← What's The Juice
What's The Juice
How to Turn Your Daily “Routines” into Intentional Rituals That Can Change Your Life
00:59:40
Ep 137 Have you ever wished you could curate more magic into your daily life? Building a routine is so important but how do we take our routines a step further to ritualize the mundane? We’re all guilty of rushing through our days to maximize...
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- [00:03]
Olivia
Hello, and welcome back to what's the Juice? Podcast. Today I am letting you guys into all of, like, the routines and rituals and kind of, like, spiritual practices around how I choose to pray and practice gratitude. I'm just kind of breaking down, like, my personal formula as to how I've been able to find more connection and more grounding in my life and really kind of set up these spaces and places and times for me to go within and support the growth that I'm experiencing and that I think we're all experiencing as people. People have asked me over the years about, like, what's my morning routine and what do I eat in a day and what's my workout routine? And what I think is really interesting, aside from all of those things, is people's, like, spiritual routines, I guess, and how each of us choose to make meaning and find little pockets of meaning magic that bring us back to ourselves and kind of, like, bookend each day and make life feel more meaningful instead of kind of, like living the same day over and over again. And I used to be a person that didn't really have a lot of routines and practices. I didn't pray in the morning or kind of, like, say any words of gratitude. I didn't have a space where I would go and connect. I didn't do any sort of consistent breath work or, you know, like, talking to myself at night or marking moments of time with, like, special nature rituals or routines. And since I've added in a lot of these practices, I feel like life has just become so much more colorful and so much more rich. And now I have these, like, markers of, oh, yeah, like, after I did that spring ritual where, like, I honored what I wanted to grow in this season of my life, things really did change. Like, it's kind of given me little pins in time so that time doesn't feel as. As rushed in my life. And I'm able to kind of, like, look back at these markers or pins and really remember the events from my life and become more present with the magic that is our life. So I just wanted to share. I feel like it's cool to talk about this, and if you guys are into this and end up enjoying the episode, I would love to actually hear about your rituals and routines and the different things that you've discovered help you feel really connected to yourself and to your life and to all of the magic that's here in front of us. So if you are listening to this episode on Spotify or Apple or on YouTube, you can leave a review Maybe mentioning your favorite ritual or routine. Or even better, if you go to our YouTube, it's what's the Juice? Podcast and you subscribe to our YouTube, which would be extremely helpful and I would be forever grateful. It really does support the show. If you get anything out of this, you could go to this episode on YouTube and you could leave a comment under this video so that we can all share with one another and maybe inspire each other to make a little bit more magic. And thank you as always for listening. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this season and I'll catch you on the flip side. Let's talk real life, right? I think the best way to move through life is to always be the student and to always be curious. Life will show you either way. It's just how you choose to listen. You can always count on you. You will always have your own back. This is not the last thing you'll create. Play is the process. Sometimes it has to be dramatic. That's the funny part. When your back's up against the wall, you will prevail. You're allowed to grow and change. You are allowed to bir new. I hope you make your art. You know, I almost feel like there's a difference between ritual and routine. I think ritual is like sitting down with your cup of coffee and like having time with your partner for 10 minutes before you guys split and go on your crazy day. And like taking that moment to be super present and intentional like that. That to me feels more like a ritual. There are ways to ritualize daily tasks that one must do and to infuse more presence and slowness and devotion into the things that we must do in order to make them feel more intentional and like, thus make your life so much deeper and more meaningful. Even in the little things. Because the little things are the big things. I either like to do a phone free walk, which I couldn't always do. I used to dread them or be really scared of them because I used to not really be able to be without my phone. This is a very recent thing, actually, that I can go periods of time without my phone. And so I like a phone free walk. I'll usually do like a 45 minute loop without my phone. And I'll find that when I do that on my way back, the second half of the loop, that's when I've had enough time to be like bored or to just have space that I start to get ideas and inspiration. And I'm like, part of me wishes I had my phone right Now. Cause I need to write these down right now as they're coming. But then I always. I'm able to hold them until I get home. But it's just so important to like kind of create that space in my mind with a phone free walk. Sometimes I'll do it with my phone or like listening to music or a podcast if I'm up for that. But it's just like too overstimulating. You're already on a walk, like seeing sights. And I kind of like to be present more than anything and then also be present with my dog. Like, I talk to him, I make up songs for him. You know, it's like, it's. He likes it. I actually saw an animal psychic for him. So that's your problem. But one of the things that he said to the animal psychic, quote unquote, is that he wants to be told he's a good boy more, even though it's at least ten times a day. So now I like make it a point to tell him that he's the best boy. And he's so handsome and he's so kind and playful and all the things. So really he's a Libra, you know. He needs a lot of words of affirmation. You want me to talk about the seven liquids?
- [05:28]
Nick
Let's talk about the seven liquids.
