The Somatic Power of Rituals:

Hi everyone!

Today, as a way of welcoming October, I want to talk about rituals and how they can be deeply healing in a somatic (body-based) way. 🕯️

But first, a gentle disclaimer: this isn’t true for everyone. For a practice to be healing, your body needs to feel safe. If the word ritual feels heavy, triggering, or just not aligned for you—that’s completely okay. Maybe reading this blog will offer a new perspective, or maybe this simply isn’t your path right now. Either way, you're welcome here. 🙂

When I talk about rituals, I’m not referring to religious procedures or dogma. I’m speaking about sacred moments we create for ourselves—intentional acts that help us reconnect with our inner world, our bodies, and sometimes something greater than ourselves.

For example, one of my favourite ways to practice ritual is by meditating during a full moon, creating a space that feels intentional and energetically healing, just to connect with my soul. I also love to celebrate solstices, equinoxes, and the different phases of the moon—not because I “have to,” but because they help me sync back into natural rhythms that my body responds to.

And sometimes, I do rituals just because I want to reconnect with the magic within me. There are days when I don’t feel my inner spark, and that’s when ritual becomes a tool. I might build a small altar or space with crystals, symbols, or items that evoke certain feelings in my body—like grounding, connection with myself, peace, etc

So, how can these acts be somatically healing?

Because ritual works on more than just a symbolic level—it interacts with the nervous system, too.

When we slow down, engage the senses, and perform intentional acts with presence, we give our bodies something they often crave: structure, safety, and rhythm. Rituals can help the body feel held. They create a container that tells your nervous system, "It's okay to soften now."

They also have the potential to act as gateways to the unconscious. Sometimes, when we engage in symbolic acts—burning herbs, lighting a candle, placing an object with intention—we stir something deeper. Emotions, memories, or insights we didn’t know were there can surface gently, in a space we’ve created to hold them.

And in that space, we might access something profound: intuition. The quiet inner knowing that lives in the body. That’s why ritual isn’t just spiritual—it’s somatic. It brings the unseen into form. It allows us to feel.

If you feel curious or called to explore this further, here are a few gentle prompts to sit with:

• When do I feel most connected to my body, my energy, or my intuition?

• Are there certain actions, objects, or places that evoke a sense of meaning or magic for me?

• What rhythms in nature am I drawn to (moon phases, seasons, cycles)? How might I honour them in my own way?

• What would it feel like to create a small ritual space—just for me?

• What does safety feel like in my body, and how can I create more of that in my life? Is there a physical object that connects me with that sense of safety?

  
  

  • (if the word “safety” feels unfamiliar or strange, that’s totally okay. You can try to recall a moment, place, or person where you felt like you could truly relax. It might be a memory with a pet, lying in the sun, or being held in a way that felt kind. Once you have that moment, imagine it as vividly as you can—really step into it. Then gently check in with your body: what sensations do you notice? That feeling right there... that might be what safety feels like for you. )

  
  

Rituals don’t have to be perfect or performative. They just have to be honest. Your body will know the difference. I hope you’ll take a moment to sit with these questions—and that they spark something meaningful or even magical within you. Perhaps they’ll inspire you to create a practice or ritual that brings a sense of grounding, beauty, or wonder into your daily life.

I’ll close this post here, with a gentle wish: may this October be filled with blessings, quiet moments of clarity, and rituals that nourish your body and spirit. ✨

Sending love & light!

Giuliana

Rituals to me are not about perfection or performance—they are sacred pauses where the body remembers, the heart speaks, and the soul is invited back into presence and magic.