Dee Crowley

Dee Crowley, LCSW

Facebook

Dee Crowley is an Intuitive Holistic Psychotherapist in private practice in the Chicago area, and the founder of Solace, A Gathering Space. She holds the philosophy that events effect our whole being— physical, emotional, cognitive, energetic and spiritual. She earned her Masters Degree in Social Work from Loyola University School of Social Work in Chicago.

What is your bedtime ritual? 

I have a commitment to myself to retire early and honor my own body clock.  I take a nice long hot shower or bath to cleanse my physical body of the days experiences.  My body really loves the heat of the water on my muscles and I intentionally “let go” of the day and breathe out the tension and stress that can just be a natural part of the day.  I then deliberately ask my body to receive the pleasure and relaxation from the hot water as a gift-  Using my breathe to center myself and empty out and receive with the exchange of inhalation and exhalations.  I often do a clearing of the energy centers in my body while in the bath or shower.

I love the natural scents of doTerra oils and because the olfactory nerve connects directly to the brain, the use of specific oils
(lavender, ylang ylang and bergamot a few of my favorites) trigger a relaxation response and promote calm and ease in the system.  I believe that my physical body is the temple of my soul and so it is very important for me to be a good steward of my physical body and treat it with tenderness and care.  After my shower or bath I use oils on my skin- applying oils or lotion to the skin in an act of loving, honoring, respecting and thanking my body for the energy and efforts of the day.

I write a few words in my journal-reflecting on my day.  Honoring the challenges, forgiving myself for my mis-steps and listing the gratitudes and blessings that were gifts from the day.  I often receive a gift of inspiration or insight during this writing time-so I jot that down too as a beacon for the future.

After I turn off the light and retire in my very comfy bed (my sheets, blankets and pillows are fit for a queen)  I say a prayer, a blessing
for myself to be guided physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually in service of love and light, I ask for guidance and support
on matters of my heart and I bless those who are walking this humanjourney with me-inclusive of family members and strangers in far away places and all those in between.

If you have had a particularly challenging day and your normal bedtime routine isn’t enough for you to fall asleep, what do you try next?

Yoga Nidra is my go to if I am having any difficulty falling into sleep.  I am particularly drawn to IRest Yoga Nidra developed by Richard
Miller.

What purchase of $100 or less has improved your sleep the most?

doTerra Essential oils !!!  By the bottle less than $100….  as a collection/obsession…priceless!!!!