Once a month, I sit down with a piece of paper, write down everything I'm ready to release, and set it on fire. I also write down (often with channelled reframes) what people around the world ask me to release on their behalf. This is all done on Instagram Live and retreats around the world.
It's not dramatic (okay, it's a little dramatic). But it works — not because fire has magical properties, but because the act of naming what you're carrying and choosing to let it go is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself.
I wrote a whole book about this. Burn Your Sh*t became a national bestseller because it turns out a lot of people are walking around holding onto things that no longer serve them and just need permission — and a match — to let them go.
Why Burning Works
Writing something down makes it real. Burning it makes it final. There's a physicality to fire rituals that journaling or meditation alone can't replicate. You watch the paper curl and disappear, and something in your nervous system registers: that chapter is closed.
It's not about pretending the hard thing didn't happen. It's about deciding it doesn't get to drive anymore.
How to Do Your Own Burn Ritual
Set the scene. You don't need an altar or a full moon (though both are nice). You need a fireproof container — a fireplace, a firepit, a metal bowl on your patio — and a few quiet minutes.
Write it down. What are you ready to release? Resentment toward someone? A belief about yourself that's past its expiration date? A habit? A fear? Be specific. "I release my need to control every outcome" hits harder than "I release negativity."
Read it aloud if you want. There's power in hearing yourself say it.
Burn it. Watch it go. Breathe.
Fill the space. Letting go creates a vacuum. Follow up by writing down what you're inviting in. Don't burn this one — keep it where you'll see it.
When to Burn
I do a monthly Burn Your Sh*t on Instagram Live that you’re always invited to. But honestly? Any time you feel heavy, stuck, or like you're white-knuckling something that needs to go, grab a pen and a match.
A Word of Caution
This isn't a substitute for therapy, and fire isn't a shortcut through grief. If the thing you're carrying is big — trauma, loss, a pattern you can't break alone — honour that by getting support alongside the ritual. Burning works best as one tool in a bigger toolkit, not as a bypass around the hard work.
Want to go deeper? Burn Your Sh*t has rituals, tarot spreads, and prompts for every situation.