- [05:31]
Olivia
I do a lot of liquids in the morning because that is my chance to be the scientist and get like all of my amino acids and medicinals and herbs and collagen and electrolytes and all the things they happen to be liquid based. And I'm just not. I know myself by now. I'm not someone who's going to be organized enough to be compliant throughout the day. So if I don't get them in the morning, I don't get them in. So I gotta wake up. First thing I do hydration. So the first thing I do is one pack of element electrolytes so that it's a thousand milligrams of sodium and then one pack of these electrolytes called cramped. And it's potassium electrolytes. So. And it's like high potassium. So I do those. And the only reason I do the potassium electrolytes is because sometimes I get weird gum pain. Like I have this one tooth in the back that it just has like a little space between the molar. And so it's really easy for me to get full food caught in there. And so that's why I have to like water pick every night and do this like water flossing. Ritual. God, I'll get there. But I get food stuck in that tooth very easily. And if I am not low in potassium, I'll feel that the food is there, but it's not painful. And I can wait to water pick or floss. If I am potassium deficient, that food in between that tooth will feel like it's stabbing me and I'll have like throbbing in that area and I'll have pain and so I'll have to like water pick right away or I'll take potassium and it'll go away. So like I have a clear sign that my body gives me when I'm potassium deficient. And the only reason I figured this out is because I tried the carnivore diet once and I did just meat for like two weeks and I got so potassium deficient from not eating like vegetables that my gums were like my entire gum, not just the one spot with the tooth, but my gums were throbbing. They were so painful and a weird pain sensation. And I was like digging in the forums and someone on Reddit was like, oh, with the carnivore diet you can be potassium deficient. It's like a little known symptom that it's gum pain. So I got these potassium tablets and took like five of them and I could sleep that night cause I didn't have the pain. So all of a sudden I was like, oh, that's my potassium sign. And it is actually very hard for Americans to get the RDA of potassium. I will say we think bananas have a lot. They really don't. The RDA is like 3,000 milligrams. It's, you actually need so much potassium in a day and things like sweet potato and avocado have more than bananas. But you need to eat a good amount of very select plant foods, especially sweet potato. I think that's why sweet potato is so good for female hormones. Even in Chinese medicine, they're this deep kidney nourishing food. And in Chinese medicine, kidney meridian is like our reproductive system really and our essence and our fertility. And potassium is so important not only for fertility and the menstrual cycle, but for thyroid hormone to be activated on a cellular level. You need potassium to get thyroid into the cell. Otherwise it's, you're going to get puffy, you're going to get thyroid symptoms. Even if you might have enough thyroid hormone. I digress. Potassium is key. So I do my packet of sodium, packet of potassium electrolytes. That is my first drink. Then I'll mosey over to my supplement table, I have just like a rolling island of sorts of that is entirely filled with like just different supplements so that I can be an alchemist and like pick what I need that day. It's very intuitive. But it's also cause I have so much background and education in it. And so I'll go over there and I will choose two types of fiber that I take every day. Cause I also often. Cause I'm doing so many things and ordering takeout at times and it's healthy takeout, but I'm not always getting the amount of fiber that I'd love to get. So I do the psyllium husk fiber and then an inulin fiber from chicory root and I put those in water and I like mix them with a little frother. And the psyllium husk is very important because I tend towards having a little bit of elevated estrogen which is usually just due to an imbalance in gut bacteria which your girl lifelong has had. And can also just be due to a lack of fiber. Cause fiber binds our estrogen. So I find that when I do my fiber drink, which is drink number two, my estrogen to progesterone ratio is much healthier. Then I will make my third drink, which is tea. That's my hot drink. And I'll do those first two on an empty stomach and then I'll start to get my breakfast going. Whether I'm reheating leftovers or boiling some eggs or whatever it is. I'll pop those in the oven, slash on the stove and I'll prepare my post meal drinks. And so that would be green tea because I am unfortunately drinking caffeine at the moment. I'm really gonna just try so hard to stop again because I had such a good run there. And then life gets in the way and I know I do better without it, but whatever. I'm drinking green tea, sue me. So I make green tea, that's drink number three. And I let that steep. And then I have this tea that's custom made from my acupuncturist. I've been seeing my acupuncturist for like the last three years. And she's the most talented Chinese herbalist I've ever met. Because she comes from the school of classical Chinese medicine, which is different from traditional Chinese medicine, which literally was co opted by the ccp, the Chinese Communist Party, because Mao wanted to standardize Chinese medicine so that like China could own the patent formulas and kind of make money off of them. Like pharmaceutical Industry vibes. So actually traditional Chinese medicine is a little bit more commercialized than one might think. But classical Chinese medicine, which is folks who learn from a lineage passed down literally, like you have to be part of a lineage. So my acupuncturist teacher is part of a lineage and it follows the original principles of the Shang Han Lun, which is one of the original classical Chinese texts. That is the style that she practices, which is much more like customization of herbal formulas versus just like the classic. Okay, your liver meridian is stuck. We're going to give you free and easy wanderer or you're spleen cheese deficient. We're going to give you this. This is customized to the person. And classical Chinese medicine believes that the disease changes as quickly as the person does. And so you actually need a different formula like every two weeks because whatever worked for you two weeks ago is not going to work now. And so every two weeks I get a new delivery of a customized formula. And they're in these vacuum sealed packs of this brown tea that a place in California literally brews super concentrated and then vacuum seals for me and delivers. So I take two packets of that, put it in a cup, that's drink number four. And then drink number five is usually a protein shake to supplement my breakfast. I know this is intense, but I am a person who needs an extremely high protein breakfast because again, the rest of my day I'm not always quite as compliant with getting like where I like to be, which is 40 grams per meal. That's my ideal. But I don't always get that at lunch, especially if I'm ordering a salad from takeout or if I'm whatever, just grabbing something quick. I'm not gonna meet my protein goals. And for someone with a sensitive body and like need to keep my muscle high for my metabolism, I gotta get my protein goals. So I will usually drink a protein shake after my breakfast like within 10 minutes so that I get that really large bolus of protein to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. And in that protein shake I'll do a scoop of protein and I'll also do a scoop or two of collagen. Cuz I really like to consume collagen for the amino acid profile, the glycine. Americans don't eat a ton of organ meats and bone in meats. We eat a lot of muscle meat and so we're missing some glycine and it can be really helpful. So that's drink number five. And then I'll do like a different electrolyte. I Have these electrolytes from peak tea that have skin ingredients, like hyaluronic acid and stuff. And, like, it's super glowy. And so I'll usually do a drink of those electrolytes. And that's where I'll put my tinctures for the day. Because I take a lot of, like, herbal formulas through tinctures. I take some capsules, too, but I prefer liquid tinctures as a delivery method because it's just more bioavailable and easily absorbed. So