfoliation or hydration. My few of my favorite masks are Summer Fridays R+R (it smells like roses and is so good for exfoliating), Herbivore Botanicals Brighten (so good for getting glowy skin), and Acure Seriously Soothing Biocellulose Gel Mask (I was seriously shocked with how smooth, bright, and hydrated my face was after this mask).

Legs up the wall pose:

I like to do this a few times a week. You simply lay on the ground and put your legs straight up the wall for 10-15 minutes or whenever you feel like you’ve had enough. It’s so restorative for the adrenals and is really great for those who don’t have great circulation (like myself). It’s also really great for calming anxiety and getting your body out of the fight or flight and into rest and digest. I find it super calming for my mind and a chance for me to just “be” and breathe deeply.

Drinking tea:

This is something I do almost every night. It has become such a habit for me and something I look forward to. My favorite brands of tea are Traditional Medicinals, Mountain Rose Herbs, and Organic India Tulsi Tea. I drink a variety of different kinds; peppermint, dandelion root, red clover, nettle leaf, chamomile, ginger, lemon balm, and sweet rose are my usual go-to’s.

Reading:

I love reading before bed. It really helps me to wind down, relax, and get in the zone to go to sleep. One of my favorite book right now is The Seat of the Soul .

CBD oil:

This is something I started using more recently and I love it. A brand called RELEAFE, based in Bend, Oregon sent me a few of their products including their CBD chapstick and CBD oil. I’m obsessed. Not only is their CBD organic, but it doesn’t have any added chemicals or fillers AND they’re a small business created by really nice people. This oil helps to take any stress or edge off from the day and puts me in a calm state, ready to sleep for the night.

Journaling:

This is something I would like to do more of. If I have a lot on my mind, I like to put pen to paper and get it out. It’s such a good release for me and helps to calm down mental chatter. How many times have you gotten into bed and were ready to fall asleep, but then your mind starts to think about all the things you want to do but haven’t yet or all the mistakes you’ve ever made? I’ve been there. Journaling really helps me to get my thoughts out and “vent” so that I can relax and fall asleep. I love using ban.dō notebooks for my journaling.

On a typical night, I usually do a couple of these things to get me ready to go to sleep. I hope this gave you some good ideas for rituals you can incorporate into your nighttime routine. Remember not to put too much pressure on yourself to have some perfect night time routine; do what works for you and your schedule and what makes you feel like your best self. Xo

With love,

Ashley

Detoxing Baths With Epsom Salts + Essential Oils

Image from pinterest

Epsom salt baths? YES please. I love them. In my opinion, there’s nothing more relaxing, except maybe a massage or laying on the beach somewhere. But if those things aren’t an option, this is the next best thing. Besides the fact that they are deeply relaxing and give you that much need break and quality “me” time, they are really beneficial for your body and help with the detoxification process.

Epsom salts contain Magnesium, which aids in various bodily functions; one of them being the removal of toxins. Ridding the body of toxins will help to alleviate inflammation, pain, stiffness, fatigue, etc. Magnesium is also said to reduce stress and help with deeper sleep as well as helping to produce serotonin (the “feel good” hormone) and reducing the effects of adrenaline. Epsom salt baths can also help to relax muscles and improve the function of your nerves.

I try to take an Epsom Salt bath at least once a week and it’s something that I truly look forward to. I usually take one before bed because it helps me to relax and I love the feeling of getting into bed at night when I’m all clean and fresh. Now, if you just washed the sheets and have a freshly clean bed to get into also, that’s even better. I like to do my nightly routine before taking my bath; washing my face, brushing my teeth, taking my vitamins, etc. I then brew a cup of tea and sometimes even put on a face mask while my bath is running. I add about 2-3 cups of Epsom salts and pick out a couple of essential oils to add to my bath. I change it up to whatever I’m intuitively feeling at the moment; I really love ylang ylang, eucalyptus, and dōTERRA blends such as whisper or balance. Really anything that is grounding and smells nice is good in my book. Just remember, you only need a couple of drops because these oils are really, really potent.

I’ll then grab a book and/or my headphones and my cup of tea and soak for 20-30 minutes. I personally like to wear my noise cancelling headphones just so that I can completely tune out any noises in my apartment or the street below (I like in downtown Seattle and it can be pretty noisy) and really settle in and relax. Sometimes I’ll read or just listen to music. I enjoy this time so much- it’s one of my favorite wellness rituals. You can always light a candle too if you want those extra relaxing vibes! And if you want to step up your detox process before your bath, take a few minutes to dry brush first (I’ll do a post on dry brushing soon). After I’m done taking my bath, I will usually do “legs up the wall pose” for 5-10 minutes to calm my nervous system even more before getting into bed. I fall asleep like a baby when I do all of this before bed. If you try this, let me know! I would love to hear what you think.

With love,

Ashley

Am I Vegan? Vegetarian? Paleo?

I get asked often if I eat meat or animal products. I do. But not a lot. My take on this topic is that mostly “plant based” makes me feel my best while giving my body the nutrients it needs. What does plant based mean? Exactly how it sounds. It means that the majority of the foods I eat are plants and everything else is secondary.

About 80-90% of the foods I eat are plant based, but I’ve decided not to put a label on myself because there are those rare occasions when I just really want a burger, ya know? The kind that has bacon and avocado aioli on it? Yeah, I’m a huge fan. Every once in a while I want some buffalo chicken wings. And I know that it isn’t the end of my healthy lifestyle. Because I LOVE this lifestyle. I will always come back to it. And usually when I eat less healthy foods, I eat super clean the next days. Because life is all about balance. It isn’t about creating a stressful or restricted mentality around foods. Food is meant to be enjoyed.

What do I eat? So many different things. I LOVE to cook and I love coming up with new recipes and creations. I juice a combination of fruits and vegetables at least 3-5 times a week and drink a (usually green) smoothie almost every single day. I make lots of big salads and stir fry dishes. My recipes are always gluten free and dairy free because those are both inflammatory foods and not conducive to gut health (which is my jam). One thing I NEVER do is compromise flavor in my healthy recipes. I believe you can have both because healthy eating is not meant to be restrictive or boring. I use lots of spices, GARLIC, and herbs (cilantro is my best friend) in my cooking and I’m a huge fan of homemade clean dressings and sauces. I love experimenting and taking inspiration from other recipes and making them my own. I also love taking a recipe that is less healthy and putting my own healthy spin on it. But, my favorite thing ever is taking “non-believers” and junk food addicts and creating something even they love and enjoy.

I truly believe that eating more plants and less animal products is the best plan for overall health, wellness, and longevity. Plant based foods literally harness energy from the earth and pass that on when you consume them. It’s best to eat a wide array of fruits, vegetables, and nuts/seeds. You know the slogan “taste the rainbow” from Skittles? Yeah, do that just with fruits and vegetables instead of Skittles. Your body will thank you and love you right back, promise. If you are interested in information on plant based lifestyles or want more validity behind the claim to go plant based, here are some documentaries to watch:

http://www.whatthehealthfilm.com/

https://www.forksoverknives.com/

https://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/

If you are interested in a free 30 minute consultation with me, please don’t hesitate. I would love to guide you on your journey.

With love always,

xo Ashley