If ever there was a year to embrace a New Year’s Eve night in, 2020 is it. Maybe you’re someone who typically enjoys the fanfare of NYE, or maybe you’re more of a cozy at-home introvert. Either way, New Year’s Eve 2020 will be all about ringing in the new year from the comfort of our own homes. Rather than go crazy on a couple bottles of your favorite wine, try planning a nourishing New Year’s Eve night at home. What better way to kick off 2021 than with a self-care retreat that feeds your body, mind and soul from the comfort of your own home? Try one or all of these ideas for your perfect night in and wake up on January 1 feeling your absolute best.
Nourishing meal
Whether you’re celebrating the new year with your partner or flying solo, take the time to plan and prep a deliciously nourishing meal for your night in. Hit the local farmers’ market early that morning and grab all of your fresh ingredients before unhurriedly making your meal. Find a recipe packed with whole foods and healthy ingredients to nourish you from the inside out. No one wants to wake up on January 1 with a greasy food hangover!
Spicy Tuna Spiralized Vegetable Salad
Massage
Whether it’s self-massage or swapping massage time with your partner, this is an extremely calming and wonderful way to close out the year. Use your chosen oil to focus on places that feel tender or feel like they need extra attention. You could also use acupressure points for added benefit. Use long sweeping strokes, and circular movements at the joints upward to the center of the body. It doesn’t have to be complex. Simple strokes are enough to allow the oil to do its job of going deep into the tissues, pulling out toxins and then nourishing the bodily tissues, far deeper than just the skin.
Epsom Salt Bath
Take a long, calming bath after your massage if you can. Bathing or showering after the oil massage is done traditionally to encourage the oil to sink in more deeply in Ayurvedic rituals. An Epsom salt bath is the perfect way to end your massage ritual because the magnesium sulfate helps in purifying and detoxifying the body of heavy metals. An Epsom salt bath is absorbed through the skin and can restore levels of magnesium and sulfate in the system. Toxins may be released from the specific muscles being worked on during a tissue massage.
Letters to yourself
The end of the year is a perfect time for reflection. Sit down in a quiet, comfy space and write yourself a letter. You don’t ever have to read it if you don’t want to, it’s more about the practice. Write about the year – in great detail and with great gratitude. While it may have been a shitty year universally, there’s always something to be grateful for. When you write about the new year ahead, be specific and be excited. This process really helps to cement in your mind where you want your life to be and ensures all of your upcoming decisions will help get you there.
Candlelight yoga
You can use a guided yoga video if you’re more of a beginner, or go with your own flow. Either way, taking some time to slow down can be a beautiful way to renew and restore. Move slowly and deeply from one meditative pose to another, under the soft glow of candlelight. Let your body find its most comfortable shape through support and gentle stretches. Opt for relaxed, long-held poses to target the connective tissue and bring fluidity to the joints.
Herbal tonic nightcap
Instead of a boozy nightcap, opt for a nourishing herbal tonic. Healing herbs have been around for centuries. Herbal tonics are potent enough to help your body and mind relax. They are packed with benefits such as improving the digestive system, enhancing your immune system and encouraging mental peace.
Immune-Boosting Digestive Tonic
