Kaily Burton is a valued member of her Laguna Beach community. As a professional wellness practitioner, Kaily’s passion for wellbeing and spiritual healing has been both a tool and a language for those around her.

She told us how her love for nature & well-being, and subsequent integration into her work, was shaped by growing up the Evergreen State. As a child her days were spent climbing trees, finding new streams to frolic in, and enjoying long summer days at the beach. She was attuned to the beauty of the natural world, and inspired by how the seasons often imitated the seasons we experience as individuals.

Through her meditative work, she helps others grow sustainable practices to clear their auras and help them find inner stability in their journey. We asked what self-care means to her, and wanted to share in the hopes you may take some inspiration for your routine too.

Without further ado, Kaily Burton.

Using self-care as a ritual to bring joy, grounding and nourishment rather than as a chore.

I used to think self-care meant fitting in every single element that our modern wellness society deemed as essential to being “healthy.” Rising with the sun sans alarm, being sure to not even touch my phone let alone look at it (blue light first thing in the morning! What hearsay), oil pull, tongue scraper, 32 oz. of lemon water followed by at least 16 sticks of celery juice, then for 20 minutes (at least!) of meditation, 30 of exercise and only after these accomplishments did I feel like I had “cared” for myself. Check, check, check all the boxes of self care, I had “arrived.”

Today, my self-care practices are intentional and intuitive. Many of them are pillars that I crave (I can’t NOT tongue scrape every morning), but the majority of them now rest as part of my self care toolkit. I honor them through a less rigid and ritualized approach, knowing that a part of the self-care ritual itself is the reverence I have for it and in the methodically, attuned approach.

Because many self-care rituals are created to take care of my physical vessel, they also happen to take place in the bathroom (dry brushing, gua-sha/facial massage, oil pulling, etc.) I’ve realized how important it is for me to curate my bathroom environment in a way that makes me feel calm, peaceful and present.

Ensuring each piece of my bathroom creates harmony starts, for me, with bright light and intentional decor. I know many get scared away by white and light colors in high traffic areas but I love whites for bathroom accents such as bath rugs (Ivory Bath Mat) and towels (Cloud Loom Bath Towel) – it makes me feel like I’m at a spa.

Non-toxic bath care products are also a must for me. This applies to taking care of myself and those that come into my home- meaning I always opt for low-no toxic, natural hand soap, in a glass container (even our skin can absorb the micro plastics emitted from the plastic soap container. Since I do consider all parts of my home that are visible to be apart of the decor I even need my soap dispenser to be aesthetically appealing and cohesive, right now I’m loving Calendula Hand Wash.

Hands down my favorite bathroom self-care ritual will always be a soak in my bathtub. I feel so grateful to indulge in the act of a bath where time fades away, any tension from the day subsides and I get to experience all the healing benefits of water. Like all my other self-care practices, I lean into the ritualization of preparing the bath and invigorating as many senses as possible.

The Bathtub truly transcends me to other realms at times and I like to honor the experience by lighting my most special candles. Right now, I am loving simple beeswax taper candles (non-toxic AND are said to aid in actually cleaning the air — win win!).I use candles from my local refill shop in Laguna Beach ( shout out Ritual Refill!) and have fun adorning them will different handle holders or special candelabras like Eliana Iron Candelabra.

Just because I’m using fragrance free candles doesn’t mean I forgo ensuring I have a scented experience. I love burning incense and typically lean into grounding, natural and clearing scents like palo santo, sandalwood, sage or cedar (Gray haven Incense/ Makko Incense oud, & utilizing my Wabi Sabi Incense Bowl)

As the bath runs, I like to add epsom salt, magnesium flakes and any even dried flowers to really amplify the ambience. The epsom salt helps to relax muscles, cleanse and aids in absorption of the magnesium. Adding magnesium topically (through a spray or bathing in it) is absorbed at a much higher rate than when taken orally and magnesium is highly beneficial on many levels including skin hydration, sleep, removes toxins at a cellular level, improves circulation and much more.

And of course the pinnacle of the experience is enjoying the ambiance and healing altar I have just created and just being. For me, its imperative I have a solid playlist to help set the mood and allow me to drop into the full experience. I nearly always opt for healing, meditation, or other calming music. My go to for this is my Relaxation Hymns playlist or simply searching for  Binaural Beats (alpha and theta state entrancing music) on Spotify.

I hope this finds you and can bless you in some way!

All my love, Kaily xx

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