Hello beautiful souls,
Welcome to a gentle start to the week.
January’s invitation is simple, but not easy: soften.
Soften the body. Soften the pace. Soften the way you speak to yourself.
Not everything needs effort right now. Some things need warmth. (I keep wanting to try harder instead—and I’m practicing this reminder right along with you.)
A gentle practice for today
In the mornings—or sometime this week, maybe right before bed when the house finally quiets—treat your skincare like a pause instead of a task.
Warm a few drops of facial oil or your favorite moisturizer between your palms. Before you apply it, rest your hands over your face for one slow breath. (This is the part I rush, so I’m reminding myself too.) Then move slowly, with light pressure, especially around the jaw, temples, and neck.
No fixing. No improving.
Just letting your skin feel cared for.
Let this be a moment where your body feels held, not managed.
A journaling prompt
Take a few minutes with this question—no need to answer it perfectly:
Where in my life am I being invited to soften instead of push?
Write whatever comes. Even a sentence or a single word is enough.
Small radiant practices for the week
Choose one, or none. Let them be optional.
- Lower your shoulders when you notice they’ve crept up
- Turn one ordinary habit into a slower ritual
- Step outside for a few quiet breaths of cold January air
- Use warmer water and gentler movements
- Go to bed ten minutes earlier without doing “one more thing”
Softening isn’t giving up.
It’s choosing kindness as a starting place, especially on Mondays.
May this week meet you gently.
May you feel a little more at ease in your own body. (Even for a moment.)
With warmth,
Carrie
P.S.
If you feel like it, you can hit reply and tell me one small way you’re softening this week. Even a single word is enough.
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel this month for scent stories, the space between, and my 3-minute glow rituals.
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