Burning Bright with Kelsey Patel

During this incredibly transformative and challenging time, I could not be more humbled and honored to publish my first book, Burning Bright. I wrote this book for people experiencing burnout, anxiety, and pain, to help them reconnect to their innate ability to experience peace, joy, and brightness on even the darkest day. I never imagined that the book would come out at such a potent time when we, as a human race, are all going through some form of sadness, isolation, burnout, and fear. Every single tool, ritual, and teaching is intended to help those suffering to heal, to rekindle their trust, and to awaken their inner flame. My hope and intention is that the time each of us can spend at home going a little deeper within ourselves, aided by tools like this practice from the book, will make our entire world burn a little brighter than before.

MORNING RITUAL

As I shared before, I never get out of bed, no matter how early I have to wake up or how late I might be for a meeting, without setting an intention or a prayer for myself for the day.

When you clear your mind at the dawn of the day and set an intention for how you want the day to go, it helps to shift and clear any negative or cluttered morning vibes.

Begin your day with a calm center and you can carry that calm throughout your day. Morning rituals can transition you from sleep to an expectant positive energy that prepares your body and mind for all the things you do. Here are some things to include in your morning ritual. Try some or all of these tomorrow morning:

• As soon as you wake up, even before you sit up, place your hands on your heart and take a few deep breaths.
• Keeping your hands over your heart, think of three things you are grateful for (no matter what you are feeling when you wake up).
• With your hands still on your heart, begin feeling your heartbeat and the breath flowing through your body. See yourself receiving love, health, and abundance throughout the day.
• Scan your body, starting at your toes and noticing how each part of you feels. Do you detect tightness, pain, tension, ease, relaxation, good feelings anywhere? Move from your feet up your legs, hips, stomach, chest, shoulders, arms, hands, neck, head. Whenever you sense pain or tension, imagine filling up that part of you with the energy of healing and love.
• When you feel relaxed, sit up in your bed slowly, and place your hands on your legs or in a prayer position in front of your heart.
• Begin to visualize how you’d like to see yourself throughout the day.
• Ask for guidance, support, and anything else you feel you are open to receiving. I like to end by using the prayer from A Course in Miracles: What would You have me do? Where would You have me go? What would You have me say, and to whom? (In chapter 6, I mention this prayer.) You can use this or any other prayer that helps you set out with a feeling of purposefulness and direction.

Excerpt from BURNING BRIGHT: Rituals, Reiki, and Self-Care to Heal Burnout, Anxiety, and Stress. Copyright © 2020 by Kelsey J. Patel. Published by Harmony Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.Kelsey Patel is one of LA's leading wellness and reiki experts, and an expert in burnout. A spiritual coach, Reiki master, and wellness expert, Kelsey has helped thousands struggling with burnout and anxiety. Her teachings and practices, along with private client work to some of Hollywood's biggest names, have been highlighted in various publications such as The New York Times, Reader's Digest, US Weekly, SELF Magazine, Bustle, Well + Good, Marie Claire, GOOP, the Chalkboard Magazine, and more. Her public workshops, corporate seminars, and private coaching are all aimed at helping people bring joy, balance, fulfillment, and purpose to their daily lives and work. She is the owner of the Magik Vibes product line, and host of the podcast of the same name. She is also the co-host of the podcast, Breakup With Your Bullshit, alongside Ryan Weiss.