When the World Feels Unfamiliar, Lean Into What You Already Know
A love note from Nilea Alexander, owner of the Rue Dix dynasty
The world does not feel recognizable in the same way it once did for many.
Whether it is the weather, the pace of daily life, or the general feeling of the moment, unfamiliar conditions tend to draw the body back toward what it already recognizes, in search of warmth, comfort and steadiness.
In moments like this, focusing on small ways of bringing ease back into the body can be grounding. Familiar forms of comfort help steady us when the world feels unpredictable, reminding us that the remedy is already there.
These are the same kinds of practices our grandparents and ancestors relied on, sometimes prepared differently, sometimes named differently, but rooted in the same simple ingredients and approaches that have held up over time.
They tend to center around a few basics: warmth, breath, water, and the air around us.
Breath
Steam is one of the most immediate ways these elements come together. Steam often benefits from something familiar added to it, like a scent the body recognizes or a balm made from plants that have long been used to support the breath.
For me, that often looks like Vapor Magic, a balm made for Marché by Sandra Edmund of Bree and Melly, an independent, women-led brand. Sandra is from Grenada, often called the Spice Island, a place deeply connected to herbs, roots and plant-based remedies. That relationship to plants and tradition is present in how this balm was created. It was made intentionally, using natural ingredients, with the understanding that breath, warmth and rest are closely connected.
I use it simply. A small amount on the chest or under the nose. Sometimes paired with steam. Sometimes before bed, wrapped up and resting. The point is not the ritual itself, but the way it supports breathing in and out more fully, allowing the body to soften and settle.
It works because it stays close to its purpose. It supports the breath, offers warmth, and does not try to be anything more than that.
Water
Warm water has a way of asking the body to slow down. When paired with salt, it does even more. Muscles soften, the nervous system settles and the weight of the day begins to lift in ways that feel physical rather than abstract.
For soaking, I reach for the Exfoliating Bath Salt made for Marché by Samantha of Ayiiko, a Brooklyn-based, Haitian women-led brand rooted in plant knowledge and ancestral care. The blend brings together natural salts, herbs, rose petals and eucalyptus, ingredients that feel familiar to the body and supportive while soaking.
Used in warm water, the salt helps release tension while the eucalyptus opens the breath and the roses soften the experience. It is the kind of bath that feels supportive rather than indulgent, offering a way to ease tired muscles, rinse off stress and come back into yourself without asking for too much effort.
Like so much of this care, it works because it stays close to warmth, water, plants and time.
Balance
Moisture is another place the body looks for comfort. Cold air, frequent handwashing and constant exposure tend to show up first on the skin, especially on the hands and lips. Reintroducing moisture is often less about treatment and more about restoring balance.
For that, I reach for simple, nourishing products like the Whipped Body Butter, Salvation Hand Balm and Lip Love from Marché. Each one is designed to soften and protect without feeling heavy, helping the skin hold onto moisture and feel more at ease.
Applied slowly, warmth returns to the skin, hands relax, lips soften and the body registers care in a direct, physical way.
Warmth
Warmth from the inside matters just as much as warmth on the skin. When the body has been exposed to cold, stress or constant stimulation, hot liquids do quiet, steady work. Tea moves slowly through the system, bringing heat inward and signaling a different pace.
One blend I return to often is Amour Tea, one of the unique tea blends from Café Rue Dix. Its ingredients draw from Ayurvedic traditions, where spices and herbs are used to support digestion, circulation and internal warmth. Cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, fennel, licorice root, saffron, rose and lemongrass come together in a way that feels balanced rather than overpowering.
Drinking tea can feel like a form of steady support. The warmth settles the body, and taking a few minutes to drink something hot can slow things down enough to feel manageable.
Air
For a long time, cleansing the air was part of everyday life. Our ancestors burned resins, plants and herbs to clear spaces, support rest and create a sense of calm before sleep or gathering. It was a practical response to the environment, a way of shifting the feeling of a room and allowing the body to settle.
Frankincense has been used this way for centuries, valued for its grounding scent and its ability to support the breath. Burned slowly, it releases a warm aroma that helps soften tension and steady the nervous system, especially when the air feels cold or dry. Copal has a similar history, particularly in Mexico, where it has long been burned to cleanse spaces and create clarity. Our copal sticks are made there, and when burned, they offer a lighter, brighter scent that helps the air feel clearer without being overwhelming.
Alongside resins, herbs have also been used to calm the body and prepare it for rest. Dreamland, the herbal cigarettes we carry at Marché from Curandera Remedies, are part of the same lineage. The blend is made from plants traditionally used to support relaxation and ease, offering another way to slow the breath and mark a transition into quieter moments.
Together, these practices work gently on the air and the senses, helping create an atmosphere that feels lighter, calmer and more supportive without requiring much effort.
When things feel unfamiliar, there is comfort in returning to what has always been close at hand. Warmth, breath, water, herbs and scent have long offered ways to steady the body and soften the edges of the day. In a moment when so much feels uncertain and out of our control, these small, familiar practices offer practical ways to care for ourselves and move through the world with a little more ease.
Stay cozy friends ❤️
Nilea Alexander is the owner of Rue Dix Brooklyn, a Senegalese-rooted lifestyle space in Crown Heights where food, beauty, fashion, and culture come together. Through Café Rue Dix and Marché Rue Dix, she creates experiences shaped by Brooklyn energy and a commitment to community, craft, and everyday life. She writes about continuity, wellness, and familiar forms of care on her Substack and through the work at Rue Dix.
Visit the café, shop, and salon spaces online at ruedixbrooklyn.com.
📍1451-55 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn NY 11216