Nobody needs negativity in their life and yet it usually creeps in in some way on a daily basis. What we do with that negativity can make all the difference in feeling constantly heavy and stressed vs light and peaceful. Releasing negativity must be a conscious exercise but it doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, I prefer simple negativity releasing rituals that I can practice on the regular (I sometimes even combine several rituals a day during more challenging periods).
Here are my favourite ways to release bad energy.
MEDITATION
It’s a well known fact that meditation has many benefits, stress reduction being one of them. If you still have doubts I would highly suggest trying it at least a few days a week even if only for a minute or two a day. I did this for the longest time and it helped me stay consistent but also get comfortable with my practice. Meditation can be done in so many ways and it’s important to find out what works for you but my current fave is focusing on gratitude.
I find that it’s hard to stay negative when you realize all that you have to be grateful for. A gratitude meditation just fills me with joy and helps put what is truly important back in perspective so that I can release the rest that doesn’t really matter (like petty little negative things).
For meditation for beginners tips, click here.
BREATHING
Breathing is something so many of us take for granted and yet without it, we can’t stay alive so why not pay more attention to it and use it to improve our wellness?
Deep breathing calms the mind down. I like to focus on my breath in particular when I am doing yoga and when I meditate. During meditation I take a deep breath in during 4 seconds while focusing on my mantra, then I hold my breath for 4 seconds, than exhale for 4 seconds. Doing this exercice for even one minute immediately calms the mind, reduces stress and allows me to let go of negative thoughts and energy.
EXERCISE & YOGA
Once again, this is simple (and well-known) but sometimes we just need that reminder. I could not stay sane without exercise and yoga. Moving your body literally shifts your energy so when you want to shake off bad vibes there is nothing better than working out (whether it’s intense or gentle).
I exercise 6-7 days a week and have been doing so for at least a decade and the reason I’ve stayed so consistent is because I see so many benefits and a big one is one my mood. It makes me happy when I show up for myself, do something good for my body, mind and soul and prioritize my health. I also deal with stress and negative situations so much better the rest of the day when I workout in the morning.
Yoga in particular is great to shift negative energy to positive energy as the mindset you adopt during this practice is a kind and loving one. Yoga teaches us important values and ways of seeing the world where negativity doesn’t serve us.
BURNING PALO SANTO & SAGE
Now we’re falling into the more “woo woo” stuff and you might want to stop here but let’s be open minded shall we? I’m not the most granola/hippie/witch vibes girl I know but I do love a good palo santo burning ritual and when I say “ritual” I basically mean that I burn a palo santo stick while walking around the house to cleanse it of any bad energy (no, I’m not dancing around naked and chanting). Whether you believe in this kind of stuff or not, it’s the act of consciously wanting to clear any negative energy that makes this ritual work in my opinion.
Just a little note to make sure you buy sustainable palo santo and to not go too overboard with its use. There are articles popping up more and more on the environmental impact the popularity of palo santo is having on the tree it comes from. Like with anything, moderation is best. ;)
I hope these tips for releasing negativity were helpful and if you have any great tricks up, would love to know what they are to share them with the Red Fairy community.
Until next time my lovely!
Geneviève xo
Photos: The Ritual Store, Bloguettes, Angel Kein, @Sjanaelise