I'll drink number six would be like my second electrolyte serving. And I'll save the last bit of that to help, like, mask the taste of my herbal tinctures. And so I'll usually do liver juice, which is a tincture from my line that I made to support our liver detoxification pathways, because we got all these different pathways. And there are certain herbs that can help to optimize the function of those pathways so that we can clear things like estrogen and toxicants and all the things. And then I'll add a few other tinctures that are very specific to me to that water. So let's say I do two squirts of liver juice. Right now I'm doing a teaspoon of Bacopa tincture. And Bacopa is an herb that helps to enhance blood flow to the brain. It's really good for memory. It's really good for cognitive function. Something I'm very sensitive with. My family history of Alzheimer's. I'm always trying to support blood flow and oxygen delivery to my brain. And it's kind of like a brain adaptogen of sorts. It can help to keep your brain healthier because of that oxygenation. And it's just this beautiful traditional herb that's also even used, like, meditatively to kind of get you in that right mind. Has some nerve iron properties. Calming. It's just this really great brain herb. So I do a teaspoon of that, which is more than a few squirts, because in herbalism, usually you want, like, a teaspoon for a therapeutic dose. And then I'll also do a teaspoon of an herb called angelica root, which is chef's kiss. That's my spirit herb. And I swear has also helped to shuttle me into this phase of my life. And when I started to really kind of deepen my relationship with angelica as a plant, where I started to kind of meditate and journal about it and read about it and get different people's takes, I learned that because it is this dampness, clearing, invigorating herb that works on the gut mind and also on the spirit. It's, it's like such an interesting spirit plant and it's also, it's the sign of the plant is Leo. So it's like my, it's my vibe. But it's this herb that helps to remind someone who has forgotten that they have a spirit. It's really specific for someone who's like lost their spark in life, their connection to their higher purpose, who's kind of like lost that zest and that magic. And it helps to remind you that magic is real. And so in that sense it kind of has these mood boosting properties. And it just helps me to like maintain such a clear mind and heart and feel so like capable of getting out there and like going after my purpose. It really is, it's such a metaphysical herb for me. And I find that the combination of those two, the angelica and the bacopa, when I take those two every day in that dose, I don't want to eat sugar, which is so weird because like, no matter how healthy I've now become and how much willpower I have, I always want to eat sugar. It's like, duh. And after the end of the day, you're like, where's the chocolate? But I just don't. It's like, I'll put it to my mouth and I can't enjoy it. It's so interesting. I don't know if it's because of that, the damp clearing properties where my teacher would say if her mind was clearer, she would eat better about this one client. And you really do need to have like that clarity of mind and what's best for you to make the correct decisions and like take the right health habits and actions. So I don't know if it's that, but it's also like on this body level, maybe with the way that it's modulating my gut bacteria, maybe it's like antifungal in some way. So it's just cutting that craving or like that enjoyment that I'm getting from the sugar. But I just, it's so helpful. And so I feel like it's helped me to really rewire certain pathways. It's just helped me to be more vivacious in my life to, to think more clearly, to be able to show up better for everyone around me. And then I will also put whatever flower essences I'm working with at the time. Love flower essences. They're different from tinctures. Because they're more energetic doses, they're kind of like capturing the spirit of a plant. So it's like homeopathics. If you were to test a homeopathic medicine, there's not going to be anything in it because it's a dilution of the energy of that thing. So it's kind of like a sugar pill, but it has this energetic frequency or imprint. Same with flower essences and every flower. Because a flower is the highest expression of a plant and is that plant's culmination of all of its energy going to the top to express in this beautiful blossom that's so unique from other flowers. Every flower also has these unique qualities that it imparts to the person or kind of mirrors in the person. So a flower's highest quality can amplify and resonate with a quality that exists within you. So let's say you want to work on confidence, there's a flower for that. If you want to work on strengthening your intuition and like your intuitive powers, there's a flower for that. So right now I'm working with Cosmo, which is a flower essence for when you have all of these ideas and all of these especially spiritual ideas to communicate or philosophies, but they don't always come out in a concise and streamlined way. That's an herb for that. And then I'm also working with poppy, which is a flower that helps you to have the courage to stand tall and be seen for your gifts. Even though there's always going to be a risk that comes with being seen, you realize that the benefit that you could impart is worth that and that you don't want to live a double life anymore, pretending like that's not who you are. And then third one I'm working with right now is sunflower, which is also about sharing your gifts with the world, stepping into a new chapter, all the things. So I put a few drops of those in this little leftover electrolyte tincture solution and then I knock that back like a shot in the morning. I feel myself like a machine. That's why I'm like titrating all of these. I've figured out exactly what works for me through trial and error. I've listened to all these bodily signs. I know what herbs I need to get in to have a good day. Like I've just learned how to manage my body. Cuz otherwise I would be non functional. Because I do have such a complex body with a lot of different chronic health issues. So I have to function this way. And because in the morning, you're like, your willpower is the strongest. Like, you haven't yet had a hard day where you need a treat, you know, so you're. You're waking up. It's like, you don't. No one wants to, like, eat ice cream for breakfast, really? Or like, no one wants a treat or something super decadent first thing. Or maybe they do, but for me, it's like, that's when I can make the most scientific decision about how I'm fueling myself. And I can just be very logical about. Here is the best combination of fuel for me. And I can just be like a calculator of like, protein, carb, protein shake, collagen. This is what will fuel me. And then throughout the rest of the day, I'm like, oh, I like, want something fun for lunch, or I want something special for dinner, but I don't need that for breakfast. So breakfast is when I can compensate for the fun by being so scientific. And I also need a big dose of protein at breakfast or else I'll have a lot of sugar cravings later in the day. Obviously, the angelica helps with that, but that was part of my toolbox for binge eating because that was something that I struggled with for so long. I thought it was like, all emotional, but it's often half emotional and somatic and then half very biological. Like we are animals where we will have an instinct to continue to feed on whatever is in front of us until our protein needs are met. And so if that's cookies, we're gonna wanna eat like 50 of them. Cause they're so low in protein to try to get those needs met. And because especially bolusing your protein in the morning starts your day off with some such stable blood sugar, but also like a boost in satiation hormones, I'm just able to be so much more satiated throughout the day and make those better decisions. And I don't have as much of that food noise like that. People talk about this, like, constant thinking about when am I gonna get a snack, when am I gonna get a treat if I keep those protein levels higher and start the day with a lot of protein. I'm not constantly thinking about food. And it's so much easier that when I do have an emotional day, that it's not like that's already there and something I wanna go to right away.
