By Isabella Vale – Founder of Tarot Masters
I’ve always believed that tarot is a sacred tool, a dance between intuition, energy, and truth. But tarot doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It flows best when our spirit is nourished in other ways too. Over the years, I’ve found myself called to several practices that have become part of my everyday rhythm. They help me stay grounded, open, and connected to the deep inner knowing that makes tarot so magical.
Today, I want to share three of those practices with you. They’ve changed me, softened me, cracked me open, and made me more present. Maybe they’ll do the same for you.
1. Breathwork: The Gateway Back to Myself
I still remember my first real breathwork session. It was under a bamboo dome, barefoot on a mat, surrounded by strangers who would soon become mirrors. The facilitator asked us to breathe deeper than we ever had before, and I did. With every inhale, I felt like I was pulling light into my body. With every exhale, I let go of old stories I didn’t even know I was carrying.
Breathwork, for me, is a form of inner cleansing. It’s the fastest way I know to shift energy. Whether I’m feeling heavy, lost, anxious, or just stuck in my head, I lie down, close my eyes, and begin the rhythm: deep inhale through the belly, chest, and then let it go.
What’s wild is how much can move without a single word. Tears, laughter, tingling, visions and it’s all part of the breath doing its sacred work.
Some days I do short breathwork practices, just ten minutes on my porch while the jungle hums around me. Other days, I go deeper in ceremony. No matter the length, it always brings me back to the truth of this moment.
2. Sound Healing: Letting the Body Receive
We live in a world obsessed with doing. But one of the most powerful things I’ve learned is how to receive.
Sound healing has been one of my greatest teachers in this. When you lie down in a sound bath, surrounded by gongs, crystal bowls, chimes, or even just a voice singing in devotion, something shifts. You don’t have to do anything. Just listen. Just surrender.
Here on Koh Phangan, sound is part of the island’s soul. There’s always a gathering happening, someone playing the hang drum at sunset, or a full moon gong session on the beach. And honestly, I’ve had some of my deepest spiritual downloads lying on a mat in candlelight, bathed in vibrations.
There’s a science to it, too. The frequencies help our nervous system regulate, our brainwaves slow down, and our hearts open. But even without the science, you’ll feel it. Your cells remember the songs of the Earth, and sound helps you hear them again.
3. Mindfulness: My Anchor in the Chaos
I used to think mindfulness was this big, formal thing. Like I had to sit perfectly still, eyes closed, and chant for hours. But really, mindfulness is just being here.
It’s sipping my chai slowly while watching geckos on the wall. It’s noticing the softness of my breath while I’m brushing my hair. It’s catching myself mid-scroll on my phone and choosing instead to step outside and watch the clouds.
Tarot taught me how to ask questions. Mindfulness taught me how to listen for the answers.
Life moves fast. Our minds are noisy. And especially if you’re a sensitive soul like me, it’s easy to get pulled into other people’s energy, ideas, and projections. Mindfulness is how I come back to me. Not the performance of me. Not the version other people want. Just the real, present, barefoot me.
Even five minutes a day can shift your whole frequency. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about noticing when you’ve drifted and gently coming home again.
Closing Thoughts from My Hammock
These practices, breathwork, sound, and mindfulness have become sacred pillars in my life. They’re not trends or things I do to be “spiritual.” They’re ways I remember who I am. They deepen my tarot practice, not because they make me “better,” but because they make me clearer.
If tarot is the language of my soul, then these practices are how I keep the channel open.
So next time you pull a card and feel stuck or foggy, try taking three deep breaths. Or play a soft bowl tone and feel it in your chest. Or simply ask yourself, “What is true in this moment?”
You don’t need to be in a jungle or a temple or a retreat to practice presence. Just be where you are. And remember, you are always your own best healer.
With love and ocean air,
Isabella Vale