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I first heard about Goddess time from Marianne Williamson when I was watching The Aphrodite training she had a few years ago. It was about embracing the divine feminine aspect of the archetype/goddess Aphrodite. She mentioned that in the evening shut off the work. Either around 6 or 7 PM. Especially in this digital age we tend to work all hours of the night. Sometimes things have to get done but this can lead to an overabundance of stress which can cause so many other issues. During the day we are in Athena mode the warrior goddess of the hunt and we oftentimes carry this over into our evening. But, the evening is a great time for self-care practices and embracing our inner goddess. It’s a great time to slow down. It does not need to be a long endeavor. It can be as simple as taking a warm bath with candles or drinking a cup of tea and reading a fiction book or novel. Ayurveda also recommends slowing down at night and preparing our mind and body for sleep. And trying to be asleep or at least in bed between 9:30-10PM.
If we do a daily Sadhana or yoga practice the best times are right before/at dawn in the morning and at dusk in the evening. These are usually the quietest times of the day. These are great times to even take 5-10 minutes to watch the sunrise or set.
I will be adding some practices that I do for my goddess time that I think are great to add to an evening routine. Of course, there are many things you can choose from. The important thing is finding a routine that you enjoy that you can stick with. I admit after a long day it is so easy to want to just veg out in front of the TV and eat popcorn or your snack choice. But, actually, this is not the healthiest thing we can do for our bodies, souls, our minds. After dinner, it is best to keep active in a slow way by going for a walk, reading a book, or doing some meditation.
Tantra Yoga: No I’m not talking about red tantra or sexual tantra. Tantra actually means weaving. It is the weaving together of different yoga practices. This includes asana, pranayama, mudra, and mantra. Even before I knew what Tantra yoga was I was weaving different spiritual practices together. Tantra to me is about embracing the feminine aspect of the divine. And really honoring ourselves as women. Tantra is about weaving the spiritual into our daily life and not just as a separate practice. We can’t do yoga for an hour a day and then ignore our spiritual side the rest of the day. This can be so easy to do with a hectic lifestyle and so many demands. But, even stopping to breathe for 5 minutes throughout the day can make a huge difference and change our mindset. I first heard about Tantra Yoga from Sianna Sherman and her Mythic Yoga Flow practices. The weaving together of asana, pranayama, mudra, and mantras. I then saw videos on Yogavibes.com with Psalm Isadora. Who has since passed away. But, her videos are still available online. I was attracted to her YES METHOD video and not being afraid to say yes to our dreams and ourselves. The first time I did this practice I cried because I had shoved my dreams to the side for so long. It felt good to reclaim them again.
I also heard about Womb Yoga and started reading the book Yoni Shakti: A Woman’s Guide to Power and Freedom through Yoga and Tantra.
One of my favorite books is by Sally Kempton called Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga.
Recommended websites:
2. Qoya/Kundalini Dance: 15-30 minutes:
I first heard about Qoya in October. My heart was deeply aching and My depression had really kicked up. I needed an outlet for my grief. I found Qoya and kundalini dance which are both free based movement style of dance. You just put the music on and let your body move the way it wants to. Of course, practices like Qoya and kundalini dance can help to get started and motivated to get up and dance. It can feel strange to just move your body without thinking about what to do with your body. Especially if you come from a dance background like me. But, it is very grounding. The same with a physical yoga practice or even exercise. These are powerful tools for getting back into the body. It was a way for me to release my emotions and what I was feeling in a safe way. I started craving movement and dance. Something I hadn’t felt motivated to do in a while. Plus, it brought me back to my feminine self and inner goddess. Even if you don’t want to move or don’t want to exercise getting up for even 5-10 minutes and turning on your favorite song and just moving to it can be a great motivator.
Recommended reading:
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3. Kundalini Mantra: 1 Hour
I like to recite kundalini mantras in the morning and at night. The one that I focus on most at night is So Purkh a kundalini mantra for women to recite for a man they love this could be a husband, boyfriend, friend, father, brother, or any man the woman wants to recite the mantra for. The mantra is repeated 11 times a day for 40 days. This mantra can also be used for a woman to attract her soul mate or her future husband. It usually takes about a half an hour to an hour to recite the whole thing. There are a few versions but my favorite is So Purkh by Nirinjan Kaur Khalsa.
My second favorite mantra for the evening is Mera Man Lochai. It is the prayer of longing for the beloved and is said to heal the wounds of love. It is recited for 11 days. It usually takes about 40 minutes to an hour to recite. The version I use is Mera man Lochai by Guru Raj Kaur Khalsa and Nirinjan Kaur Khalsa.