- [22:45]
Nick
So it sounds like your rituals are the things that you crave. So how would someone create meaningful rituals that align with their growth and intention?
- [22:51]
Olivia
I will say that There are actual, like, rituals that I do throughout the year that are real rituals that I. They're maybe not daily, but they're like, actually rituals involving plants and seasonal changes and things like that. Like what? In the spring, I learned about this thing astrologically called the Jupiter Cazimi. And it's this weekend where once a year Jupiter is doing something. Or maybe it's not even once a year, maybe it's rarer than that. But when Jupiter Cazimi happens, you need to take that time to do whatever you want to bring into the next year of your life. And so, because it's kind of like the way it was described to me is that the universe will listen to whatever actions you're taking during this very special intentional time and infuse more of that into your life. So you better not spend that time on your phone, because if you do that, then the whole rest of your year is going to spend with your face being sucked into a hole in your phone. That we can help me a lot because it. That weekend felt so special to me because it was the Jupiter Cazimi. So I said, because it's the Jupiter Cazimi, I'm going to schedule my Saturday and Sunday in my Google calendar with all of the things that I love to do and want more of in this next year. And I'm going to make this weekend so special. And so I made a list in my phone called Jupiter Cazimi. And I listed out all the things that are normal, kind of like, aspects of life, like shopping at the farmer's market, but that I want to make sure that I do more of throughout the year because they are aligned with my values. Right? I want to eat fresh food and support local farmers. So I've made a list of go to the farmer's market, cook a meal together for me and Nick Journal, record a solo pod, which I didn't end up doing, but at least it was on my intention list and I later ended up doing it. Lift weights, exercise outside, because I want to bring more, like, outdoor exercise into my life. And I want to make sure that I stick to weightlifting because it's so important to me. Read a book, create a house altar, do a beauty ritual, bath, sing, clean and be clear about what I want. And, like, make a list of, like, what I want this next year. So I took all these things and I scheduled them, like, hour by hour into my weekend and, like, filled my weekend with, okay, this day I want to do this, this day I want to do that. And because I planned for it. Usually I would take weekends and be, like, a shell of myself. Even at this point. This was in May. I would kind of just be like, well, I don't know what to do, and I'm not working or I'm not being productive, so I don't know. Like, I. I just. I wouldn't necessarily take weekends to plan to do these activities with myself, but because I put them in my Google cal, I did, and I got excited about them because I was like, well, I'm doing it for a reason. I'm doing it because I want to bring more of this into my year. And so that weekend, I was like, oh, time to journal. Sat down, did a journal entry. I was like, oop, time to make a meal together. Or, like, time to get my workout in outside. And, like, I'm gonna listen to music while I do it. I even had Nick bring a karaoke speaker and a microphone outside, and I sang opera outside in the. In the yard and just, like, laid there and hung out with the dog. And we cleaned the house. We made an altar upstairs for our house with, like, things that represent what we want to have in our lives and our marriage in this new home. So we put this fertility statue that belonged to my grandmother so that we could represent us wanting to have kids. We put, like, a little bowl of honey to represent abundance and working together like the bees. We put our candles from our marriage. We put a picture of Banks so that we could just represent having many more memories with him. We put a little bowl of rose petals. Like, we did all these intentional things and then, like, set a prayer together and set our intentions for our life in this home, in this chapter of our marriage. Like, all these things that are very ritualistic and that you wouldn't normally do unless maybe someone told you, oh, this is a special weekend. You gotta do this. But what if you just did it anyway, you know? So I think that became my lesson of the weekend. We finished that. That whole weekend. Sunday night, Nick and I were reflecting, and he turned to me and was like, this was, like, the best weekend of my life. And I was like, wait, me too. Like, I. I had so much fun. And I think he reflected back to me that I was just so much more present, and I was so much more willing to play and kind of do the things he's always wanted me to do on the weekend. But usually I'd be like, oh, I'm too tired, or, like, I worked all week. This is my time to rest. I just want to lay I would do a lot of laying on the weekend beforehand. And maybe that's because I didn't get give myself the permission that actually like playing with myself or doing intentional things that help me connect with myself and spend time with me and hang out with me would be more restful than just laying. And yeah, he reflected back to me how much he enjoyed my participation. Kind of like in life and like in our life and our activities and just me having fun with myself. When he would be working on a woodworking project in the garage and he would pass me lifting weights in the backyard, kind of like dancing to music, it would elevate his experience because we were doing parallel play. He could see that I was enjoying myself and he was enjoying himself. And there was this symphony kind of going on. And I think it took someone being like, you have a job to do. It is the Jupiter Cazimi. Check these things off a list for me to initially have the task, the job of playing. And then once I did it, I realized how fun it was to just play. And I was like, oh, I don't need a job to do this anymore. The whole lesson of the Jupiter Cazimi is that if I want more of these things in my life in the next year, I just have to do them. And it modeled for me this thing. So that was like a ritual. But the whole reason for me telling this story is because since one of the plans was to go to the farmer's market that Saturday morning, Nick and I went and I saw these bundles of fresh nettle leaf that were picked in one of the stands that usually has a lot of interesting herbs. And I was like, wow, like fresh nettle. I haven't worked with this in a while. I always do dried nettle tea. And when you have this fresh plant, just this potent energy. And I was like, I wonder what the spiritual meaning of nettle is and how one could work with nettle in a plant plant ritual. Because the same way as, you know, grinding plants into incense and lighting them to say a prayer, that's using plants in ritual to concentrate intentions and kind of like send your prayers through the smoke to God or the universe. So there's other ways in which you can ritualistically work with the energy and like the. The spirits, the teachers that exist within plants. So I looked it up and I typed in, like, nettle, spiritual meaning ritual. And I found this website that talked about how nettle is the plant that helps you to, like, walk between