Human beings have engaged with ritual and ceremony for millennia. Throughout history, rituals have extended through religious and cultural traditions, recreation and even for performance goals (lucky pair of socks, anyone?). What if I were to tell you that to bring a sense of ritual into your everyday life, you could transform your day from a Stressful Sizzler to a Centred Celebration?
Taking inspiration from the yogic principles of meditation and movement from India, the art of de-cluttering or “Kon Man” from Japan or the pause and give gratitude (with coffee and a pastry) ritual of fika from Sweden, you can find moments of joy and balance in each day.
What makes a ritual?
According to the Collins Dictionary, a ritual is “a religious service or other ceremony which involves a series of actions performed in a fixed order.” In the context of wellness and self-care, a ritual relates to a series of actions performed mindfully and intentionally that is individual to you. Think routine, but something that you do with presence, care and love.
Cultivating your own ritual
Creating a ritual is a choose-your-own adventure type of activity — one that is built around your needs and practices to feel your best. Whether you need a morning ritual to wake up and become centred, an evening ritual to unwind and cultivate a sense of calm as you head into Dream Land or a combination of both with a sprinkle of midday tranquillity, the choice is yours.
If you’re unsure about where to start with cultivating your own daily ritual, here is a simple morning example that I live by: Before opening my eyes, I bring my awareness back into the world with breath. Inhaling to a count of four, exhaling to a count of eight, repeated four times. Next, I jump onto my yoga mat for a 10- to 40-minute flow to move my body. Then, I meditate for 10-20 minutes. This is the time where I set my intention for the day Finally, I drink hot water with lemon to wake up my digestion and hydrate. I do this while doing reflective journaling.
As you’ll notice, the timing of these elements is flexible. There’s no denying that sometimes we might need extra sleep, have to start work early or just need to fit something else into our day. It’s not about holding yourself to strict rules so if you need to make space for other feats then please do so. Just don’t forget to make time for you too.
An everyday ritual is an outward action to create an inner connection. It ensures that when you want to connect and nourish those in your world, you are connected and nourished with your inner one first.
Create your own wellness ritual in three easy steps:
- Reflect on the actions, sights, sounds and smells that make you feel at “home”. Do you need that extra five minutes of snooze before you wake up? Need to stretch before you go about the rest of your day? Love a hot bath at night? These are the starting points in discovering what the elements or building blocks of your ritual will be.
- Consider the timeline of these actions. How long will they take? Where can you build them into your day? Will you need to wake up earlier? Turn down the lights before 10pm? Have your lunch outside where you can find a quiet moment?
- Commit to your ritual. This practice is a time to honour you and your needs. Treat this as sacred time, filling your cup with self-love and nourishing your being.
Want to learn more about being nourished? Visit our nourished archive page.
Hannah Sainty is a creative entrepreneur, freelance writer and intermedia artist. Drawing inspiration from nature and our intrinsic connectedness within it, Hannah explores the link between wellness and creativity.
