In my return to campus life, especially as a transfer student, I have had to substitute a large part of spiritual practice which intertwined with my self-care practices. Prior to transferring, I was living at home and attending classes virtually. The shift to living on campus has taught me to be fairly creative. I have tried many tricks seen on TikTok or Instagram, and I’ve asked friends for advice. My trials and errors ultimately led me to my current self-care practices, which I wanted to share with other people on campus — spiritual or not.
- Honoring my space
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Gone are the days of incense and candle burning. While I had already been using smudging sprays, I have especially been utilizing them to honor and cleanse my space. Smudge sprays can be made with a base of Florida water (which is a cologne) or water, along with oils or herbs infused with certain intentions. While I create my own, you can also purchase pre-made sprays with specific intentions. I also honor my space by cleaning with intention, opening my windows, and letting stagnant energy leave.
- HZ Meditation and journaling
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Hertz and solfeggio frequencies have been incredibly useful for my meditations, especially while living in the dorms or on the weekends when people may be a little loud and I want to relax. HZ frequencies can be found in various Spotify playlists, sending healing for emotions and even the body. I find that listening to these noises while meditating or journaling works great, both of which I highly recommend.
- Oracle Card a day
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I have purchased about six oracle decks since the beginning of the pandemic, which all are used for different types of readings. Before transferring to UMass Amherst, I was a tarot reader and read about five times a week. I quickly realized I missed reading, and I couldn’t figure out how to center myself with the stress of school and my new environment. I began to pull oracle cards for myself more consistently and used the phrases I read as my affirmation for the day. For a bonus, subconscious kick, I will pull a card in the morning and sleep next to it at night.
- Flower essences
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I was introduced to flower essences by my manager and friend, Heather Wright of Tea and Tarot, in Connecticut. While I utilize other herbal remedies for de-stressing, I can be really overwhelmed trying to prepare tea on the more-needed self-care days. Flower essences are a part of energy medicine; it is infused energy of the plant within vegetable glycerin or brandy, with intentions for anything from confidence to focus. Heather particularly has created beautiful, helpful essences for me and my self-care journey.
- Connecting with nature
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Lastly, one large change in my life has been moving from coastal Long Island to land-locked, western Massachusetts. While it has been an adjustment, and most of my connection to nature for self-care and spiritual purposes was done in the Great South Bay, I have learned to appreciate the vast amount of trees and mountains around the area. I have meditated and done the above self-care activities at Puffers Pond, Durfee Conservatory, and even just by the trees next to my dorm! I always try to sit outside, watch the trees, and just breathe.
While everyone has different methods of practicing self-care, the stress of school and new environments sometimes means shaking it up. I follow the energy of the seasons to guide me on what self-care looks like. Most importantly, forgive yourself if you cannot do a whole routine. Taking it day by day, and following your intuition on what practices to take up, is the best self-care and connection to yourself you can do.
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