two worlds when you're in the void, when you're in the in between, and you're in between your old life, and you want to step into your new one. It's this plant that can help you do that. And so it listed out the way in which you could actually boil fresh nettle and make a nettle tea or like a really concentrated nettle infusion, and then use that nettle as a hair rinse to actually kind of like focus your intentions while you're massaging it through your hair and while you're cleansing your scalp and, like, making room to bring in the new. And so it gave these instructions for this nettle hair cleansing, stepping into the new ritual. And it talked about how nettle helps us through the dark times and helps us to see the next steps. And I'm like, that's exactly where I am. And it was spring, so it was this perfect time. And so I kind of made it into my own thing just intuitively. And I invited China, one of my best friends, who's also very spiritual. And I asked Nick if he wanted to do it. And usually Nick isn't down for all the woo woo. But I think this felt so pure that he was like, yes. Like, this feels like play. And this isn't like we're trying to do something. Like we just are playing. So we have a section outside in the backyard where there's a fire pit, and we have chairs that we sit in around the fire pit. So I took some of the fresh nettle sprigs and I created a circle around the fire pit so that we could, like, enter the circle and kind of like be in the energy of the nettle. And then we had a big pot of water, we lit a fire, and we put a bunch of nettle in there. And we started to cook the nettle hair tea for the rinse. And then I asked Nick and China, in the spirit of the Jupiter Cazimi, to bring items to put on our shared altar that represent what they want to bring into their life this next year. And so I brought this book that my uncle wrote about our ancestry because my ancestors were like these Vlocs that were nomadic people in Macedonia. And we don't know much about them, but he wrote a whole book about it to find out about them. So I brought his book, and then I brought a book about Italian folklore and Italian, like, magic, kind of like with herbs. And I put those two books on my altar because I wanted to learn more about my heritage this year and learn more about my traditional herbalism and, like, my lineage versus what I Learned in school. I brought just, like, other things that symbolize what I want more of this year. Like, things that an artist's pencil in my sketchbook, sheet music to symbolize the music that I want to do in this year. And Nick and Chyna brought the same. So we put all of our altar items on this table next to the nettle circle, and we brought our journals in. I had this hair oil for us because I got very inspired by the whole, like, hair and scalp aspect and, like, cleaning the scalp and, like, the crown chakra. And I also brought, like, different flower essences that kind of are related to stepping into the new. And I just put them out around the fire. And, like, we sat there, and I read this whole beautiful thing that I found online about how nettle is this ally for the in between space. And I asked them to sit with me as we're cooking the nettle and to just reflect and journal on what we want in this next chapter and then to maybe make a list of, like, the three things that they want to bring in. So we sat there for hours just journaling. Like, it just started to come through us. And it was so nice to be outside in nature and, like, have the nettle cooking in front of us. And it was really magical. And, like, we had some incense going on our altar, and, like, the smells and, like, you were just so present. And then we eventually I asked them, do you guys want to share, like, what you've written about or, like, what's coming through for you? You don't have to if you don't want to. And it just felt right for us to share. So we each talked about what came up for us and kind of read a little bit from our journal to each other. And then we took the list that we made, we ripped that page out, and we each, like, just said thank you and said our prayers to our ancestors and the universe and God and threw those pages into the fire. And then after we did that, we sat and we thought about our intentions, and we massaged the oil into our scalps and did a hair mask. And then when it was done, we bottled up. We cooled and then bottled up the nettle infusion into Mason jars, and we each took a Mason jar home. And then the next morning, we were supposed to go into the shower, and at the end of our shower, after washing the oil out of our hair, end it with the nettle rinse. And while we're doing that, just kind of, like, envision the old being cleared away again, Say our prayers. Thank Our ancestors, our guides, all the things, and just really connect with ourselves and talk about what we're so grateful to bring into this next chapter. And that was my first time ever, like, truly doing a plant ritual. I've been an herbalist for a long time now, and I never used herbs spiritually that way, but that. That, like, changed my life. I. We talk about it all the time. We're like, it's before the Jupiter Cazimi and after the Jupiter Cazimi. Like, it's before the nettle ritual and after. There was just such a shift, and it was just so nice to kind of get clear with the spirit of the plant on what we did want and what we didn't want. And that was just a ritual that showed me. I don't know, it showed me also the power of praying in the shower because of how good I felt when I was doing the rinse and I was like, oh, this is a really powerful time to pray and talk to my ancestors. And ever since then, I pray in the shower. That's my place as I'm washing my hair. Specifically, I'll. Even before a podcast, I'll always say, like, please connect my heart to my throat and help me to actually speak from my heart instead of just my mind. Or please connect my heart to my mind so that everything is in coherence and that I'm speaking from who I really am. Or if I'm. If I have a guest on the podcast, I'll ask my ancestors to talk to their ancestors and help us to come together in the most cohesive way possible to help the greatest amount of people that we can possibly help with that episode and really help us to, you know, come together. Help us to connect, really, like, on a soul level, so that whatever comes through is meant to come through, essentially. And I'll just. I'll just ask their ancestors and thank their ancestors for creating them and thank their ancestors for bringing us together and putting them in my life. Even if it's a guest I've never met before. It's like, I really practice that gratitude and that prayer before an episode, and it just taught me so much about the power of being intentional and ritualizing things like a shower. So now my showers are so special because that, like, that's when I talk to God, kind of, and that's when I take that time because my phone isn't there and distractions aren't there to just have a conversation. And I'm so surprised once I start talking, as we know, I can't Stop. But I'm so surprised. Like, the realizations I have around how much I have to be grateful for and the feeling that I get into when I start talking in that shower, and it's just made such a mundane activity so special and connected and spiritual, and I really do feel so much better after.
