Start the Year with a Cleansing Ritual

As 2017 comes to a close, you may be writing and sharing resolutions for 2018 or imagining what’s in store for the new year. This passing of time may give you pause to reflect and look forward to letting go of some things and creating space for others.

The coming of the new year also brings the opportunity to renew your commitment to your health, and we would want nothing more than for you to turn to Pulling Down the Moon for support.



It’s no secret that keeping resolutions can be difficult. Instead, a cleansing ritual can be the perfect way to commit to your health without the pressure and stress of maintaining a resolution. Some cleansing rituals may involve quiet reflection or meditation, conscious breathing, gratitude, writing, burning sage or reciting health-focused mantras or affirmations. Another ritual could be receiving a massage like the Cleanse the Body or Detox session at Pulling Down the Moon.

This amazing massage triggers your body’s detoxification response through the use of therapeutic-grade essential oils and light-touch lymphatic massage. It is safe for anyone who is currently not in an ART medicated cycle and provides an array of benefits. The session can help to bring the body back into hormonal balance, reduce stress and anxiety, aid the body in detoxing, improve immune function and increase feelings of emotional well-being. Clients who receive this massage often comment on how relaxed and lifted they feel after it is over.

Turn this massage into a cleansing ritual by taking some easy steps. In the days before the massage session, carve out some time to focus on your health. Perhaps spend some time in meditation, yoga or actively breathing. Next, write down anything that came up for you as you were quietly focused. Maybe it’s a goal of letting go, starting new or inviting in. Maybe a vision came to mind or a prayer, mantra or intention. Then say thank you. Gratitude will shift your perspective from what is lacking to the abundance that exists.

When you come to Pulling Down the Moon to receive your Cleanse the Body session, do so with an open heart. Be willing to let go of what is not serving your optimum health. Visualize the joy of starting something new. Imagine your body releasing toxicity, rebalancing hormonally and refreshing emotionally.

After your massage session, be gentle with yourself. Nourish your body by drinking plenty of clean, fresh water and eating food that supports your system. Rest and relax. Offer yourself gratitude. And revel in the beauty of starting a healthful new year!

Cathy McCauley, LMT, practices the Fertility Enhancing Massage protocol as well as prenatal, postpartum and therapeutic massage at Pulling Down the Moon. She started her work as a fertility massage therapist in 2011 and soon found her passion for rubbing bellies! Having dealt with a PCOS diagnosis and receiving holistic treatments to manage it, she supports and encourages clients struggling with reproductive health issues while providing them with specialized massages for wherever they were on their journey.

After taking some time away in 2014, Cathy recently returned to the Moon with a renewed spirit and connection to fertility massage. Her love for the work is rooted in her trust in the feminine spirit that ties us all together. She deeply believes in Pulling Down the Moon’s mission of providing holistic care for fertility, pregnancy and family health, and she has immense gratitude for the company, its owners, directors, practitioners and staff.