Recommended reading/music and websites:
4. Mindfulness: 15-30 minutes:
Mindfulness is something I’ve tried to practice on and off for many years now. For me Vipassana is a great way to practice mindfulness. Vipassana is a practice when you focus on your breath and body sensations. It is typically practiced twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening for an hour. However, I usually do 20-30 minutes. There are many audios to choose from that can help, you can do it on your own, or go to a retreat for more in-depth training and knowledge. I like to use the Insight Timer app. Loving-kindness meditation is also another meditation where you focus on giving love and kindness to others and ultimately all living things. Tonglen is an ancient Buddhist meditation for compassion. Tonglen can be done for anyone who is suffering. We take on their pain and send out relief. Another Buddhist meditation is from Nichiren Buddhism and is the chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. I learned this chant when I was 13 or 14. Another chant is Hawaiian called Ho’oponopono. Its chanted Thank You, I love you, I’m sorry, Please forgive me. It can be chanted in any order. The first few times I chanted Ho’oponopono I cried. It was such a release. Not only to apologize to myself and say I love you and please forgive me because we all make mistakes in life but also to say it to others even if we never say it face to face. Some people may never know how deeply they hurt us and some we just can’t physically say I’m sorry or please forgive me or even I love you for one reason or another.
Recommended websites:
5. Bath/Reflexology: 15-30 Minutes:
Taking a bath with candles or essential oils or Epsom salt baths is a great way to wind down at the end of the day especially before bed. Epsom salts are great for achy muscles but if you have any health conditions check with a doctor first to make sure it’s okay. It also helps to detox the body so it’s not recommended if pregnant or on your menstrual cycle for precaution. Anything that detoxes your body is typically not recommended during those times. Always check with a doctor if you are pregnant. Adding essential oils is great as well. Again, check with a doctor or an herbalist prior to adding any essential oils to a bath. There are many other options like bath bombs and bubble baths. I like cruelty free and more organic options for the bath. Salt scrubs are a wonderful way to enhance your bathing experience as well as lotions. I love to rub coconut oil on my dry skin especially in the winter and summer months. But, choose organic and get virgin coconut oil for the skin. Again, don’t use if pregnant or during the menstrual cycle. Massage with oil can also detox the body. And don’t do if you are sick or feel ill. I like to do abhyanga usually in the morning but occasionally I will do it at night. Or I will just use the oil on my hair and feet before showering or taking a bath. Reflexology is another way to detox the body and relax. Don’t do if pregnant as certain pressure points can cause early labor. And press gently. If you have an illness it would be best to see a professional.
Recommended reading:
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6. Reiki: 30-45 minutes sometimes 60 minutes:
Anyone can practice Reiki. After I had an experience with healing touch which is another energy healing modality I felt this lightness and happiness come over me that I hadn’t felt in a long time. After that, I decided to learn about Reiki and I got a level 1 Reiki attunement so I could do self-treatments on myself. The only people who can’t practice Reiki are if you have a heart arrhythmia or a pacemaker. And you should check with a doctor if you have any other health conditions. I love to do reiki at night before I go to sleep since it relaxes me. You can also listen to a meditation tape or meditation music while you do the Reiki treatment. And drink lots of water afterward. There are some great audios online. I first started following Lisa Guyman on Youtube and her audio recordings that you can buy individually for a few dollars. Another Reiki practice is called Gassho meditation. It means two hands coming together. It is a simple practice and only takes a few minutes. I’m also a huge fan of Rebecca Campbell’s sourcing meditation.
Recommended reading:
Recommended websites:
I get so excited talking about spirituality and anything woo-woo that I added some other links and book recommendations as well.
This is a full list of things to try out to add to your own goddess time ritual. Another thing you can do is creating your own new or full moon rituals. The new moon is a powerful time for bringing the new into your life and manifesting. The full moon is a great time to let things go and work on forgiveness. There are a lot more things you can do for your evening goddess time ritual. I don’t do all these things every night but I love to have options and see what feels good to me in the evening. And they can take less time than the time frames I gave. Those are time estimates based on how long I take. Some of these things you will totally jive with and some of these things may not be your cup of tea. That is the beauty of self-care. It is personal and something that everyone can experiment with and see what works best for them.
Anything I mentioned here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you have an illness please seek out a professional.
What are your goddess time/evening rituals? I would love to hear them in the comments.
Author
I never thought of having an evening routine. I am impressed by the points that you have mentioned here and I loved the way you have mentioned the Tantra yoga. Thanks for updating my knowledge. I must start my own ritual.
Author
Thank you so much for the comment! Having an evening ritual is a great way to wind down at the end of the day and practice some loving self-care. I'm glad you found this post helpful. 🙂