- [37:37]
Nick
What are the rituals? You can look back and see that they really changed your life. Like, we just spoke about one. But are there any others that you've done over the years that you can see now? Like, wow, that really made an impact on my life.
- [37:52]
Olivia
I mean, I've done. You know when people accuse me of being a witch on that episode, I think they're right. This is. All I can think of is I'm like, yeah, that time that I banished that person from my life with the fire. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was sick. Like, I. It's true. Like, I. I do think sometimes when you got it, when you get mixed up with a. With a. An energy that's not in your highest interest and your highest good, you got to clear them. And so Nick becomes like a little bit of, like, a fire shaman sometimes. Again, he's. He's so low key, not spiritual. But then you get him in the right mode, and he's just like, I have prepared the fire. I cannot even touch what you have in your hands. Bring it in a towel and throw it into the fire. Because the energy is making me sick. And I'm like, who are you? It's really funny when you get him in the mode and he'll like, okay, so whatever. One time I had, like, cut ties with this person, and I was like, I. I want to just make sure that I clear the energy. Like, I just don't want anything that reminds me of them or I just got to get everything out. But Nick did read the remnants of the fire after. He was like, I saw the, like, a tea reader. I'm like, what are you, like, reading the leaves of tea? He's just like, what I saw at the bottom of that fire, I didn't, like, like, he had me out there burning all this stuff. And then he was like, now go wash your hands in the creek. And it's like pouring rain as we're doing this. He's like, we must do it tonight. The energy is right. It's like, go wash your hands in the creek. And I'm like, okay, doing this. And he's like, now you're done. You're good. But he's really, like, he's like such a protector. Like, that and, like, very spiritually protective. You know, also, like, Hispanic people don't play like that. Like, when there's a negative energy around, they're like, we got to clear this out. It's done. So he's. He's very much like his grandmother in that sense, anyways, so I once did a plant ritual that really helped me with a hard conversation. It wasn't even a hard conversation. It was if I just showed up to the conversation earnestly with my heart and was curious, it could go beautifully. But sometimes we psych ourselves out to think that there's going to be conflict or confrontation in a conversation where in reality, both parties just want to be seen and heard and, like, make some magic together and just, like, not even clear the air. Like, sometimes people just want to be witnessed, and then you don't even have to clear anything. So I was meeting with someone at my house in my backyard to have this, quote, hard conversation. And I had kind of built it up in my mind that I was going to have to be assertive about certain things or really make my point heard or, you know, like, communicate in a certain way as a boss and whatever. And I realized that all that was just coming from fear. I feel like the opposite of being in fear is being in your heart and just really leading with love and being open and curious and holding space for another person so that they can also be disarmed and you guys can just meet each other heart to heart. And so I called on a plant ally called hawthorne berry. And hawthornberry is this beautiful ally for the heart and for open communication and for speaking from the heart and for dissolving fear that's hampering the heart and, like, kind of sucking energy from the heart. And so I decided to make a. A little, like, body scrub where I took sugar. I took a very potent, solid extract of hawthorn berry. And then I also took again flower essences that were related to the heart and to clear communication and all the things that I wanted to bring into this conversation. And I did my whole shower thing, and I took that scrub into the shower, and as I was scrubbing my body, I was asking, you know, my ancestors, my guides, my angels, to help clear the fear from my body and from my heart and to help kind of clear this adrenaline and any of these expectations that I had or preconceived notions that I had and helped me to be completely open, but also grounded in my truth in this conversation. Help me to listen, help me to hold space, help me to be loving, help me to Be helped me to lead with love, essentially. And I also then asked her ancestors and my ancestors to help us to have a really fruitful, beautiful two way conversation. And then when I got to our conversation spot, which was in my yard, I had again, like the seats around the fire. Love a little fire, Kiki. I sat there and I put my bare feet on the ground. And then I called on the land and I asked the land to help me hold this fear and to help hold any of the parts of the conversation that were too much for me to carry on my own. And so I met with her and it was so funny because I was being really robotic about it as I do when I'm nervous. And so I was like, I sit in chair here and you sit in chair here versus like, she's just coming to my house to chat. And if I just again, make it casual, we could totally vibe out and connect and be great. But I was being so weird and formal and robotic about it. And I'm like, why don't you sit down? But she's over here, like, wow, like, the land looks so beautiful today. You know, spring is really blossoming. And I'm like kind of following her lead and I'm like, yeah, let's like walk around a little bit. I like that tree. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then I'm like, why don't you come sit? And so we go. And she's like, oh, okay, like I guess we could sit right away. And we go to her chair and there's a ladybug on her chair. And she was like, oh, wow, look at this ladybug. And I was like, oh, that's so beautiful. And I was like, let's get it off so you can sit. And we tried to get it off and it wouldn't move. It just wouldn't leave no matter what we did. And I was like, you know what? This ladybug is talking to me. And it's telling me to stop being such a weirdo and just let things unfold. And like, take this time to connect heart to heart so that naturally the conversation can happen. Because it can't happen if neither of us are feeling safe and connected. And so I was like, okay, the ladybug said, it's not time to sit yet. I'm gonna follow your lead and let's keep walking. So we end up walking just like around the backyard and we end up just plopping down at the top of the hill in the sun and having such a nice conversation totally unrelated to the thing we had to talk about later, but like this nice conversation about our upbringings and our family and how we're feeling about certain things in our lives as women. And it was just so nice. I felt like I was able to be more of a human than I've ever been able to be with this person because we're usually so business together. And then I was like, okay, like let's, let's head down there. We went back, the ladybug is still there. And I'm like, oh my God, it's still not time. So we walk around again. And as I kept allowing like the time and the space for us to acclimate to one another and feel safe. And as I followed the energy instead of trying to control the day, conversation almost started naturally. Going to and touching on the things I wanted to talk about in such a beautiful, organic way. That was no pressure. And we just started to kind of harmonize and we started to really be on the same page. And then finally we look over, the ladybug's gone, and I'm like, okay, it's time to sit