You’ve probably heard spiritual gurus and your favourite Instagram Shaman telling you the importance of feeling aligned and raising your vibration… But these feel-good phrases have way more weight than live-love-laugh – they’re evidence-based practices that can lead you to living your best life.

The idea that each of us has some sort of energetic body aside from our physical one exists across almost every culture apart from Western medical practice. Traditional Chinese medicine calls this energy qi; ayurvedic medicine separates energy patterns into three doshas; and the use of vibrational, energetic frequencies of crystals for healing originates from ancient practices across all continents. And while they each use different vocabularies, they’re all talking about very similar things. 

Proponents of humans’ vibrational frequencies suggest that our bodies are made up of molecules, which are vibrating constantly. But things like phones, alcohol, TV (yes, Mum, we get it), as well as stress, lack of boundaries and toxic relationships lower our vibrations – leaving your energetic body out of alignment. Not only does this suck on an emotional level, it’s believed to work in balance with your physical body so you’re likely to pick up bugs, have trouble sleeping, or suffer from skin/hair/stomach problems… And if that wasn’t enough - if you’re into manifesting, a low vibration is sure to attract nothing more than repeated negative patterns (gross). 

On the other side of it, living that high vibe life is said to pretty much solve all your problems. If you’re vibrating on a high enough level – you’re less likely to be affected by any neggy vibes. Toxic people will bounce right off you (KAPOW), you’re more likely to catch that train (and if you don’t, you’re less likely to care), and Mercury Retrograde won’t even TOUCH you (and trust us: with four planets in retrograde this December including Mercury FOR THE FOURTH TIME THIS YEAR, we’ll need all the help we can get).

But don’t fear, because there’s no time like the end of a year to start thinking about how to raise those vibrations for the sparkliest, highest frequency you ever. New Year’s Resolutions – we’ve got you covered.

 

TEN WAYS TO RAISE YOUR VIBRATION

 

1. BAREFOOT BABIES.

When we walk barefoot, the idea is that we harmonise with the vibration of the earth. And the earth is the OG vibration so ‘grounding’ or ‘earthing’ as it’s sometimes called, allows our bodies to tune back in to vibrating the way they should have always been. Barefoot walking has also been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, decrease levels of cortisol (the stressy hormone) and improve sleep. 

 

2. AND BREATHE.

Breathwork – or pranayama (in Sanskrit, prana = life force energy, and yama = control of) - has been proven time and time again to be a gold standard in improving our physical and mental health. And great news – it’s also the key to raising your vibration. One of our fave practices is bhramari pranayama, which translates to ‘bee breath,’ as it mimics the sound of the black Indian bee and will leave you, quite literally, buzzing. To get your bee breath on:

• Sit up straight with your eyes closed and keep a gentle smile on your face (ideally Mona Lisa, not Cheshire Cat)
• Place your index fingers on that flappy cartilage between your cheeks and ears (AKA the tragus for our pierced babes)
• Inhale through your nose, and when you exhale, firmly press the cartilage in and make a loud, high pitched humming sound
• Allow the buzzing to reverberate around your body, and repeat 3-4 times. Buzz Buzz!
  
  If you want to learn more about using breathwork, we seriously recommend the awesome ‘Breath,’ by James Nestor.
  
  

3. ICE, ICE, BABY.

Wim Hof (the world’s actual living superhero: ICE MAN) has spent the past few years showing the world the power of cold-water therapy and through it has demonstrated sub-human abilities from climbing Kilimanjaro wearing nothing more than shorts and hanging on one finger at an altitude of 2,000 metres. That may not be your goal for 2023 BUT you can take advantage of all the benefits of cryotherapy (such as de-stressing, improving mood, boosting your immune system, and of course: raising your vibration) without going above the Arctic Circle. Next time you’re in the shower, switch the temperature to cold and stand underneath for just ten seconds – while breathing deeply through your nose – and you’ll immediately reap the rewards. Brr!

