Emma Loewe - Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide to Ancient Self-Care

O UR INTEREST IN RITUAL work stems from an innate curiosity about the personal practices that drive people.

As wellness editors, were constantly in dialogue with MDs, herbalists, yoga teachers, athletes, chefs, and nearly everyone in between for their perspectives on what it means to live well and be truly healthy. Their insights are inevitably varied, shaped by their unique experiences and expertise. But weve noticed that they all somehow touch on the idea that physical well-being starts in the depths of the mind. It rises from the knowledge of who you are as a person, where your passions lie, and what makes you feel most yourself. Only by asking these big questions can we map out the specific, material steps that will bring us closer to our best lives. As weve listened to how people find their own way, personal ritual almost always plays an integral role.

Some rituals feel like massive undertakings; others, smaller commitments. Some are rooted in science; others, in faith. They can look like a staunch meditation schedule or an unwavering writing practice. A bath every evening or a solo walk in the mornings. A yoga flow or a running routine. While these may just seem like normal, run-of-the-mill habits, over time they can become ingrained and imperative to those practicing them. Theyve gone from hobbies that entertain us to commitments that sustain us. Theyve turned into moments to press pause and observe the mind. Ultimately, theyre what we turn to when it feels as if nothing else is left.

For this book, we gathered some of the most potent and powerful personal rituals weve ever come across, and we were even inspired to write some of our own. We have written these rituals into a calendar thats accessible to anyone. Along the way, we realized two big things: The history of rituals is just as important as their modern-day applications, and nobody knows how to explain a certain ritual better than those who do it every day. So, in the following pages, well trace rituals back to their fascinating beginnings and call on some of the foremost experts in the field to share how to carry them into today.

While many of our rituals are esoteric by nature, we root them in reality and ground them in science as often as we can, since we see equal value in reason, logic, and simple belief. In a world that is increasingly chaotic, disconnected, and sometimes downright scary, we hope that these rituals provide you with a sense of comfort. In the year that follows, use this book to tune out the noise and come back to yourself. Its in carving these little moments of stillness that those big, life-defining discoveries can be made.

Whether or not you have set rituals youve developed over time, we hope that The Spirit Almanac serves as a source of ideas and inspiration. By the end, you will be equipped with a selection of rituals to help you handle whatever life throws your way with ease, grace, integrity, and spirit.

She was the type to fall in love with the moon, and everything that was beautifully unreachable.