down. Like let's sit and chat. And because I had done the Hawthorne ritual earlier and was feeling so just like grounded and in my heart space and focused outside of myself because I think often like that's the best part of being in your heart is that you can really attune to what someone else needs and you're not as self centered or self preserving because of the fear. And so instead of starting off with like, here's what I have to talk to you about today, I just started off by asking, how are you? And she just started crying and was like, no one ever asks me that. I was like, oh my God, like I love this person so much. And of course this conversation is going to go great. We just need to be humans with each other. Like, it's just so funny how it like all of the time I took to like ritualize and set the energy and set the intention before that conversation just like allowed for that magical moment to happen and like that deepening of our relationship and bond. And she started like really telling me like how she was and how she was feeling about things. And I started to lead with, instead of saying I need to talk about this or here's how I'm feeling about this, I just led with curiosity and I asked her, how are you feeling about this? How do you think this is going? Like, what's your take on this? And then through her sharing her takes, I was able to say, you Know what? I've actually. I actually have a different take on it. I've been thinking about that a lot. Do you mind if I share? And just approached it in such a different way where, like, especially me as a leader, I was able to just come from a place that people respond to. You know, it's, like, so important as a leader. And I didn't have to say any of the things that I had planned to say in, like, a rigid way, because I was able to communicate them so lovingly by kind of sharing ideas that I had. Instead of, I don't like how X is going to. I was able to say, I'm really feeling called and inspired about this thing. Like, what if this is what's missing? Or, what if this is what we can try here? Instead of being like, I don't like how you're trying this. And I was able to totally change my approach. And it was just such an expansive conversation. And again, nothing needed to be communicated in a reprimanding way, which I think is often how we can default to being when we're scared and when we care about something and we feel like there's a lack of, like, alignment and vision with someone else. And instead, I was able to just, like, lead with my heart. And the. The true inspiration that I had in my heart for what I do want to unfold, and the true vision that I have was able to be communicated in a way that naturally redirected that person and naturally got us on the same page and aligned for the future together. It was so important, I think, for both her and I, because we've had so many interesting and somewhat charged conversations in the past, and they've all ended well, but they haven't always been that smooth. You know, it's just. That's life. Not all conversations are gonna be smooth. But I think it was so important for our nervous systems and our neural pathways to see that a big conversation or, like, a big topic could go that well and that you don't always have to show up on the defense or on the offense, and that, like, things can be different. And so it was just really nice. And I have in my mind hawthorn and the plant ritual and just the ritualization of the shower and the intention that I infused into the shower and the prayer and the grounding beforehand and the listening, listening to the ladybug. Sometimes we're just like, get that ladybug off here. I'm going to force my way. But if you listen to all the little things around you, life's Orchestra is telling you and you just kind of have to trust that and like trust the unexpectedness and see where that takes you.
- [49:05]
Nick
I'm just thinking about how somebody would go about forming habits that can lead to rituals. What would you say were some of the first habits you formed that maybe got you here?
- [49:19]
Olivia
I guess the learning to listen is kind of like the art of noticing. And I think the art of noticing requires that we have enough space and time and safety to be curious or to like be observant or to look around us. So often we're focused on like the thing we need to do or things going a certain way or like executing on a task or a goal. Cause like that's just the paradigm that we're used to living in. And like we're kind of in more of that or have been for a long time, especially in the west, more of like that masculine do, do, do. Like this is how structured things go. Like right brained kind of vibe that it feels like we're like breaking the rules to do things more slowly or a little bit more unstructured and like leave room for noticing and for play. But I do find that when you just slow down, even that can allow you to notice and see the way that the world around you is speaking and see these signs that you normally would ignore. That then either whether you think a sign actually means something, whether you think seeing an eagle actually means something, or whether you think that seeing that eagle just kind of made you stop and be present with it and be curious about the meaning. And then even if you don't believe the meaning, at least be curious about how that relates to what's going on in your life and just be more introspective. You know what I mean? I don't necessarily think that every sign is exactly what it says it is. Sometimes I just think that the power of seeing a sign is that you get to be curious and get to ponder whatever that meaning on Google says about your life. And then you get to have more curiosity and presence with that area of your life because it brought it to your awareness. So I think when we slow down, like for example, taking our walks with our dog, sometimes we're like, okay, I'm going to see if I can like answer emails or take this phone call while I'm walking the dog and like do five things at once. But if we decide to be really slow and intentional with that walk, leave our phone at home, or just allow yourself to go through that walk with like slow steps instead of let me power Walk as fast as possible or let me get through this task as quickly as possible. If you just kind of change the way in which you approach it, you'd be surprised at what you notice around you and the way that that orchestra of the world is speaking, or the way that even just what you happen to notice gives you a clue about your own mental state or your own awareness. Just kind of like being in relationship with the world around you so that everything can be that mirror and help you to go deeper, not only into the curiosity around that thing, but the curiosity around yourself. And so my friend Nina always says she'll tell clients who are in that go, go, go, fight or flight state all the time and feel disconnected from that themselves. She'll tell them to do everything that they can, you know, within reason. Like, for example, start with your skincare routine, but do your skincare routine as if you're moving through honey. So she'll be like, challenge yourself to do it as slowly as possible. And really, like, as you're watching, washing your face, pretend that, like, you're stuck in honey and you have to do that and, like, see how slow you can go. And I think when you do that, you'd be surprised at kind of, like, how the gears of your brain switch and you're able to get into a different, like, brainwave state where you're able to be curious, where you're able to be more present with yourself and your own thoughts and feelings, because you've now created more space simply by showing up in that pocket of time differently.
