Weekend self-care is about taking a little time to explore the ways that we can take better care of ourselves. Because I practice Witchy Wellness, weekend self-care can be a little mystical and magical. But we also keep it grounded with real, whole food recipes — because cooking is one of my favorite forms of self-care.

This weekend, the self-care practice that we’re exploring is tapping. Tapping or Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) works with the meridian points of the body (like in acupressure or acupuncture). It combines tapping on a specific set of points with your index and middle fingers while saying statements out loud for the purpose of releasing blocked emotions and moving energy in the body.

What you say will be a combination of what you want to unblock or release, how it makes you feel, and why you’re having issues with it, while consistently coming back to a mantra like: “But I deeply love, forgive and accept myself.” Here’s a how-to video.

Gala Darling has a great collection of tapping videos for specific issues paired with tarot readings.

What I love about tapping is it’s versatile, quick, and totally free to do. YouTube is an excellent resource to get you started. Once you’ve got the hang of it, pick an issue or block that’s coming up for you, set a timer for 5 minutes and give it a try. Doing it in the mirror can be great or just do it from your couch, whatever works for you.

And yes, it can feel weird and silly and awkward when you first start doing it (which is why videos are helpful), but it can really help!

I’ve tapped on everything from family issues, to feeling frustrated, to procrastinating, to not being able to feel proud of my work. In my experience it feels like a subtle unblocking of stagnant energy. Sometimes you’ll cry, yawn a lot, or feel gassy — these are all normal (and temporary). Just remember to hydrate before and after.

On Tuesday we had a Supermoon in Virgo. This Full Moon is a great one for releasing what’s coming up for you around perfectionism and preventing you from showing up as yourself. Use this high energy time to fine tune your self-care for what actually works for your individual body and spirit.

Try using tapping to release something that’s not serving you or unblock something that’s keeping you feeling stuck.

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Cauliflower Leek Soup

Making soup is one of the best winter self-care practices as far as I'm concerned. It's simple to make (and hard to screw up), you can pack it out with vegetables and plant-based protein (like white beans) and mix up the toppings to keep it fresh. Make yourself a big batch on the weekend and get a few easy meals out of it during the upcoming week. 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil avocado oil or grass-fed butter
• 1 large leek trimmed and cleaned, and thinly sliced
• 1 bulb of fennel roughly chopped
• 1 medium head of cauliflower roughly chopped into bite-sized florets
• 1 14 ounce can of white beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Toppings (optional)

• Cooked farro
• Sauteed greens
• Sauteed fennel
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Parsley roughly chopped
• Chives roughly chopped

Instructions

1. n a large pot, heat oil or butter over a medium heat. Once heated, add sliced leek and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the leek is softened.
2. Add chopped fennel and cauliflower to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add white beans and broth, cover the pot, and bring everything to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook covered at a simmer for another 15-20 minutes until cauliflower is completely tender and easily pierced with a fork.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in lemon juice. Puree using an immersion blender or a standing blender in batches until smooth. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt as needed.
4. Serve hot with desired toppings.