. The following suggestions, rituals, and tips are from my new series on Self Care for each sign of the zodiac. These Little Books of Self Care outline practices for the body, mind, and soul. Following the self-care for your sign will help you connect with the essence of your energy and thrive. Here are some examples for each sign plus the link to the individual book. Enjoy!
Rest Easy With Green Malachite
Green malachite is associated with Aries, and it’s a gorgeous stone with many amazing properties. While toxic in its unfinished state, when polished and finished, it is commonly used in the creation of figurines or jewelry. Malachite is a protective stone that can cleanse your energy and the energy of the space it’s in. It’s also a stone that can bring with it good fortune and wealth. Green malachite is especially useful near your bed because it can stimulate positive dreams and bring vivid memories to life. Restful sleep is a vital part of self-care, and sleeping next to green malachite will ensure that you wake up restored and refreshed.
Soothe Your Throat with Loquat
A small orange fruit grown in Asia, loquat has a number of healing properties, most importantly in soothing the throat. Syrup from the plant is popular in China in cough drops. Ruler of the throat, Taurus is sensitive to throat-related ailments such as dryness and coughing. Keep loquat cough drops on hand to ward off sore throat during the colder months, so this important channel of Taurean self-expression and communication is open and healthy.
Keep Your Hands Busy
In order to be productive, Gemini needs to stay focused. It’s often hard to concentrate on a single task when your mind is going in a million different directions. One way to calm your mind and remain focused is by keeping your hands busy. Since Gemini rules the hands, it’s best to keep them engaged while you’re trying to concentrate. Play with a paper clip, keep some Silly Putty in a desk drawer, or doodle on your notepad. It may seem counterproductive, but by giving your hands something to do while you’re working, you’ll find it easier to stay on task. Your increased productivity will give you more time to do the things you actually enjoy!
Drink Alkaline Water
Ruled by the water element and symbolized by the Crab, Cancer requires a lot of water in her self-care routine. And this doesn’t end with the water outside of her body. Cancer should be especially mindful of the water she puts into her body as well. Slightly alkaline natural spring or mineral water may be a good option for occasionally mixing up your water intake for Cancerian health. The term alkaline refers to the pH level of the water. The lower the pH level, the more acidic a substance is; the higher the pH level, the less acidic it is. Drinking water with a slightly higher pH level may help neutralize the acid in your body, restoring balance. This is especially helpful if you suffer from acid reflux. Some studies have shown alkaline water is also better at regulating blood flow than more acidic water is, and may help reduce high blood pressure. So drink up!
Celebrate Anything with Champagne
Leo loves adding a pop of drama and excitement to any old day. What better way to do so than to pop a bottle of champagne? Don’t just reserve the bubbly for special occasions—add some excitement to brunch, a touch of class to happy hour, and some fizzy fun to girls’ (or boys’) night out. By making these small moments occasions to remember, you’re taking care to mark life’s small joys, and to be more present in the moment—a great way to focus on your emotional self-care.
Quiet Your Inner Critic
We all struggle sometimes with that little voice inside our heads that makes us doubt ourselves. Are we smart enough, fit enough, productive enough, wealthy enough? Virgo is naturally a critical thinker, which is a useful skill if you’re analyzing a business proposal, but is detrimental when it’s turned inward on yourself. If you have the tendency to criticize yourself, try to stop those thoughts and turn them around. Instead of telling yourself you’re not healthy enough, remind yourself of all the smart food and exercise choices you make. Instead of wondering why you’re not further ahead in your career, think of all your many accomplishments. Reframing your situation like this is a powerful way to quiet your inner critic and celebrate all that you are.
Decorate with Clear Quartz
Crystals can be a great way to add some beauty to a space and help rebalance your energy. Air signs will find lots of benefits from clear quartz crystals, which are among the most common and well-known healing stones. Learn about ways quartz may help treat you physically (crystal healing with clear quartz can be useful for the nervous system!) and mentally. Since clear quartz is believed to increase spiritual connections and clear thinking, it can be a useful tool when you need to expand your thoughts and think carefully. Try decorating your home and office space with clear quartz crystal clusters so there’s always one nearby when you start to feel a little off-balance.
Hula for Your Health
An ancient Polynesian dance form passed down generation by generation, hula is as much about storytelling as it is about movement. Each move helps to tell a greater story while getting your heart rate going, your hips and other joints moving, and your mind focused. It’s a low-impact exercise that can work your entire body, and it’s perfect for Scorpio who prefers there to be an intention behind her moves. Check out your local gyms and cultural centers to see if they offer any hula exercise classes. If there aren’t any classes held locally, you can find many beginners’ instructional videos online.
Use a Standing Desk
Sagittarius is an active sign that can experience back pain or other muscle tension when sitting still for too long. After all, your muscles were made for adventure! Use a standing desk (or ball chair, if standing isn’t an option) to keep your spine straight and avoid these physical aches. The frequent movement will also keep you feeling refreshed and focused on the task at hand so you can get things done with ease. Many companies have inexpensive desk attachments to raise your computer or surface work space to whatever level is best for you.
Get a Deep Tissue Massage
Capricorn’s ligaments and joints take daily wear and tear, and problems with them can become an issue for her. To combat this, try a deep-tissue massage to help your body relax. Deep-tissue massage impacts deep layers of muscle and connecting tissues known as fascia, and has been used to treat pain and musculoskeletal ailments, and strain in joints and tendons, for thousands of years. Deep-tissue massage can lead to improvements in pain, stiffness, range of motion, and the overall function of your joints. Contact a local massage therapist and schedule a deep-tissue massage for your joint health!
Embrace Your Inner Unicorn
Unicorns may be mythical, but they still symbolize the purity of Aquarian ideals. Therefore, try to incorporate unicorns in your life in one way or another. It shouldn’t be too difficult—unicorns are currently a favorite theme in décor and clothing. You can put unicorn stickers or decals in your bedroom or bathroom, or grab a tote bag or T-shirt with a unicorn on it. If you’re feeling more cultured, take a special trip to visit The Met Cloisters (a museum in New York City that specializes in medieval arts), where you can see a beautiful decorative medieval tapestry that features unicorns.
Keep Electronics Out of the Bedroom
Falling asleep can sometimes be difficult for Pisces. As an emotional sign, she is often filled with many feelings and thoughts throughout the day, which are hard to quiet when it is time for bed. Keeping your electronics out of the bedroom at night will remove those tempting stimulants that keep your mind and body up past bedtime. Also, avoid using your phone for the last half hour to one hour before bed. Ensure you get that precious beauty sleep you need.
Adapted from The Little Book of Self-Care series, by Constance Stellas, with more than 100 personalized self-care ideas featured in each book and a book for each of the 12 signs of the Zodiac. Copyright © Simon & Schuster, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.