Building a Daily Self-Care Pleasure Practice

Why Start a Self-Care Pleasure Practice?

We take in a lot of media that's designed to make us feel badly about ourselves. Ads play on our insecurities and news cycles highlight our fears (raise your hand if you've ever doom-scrolled on Instagram). A self-care pleasure practice can help you subvert this message and internalize feeling whole, good, and special in your body. It can also help you deepen your understanding of self, which can positively affect how you show up for your community, friends, family, and lovers. 

How to Build a Self-Care Ritual

A self-care ritual does not need to be complicated! This is not about creating a routine that ends up feeling like a to-do list. Your daily self-care ritual can be 30 seconds or 3 hours, whatever feels good to you. What's important is finding things that truly feel good for you and your body. Your routine should be unique to you, so as tempting as it is to jump on the newest 10-step self-care trend, I encourage you to listen to your body and intuition.  

First, focus on sensory feelings. What are your favorite scents? What textiles or products feel good against your skin? For each sense, list a few things that you love. Maybe you love the color olive, the sound of wind chimes, the feel of shea butter, the smell of gardenias, and the taste of ripe cherries. After you've compiled your list, find ways to incorporate these things into your everyday routine. For example, light your favorite scented candle as you shower each day, or listen to your favorite songs in the car to work. Find ways to indulge in some (or all) of your favorite sensations each day.

After doing this simple journal prompt, I realized that I really loved showering immediately after work. I always felt much happier after showering and moisturizing, no matter how stressful my day was before that. So, I started showering at night instead of in the morning, giving myself more time to enjoy my shower and spend a few extra minutes moisturizing my skin afterward. Sometimes, it's that simple. 

Plant Allies for Self-Care

While your pleasure practice can be simple, it requires you to be really attuned to your body and the sensory experiences it delights in. If you're feeling disconnected from your sensory body, there are a few heart-centric herbs that can help you in your embodiment practice. These herbs are highly aromatic and sensual and can be enjoyed in many sensory experiences such as food, tea, aromatherapy, and body oils. 

🍫Cacao (Theobroma cacao): Cacao is a sacred plant in many Indigenous cultures incorporated in ceremonies to open the heart and connect participants to the Divine. Aside from being a natural, jitter-free stimulant (thanks to the combination of theobromine and caffeine), cacao is also a cardiovascular tonic.

🌼Damiana (Turnera aphrodisiaca): Damiana is a well-known aphrodisiac and nerve tonic. It helps stoke your internal fire and moves the nervous system from "survive" to "thrive" mode. 

🌹Rose (Rosa damascena): This aromatic flower is well known for its affinity to the heart chakra. It is a great introductory herb for self-love and sensual exploration.

All of these herbs are the main ingredient in one of our products, so if you need inspiration, check out Cuppa Joy (our Cacao based coffee replacement), Cloud Nine (our Damiana-focused smoke blend), and Tickled Pink (our Rose-centric tea).