Spiritual Hygiene

Spiritual hygiene refers to practices and rituals that help maintain and cleanse your spiritual well-being. Just as we nourish our mental and physical health, so too can we take care of our spiritual health to reduce fatigue, a depleted nervous system, the susceptibility to recurrent colds or other illnesses, and burnout. 

Over the years, my spiritual hygiene practice has evolved and I use various tools so I can adapt accordingly to the situation or any time constraints. 

Spiritual hygiene is particularly important for people who work closely with clients in a therapeutic setting, such as massage therapists or energy healers. However, the following tools can be employed by anyone as they navigate the day to day challenges of life or if you are embarking on a healing journey.

Meditation/mindfulness

Meditation or mindfulness is a good foundation to support your spiritual health. Meditation may be a useful tool before we even encounter people throughout the day. A few moments each day connecting with our breath and our bodies, allows us to calm our nervous system and prepare for the day ahead from a grounded mindset.

Meditation can also be used to disconnect from challenges we may have faced, allowing the stillness of your practice to provide you with healing and clarity to move forward.

Essential oils

Choosing essential oils can be a personal thing however, there are a few oils I tend to reach for for spiritual cleansing.

Lavender

Lavender, from the French verb laver, to clean or to wash, is a great oil to burn in your space and to include in products you apply to your body (more on this later). As well as its cleansing properties, it is also useful in promoting a sense of calm, and reducing physical pain. Practitioners who find they “take on” their client’s physical symptoms may find it beneficial to incorporate this oil into their spiritual hygiene practice. 

Frankincense

Frankincense can be used as an oil or the resin can be burned. It is a grounding oil, with antidepressant and sedative properties. It is used in many ceremonies, to honour the living and the dead, to pay reverence to gods or deities, and to deepen our meditation or prayer. 

Smudging

Smudging with things such as sage, frankincense or myrrh resin or palo santo can be useful in clearing negative or heavy energies. Please note, the smoke produced by smudging may affect people with respiratory issues, so it is best to check with your clients before use.

Sound

Before and after a session, I use sound to cleanse and prepare myself and the space and clear the space when I have finished working with someone. I may use the C and F tuning forks together (the perfect fifth) for harmony or balance, or tone with my voice for a similar effect.

Shower/sea bath

A ritual immersion in the form of a shower or taking a sea bath allows us to mindfully cleanse or purify. During this time, you want to consciously be aware of the water touching and leaving your body. You may want to say a prayer or mantra, releasing anything you are holding onto that is not for you or serving you. If you are trying this in the shower, you can add 3-4 drops of lavender essential oil to 2 tablespoons of a base shower gel.

Time and space

I very rarely book back to back clients, and prefer to have at least 30 minutes in between each client. I also have to limit the number of people I can see in a day so I don’t leave the clinic about to pass out. During this time, I may write notes and use some of the tools mentioned above to cleanse the room, reset and ground myself. The same applies with online clients and meetings. Even in the virtual world, having space and time to decompress and reflect is vital.  

What are your spiritual hygiene tools? 

Do you feel you could benefit from utilising some of the tools mentioned?