- [53:00]
Nick
What would you say is the one thing that people should be prioritizing? Or if you had to name one ritual for people to start with, what's the one that really has hit home for you lately?
- [53:12]
Olivia
So I have an altar in my room that is just a collection of small items or totems or tokens or whatever you call them that represent meaningful things in my life. And so I have a bracelet that my grandfather had gifted to this family member who passed it down to me. Even though I never met him, I have just had interesting connections with him in dreams and whatnot. So I feel like he's there with me. So I have his bracelet. I have a poem that was written for me at this farmer's market. There's this girl who sits at farmer's markets with a typewriter. And you can go up to her and sit with her, and, like, she'll ask a few questions about you, and then she'll write you a poem. And on this day, I Had gotten a massage that morning. I was in California. I got a massage that morning. And during the massage, I kept thinking about my name. And I was like, huh? Like, olivia Grace. Like, that's such a specific name, and it's such a beautiful name. And I'm so happy that I have that name and not another name. And I was thinking about how my dad had picked Olivia specifically, and how the word Grace means a lot to me and how I want to show up into the world and just how much there is in a name. And I show up at this farmer's market. I sit down with this again. I just felt pulled because I was moving through the farmer's market slowly and intentionally. I was able to kind of feel the glow of, like, this feels pertinent, you know, like, sometimes I almost see it that way, where when you're present enough, the things that you're meant to go and explore around you just kind of glow to you. I even feel that way about, like, picking my outfit. If I'm really in my body, like, I can see or feel what I'm supposed to pick up, like, the clothing items. So it's just. There's a pull. And I felt pulled to this girl with this typewriter, and I'm like, let's do it. And I sit with her, and she had asked some questions, and I mentioned my mom, and I mentioned the. That when I was little, like, she saved me from a flock of geese. Like, the mother goose was trying to get me because I was too close to her babies. So I told her this random story, and she ended up writing me this poem. And I didn't tell her anything about thinking about my name. That was just a random thought I had during a massage. She wrote me this poem, and it was like, I have eyes like my mother's. They crinkle around the edges. They smile when they see a flock of geese. And then at the end of the poem, it said something about, I have a name. It was given to me. And like. Like, she wrote this whole ending about how important my name was. And I was like, what the hell? Like, it was so wild. I was crying. And later found out on Instagram I had posted her, and people were like, oh, she's super intuitive. Like, I've. I've met her before at that farmer's market. So it was such a cool thing. And so I have that little poem from the typewriter on my altar. Cause I just felt like maybe my mom spiritually was, like, half in the other world and, like, speaking to her and I have like, you know, this. This little heart shaped red rock that this girl told me to pick up on the beach and like, keep it on my altar and tap it like a heartbeat. Whenever I feel like what I'm going through is too much to bear and too much for my heart to hold alone and to like, ask that that surrogate heart to help me hold it. I have this oracle card. When we were at our company team building weekend, this woman put like these little oracle cards underneath our yoga mats. And the card that I pulled was brilliant idea. And at the time I was like, what is this relating to? I have no ideas right now. I'm a failure. And then like, and now it's kind of starting to make sense in a way. But I like, kept that card there. Cause I was like, this means something. So it's so many things. It's like a picture of me and my mom. It's whatever. This necklace that I was given, it's all these things that mean a lot to me, that represent loved ones here and lost and represent parts of my life that I want to nourish. And I have incense sticks and a little incense holder. And every morning I go up to that altar and I just literally say like, good morning, God, my angels. I say, grandma, grandpa, Maya, Papu, because that's my four grandparents. I say hello to Kashim, who's one of Nick's best friends that passed. I say hello to Matteo, who's my best friend's brother that passed. And I just acknowledge those that have passed and those that are watching over me, and I just thank them and just like, say a prayer of gratitude for my life and all that I have. And I just say, please help me to be of service in whatever way that I can today. And I light that incense and I put it on my altar and I just like, give it some love. And I feel like that act of like, devotion and intention alone has just kind of deepened my presence and appreciation for life as a whole. And I think it's so important to not forget our loved ones who have passed. And so if that's something that speaks to you, I feel like that's a really beautiful place to start with adding ritual to your life. Because the act of, like, gathering the items for your ritual in itself is a beautiful ritual and is a beautiful process and you'll always continuously add things to it. But then also that moment of, like, having a routine where it's not just brushing your teeth and doing your skincare routine and taking your supplements, but it's like going over to your altar and, like, saying thank you to those who came before you and just like being intentional and lighting that incense and clearing the air and putting this beautiful scent in the air and kind of like spiritually changing your surroundings is so important, too, and just kind of tunes you in. Sam.