Spiritual Side of Self-Care
The Spiritual Side of Self-Care: How Reading Becomes a Ritual
Self-care isn’t always about bubble baths and candles (though, let’s be honest, those are pretty wonderful). Sometimes, self-care is as simple and sacred as the books we reach for and the way we invite stories into our lives.
For me, reading is more than just entertainment—it’s a rhythm that feeds different parts of me: body, mind, and spirit. Over the years, I’ve realized that I’ve built a little threefold ritual without even meaning to.
🌙 Bedtime Reading – A Soft Landing for the Soul
Every night, my Kindle rests on a little rigged-up stand (my “engineered serenity” device). I settle in with something light and fun, like LT Lucas’s Children of the Gods series. Sometimes steamy, always entertaining—exactly the kind of reading that lets me slip into relaxation.
I rarely make it past a few pages before my eyes close, but here’s the beauty: the Kindle turns itself off, never loses my place, and tucks me into sleep with a smile instead of a worry. That, to me, is spiritual self-care. I’m choosing joy over stress at the very last moment of the day.
🚗 Car Journeys – Audiobooks as Moving Meditation
Then there are the drives. My car companions are cozy mysteries—right now, Torrent Witches has me entertained. These are fluffy, soap-opera style stories, and I’ll admit: I miss parts of them while driving. But that’s okay. I just keep going, and somehow the story always makes sense again.
There’s a spiritual metaphor in there. Life is full of details we miss. We don’t catch every conversation, every nuance, every opportunity—but if we stay present, the bigger story unfolds anyway. Audiobooks remind me to trust the flow and enjoy the ride (literally).
📚 The Sacred Shelf – Learning and Quiet Rebellion
Finally, I keep a more serious stack of paper books. These are my spirit-led references—Soul Contracts, How to Read Auras, and so many others. These books keep me learning, deepening, and growing.
And right next to them? My quiet rebellion: the so-called “banned books.” I couldn’t resist picking up Me and Earl and the Dying Girl or repurchasing To Kill a Mockingbird. I read Mockingbird back in high school a million years ago, but I bought it again as my protest to the baloney and shenanigans of censorship.
For me, that’s spiritual self-care too: tending not just my soul, but the collective soul of humanity. Choosing books that honor truth, freedom, and the courage to see with open eyes.
✨ Reading as a Soul Care Cycle
Put it all together, and I’ve realized I have a cycle:
Light joy to ease the body into rest.
Flowing stories to ease the mind on the go.
Sacred study and truth-keeping to ease the spirit into deeper wisdom.
That’s not just reading—it’s a practice of alignment. A way to care for myself through the simplest of habits, one page (or one chapter, or one missed section of an audiobook) at a time.
So if you’re looking for a new angle on self-care, maybe take a look at your bookshelf, your nightstand, or even your audiobook app. You might already be building your own soul care cycle without realizing it.