 

4. DON’T GET SQUARE EYES.

In an ideal world we’d all ditch Netflix and Instagram and spend our free time doing nothing but meditating and reading… but that’s unlikely. So instead, address the content you’re consuming. Is it uplifting? Enriching? Does it make you feel good? Make your TV and social media content high vibe through the deepen or widen rule. Does it give you feelings of depth, through making you feel something – i.e. the way you feel when you look at a piece of art or have a vulnerable conversation with your friend. And if not, does it widen and expand your knowledge, giving you breadth of thought and vision? If the answer’s no to both of these, then maybe consider what this show/Instagram account is actually bringing to your life and sack it off. Some of our fave TV and social media content right now:

• @poetryisnotaluxury for daily poems to make you feel all the feelings
• The Mind, Explained on Netflix for some brain expansion
• @the.holistic.psychologist for learning about and healing your behaviour patterns
• The Office – yeah, okay, we know it’s not poetry or psychology BUT sometimes the key to high vibe life is having a laugh – which totally applies to the deepening side of our high vibe content rule (see Point 8 for more info)
  
  

5. OF QUARTZ WE WOULDN’T FORGET THE CRYSTALS.

Crystals have been used across all cultures for thousands of years for their vibrational properties. So in order to allow them to raise your frequency, introduce them into your day-to-day life. Here are some of our top tips for integrating crystals into your day which take no time at all:

• Keep a small hematite in each pocket (you can pick them up from most crystal shops for £1 each) to unlock your root chakra and keep you grounded
• Rose quartz by your bed for healing your heart each night  
• Pop a sodalite under your pillow (or taped to your forehead if you really wanna go for it) for soothing your third eye, aiding intuition, and tapping into the dreamiest night’s sleep ever
• Any purple crystals – like the iconic amethyst – are best placed on your desk as they’ll open up your crown chakra, helping you to tap into your wisdom and higher consciousness (in other words, Monday morning emails will never look so good). You can either place one near your laptop, or even better: try a gorgeous crystal candle off Etsy to fire up those crown chakra vibes all day long. 

 

6. BUST A MOVE.

Unlock your sacral chakra by dancing like no-one’s watching! The sacral chakra is associated with sensuality, creativity and ultimately, anything that brings pleasure. It’s the KEY to raising your vibration and even sits at the top of the Abraham-Hicks emotional vibration scale. And the quickest, easiest way to unlock it? Put on your favourite song and DANCE. Focus especially on moving your hips (we know you know how) because the sacral chakra is just above the pelvis and getting it moving will get it grooving – no cringing allowed, this is for no-one else but YOU. 

 

7. OILS ARE ESSENTIAL.

The practice of aromatherapy has been believed for centuries to improve mood and promote positive energy but some people also suggest that the vibrational frequency of essential oil is the highest of any natural substance. Try introducing specific scents to baths, showers and candles for ultimate uplift - we love the Patisserie Beauty Deep Sleep Shower Steamer or the Patisserie Beauty De-Stress Shower Steamer.

 

8. HAVE A LAUGH.

Laughter therapy has proven that giggling is good for you – and it sits right up high on the Abraham-Hicks emotional vibration scale. Studies have shown that regular laughter releases endorphins (reducing symptoms of depression), gives your immune system a boost, and even helps to dilate blood vessels and increases their flexibility – which reduces the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke. And the best bit is – it doesn’t even have to be genuine. Imitating a chuckle has been shown to have all of the same effects, and almost always leads to actual big belly laughter. We warn you, it will feel odd at first, but keep pushing out the chortles and soon you’ll be roaring.

 

9. TEND TO YOUR CHAKRAS.

One of the quickest ways to raise your vibration is to consciously connect with each of your chakras – and you can do it whenever you want with this 3-min meditation. Close your eyes and visualise liquid sunlight pouring down from above your head; watch as the golden light seeps around the purple space in the crown of your head, filling it with qualities of space and warmth. Then allow the light to travel down past the deep indigo of your third-eye; then to the sky blue of your throat; down through the emerald green of your heart; connecting and brightening the gold of your solar plexus; past the crimson of your solar plexus; and finally soothing and lightening the burnt gold of your root chakra. Take another moment to notice the movement and flow of light around your body and around your chakras – and voila. 

10. SAY THANKS.

Gratitude practice is the ultimate route for moving into a place of abundance and vibrating at your highest frequency. To read more about the benefits of gratitude and how to integrate it into your life, check out our article: The Art of Saying Thank You.

Written by Emma Hodgkinson