This story is part of the Bloggin Guide to Finally Getting a Good Night’s Sleep. Click here to read the whole guide—then get those things.
Wellness spaces that reach neglected communities of color are essential, says spiritual advisor, mojo health advocate, and writer Anna Smith. As the 26-year-old Brooklyn native will tell you in her signature metaphysical-no-chaser way, when your mojo is in a bad place every aspect of your life is affected. She’s part of a growing effort to foster more inclusive healing spaces that take into account how racism, poverty, ableism, misogyny, and gender discrimination inform our self-care needs. Through harnessing the brujería that’s been passed down her Puerto Rican lineage over generations, offering private spiritual advisory sessions, and sharing holistic #30SecondTherapy videos for PAPER magazine, Ortiz hopes to help bridge that gap while affirming that wellness is for everyone.
A cleansing hot shower or bath
I like to start with taking a shower or a bath when getting ready for bed. I’ll always incorporate either Himalayan pink salt or Epsom salt into my routine. Then, I’ll do an in-shower meditation, just releasing my day and allowing it to wash down the drain. I like to start from the neck down to symbolize washing and removing anything, and then I go from the feet up after to symbolize recharging my energy.
Setting the mood with incense
A lot of the times before bed I’ll pick a lavender or moon scent. I really like the scents from the brand HEM. Other times, if I’m needing to cleanse my space before bed, I like to use Frankincense & Myrrh incense because it’s really good at helping you feel sleepy time vibes. I have horrible insomnia so I’m somebody who really has to set my mood before going to bed.
Viral dreamcatcher keytar typewriter, aesthetic offal umami. Aesthetic polaroid pug pitchfork post-ironic.
I do a meditation while I’m lying down with my eyes closed. That helps with astral projection because I’m somebody who does that anyway. I tend to go a lot of places so I set the intent for me to be protected and to work with my higher self while doing all of that astral projection. That helps ensure my night’s sleep will be good and that I don’t have nightmares the way I used to. I’m also one of those weird people who sleeps with a piece of amethyst inside my pillowcase.
Chatting with the ancestors
I always say my thanks to my ancestors and talk with them, with my guides. I talk to them about my day, what I want, what they need of me. I give my thanks to them for the day, even if I had a bad day. I let them know, ‘Thank you for making sure I ain’t die today, I survived through the fuck shit.
It’s a big comfort to me to have that open line of communication because so many of my spirit guides are people who I knew in this lifetime who passed on, one being my father, one being my abuelita. It’s comforting to know even though they’re not here physically to do that anymore, they do it from the other side, for the ones I knew in this lifetime and the ones I didn’t. I’m able to say to myself, “Yo, I feel fucked up right now, but y’all always got me.” I know I’m fortunate to have that.
