These were her rituals, the routines that made her feel alive and connected. Without them, where would she be? Lost.” ~ Ben Sherwood
Rituals are key to a mindful life, as they are a powerful way to ground and calm yourself while connecting you with the present moment. Aristotle famously said, “We are what we repeatedly do.” So if we contemplate these well-known words in the context of rituals, then every opportunity to practise a mindful ritual is an invitation into presence and an opportunity to nourish ourselves on all levels.
A ritual is a series of actions that you perform mindfully and intentionally, and that is individual to you. It is a routine that you undertake with presence, care and love. An everyday ritual is an external action that helps you to create an internal connection. It ensures that when you connect with and nourish your loved ones, you are connected with and have nourished yourself first; a powerful form of self-care.
If mindfulness is a tool we can embody in day-to-day activities, then your kitchen is a lovely environment to put the wisdom of presence into practice. Over these past few years, I have been exploring how the daily ritual of preparing and drinking coffee can act as a daily mindfulness practice to cultivate joy, presence and calm.
Many cultures around the world celebrate the importance of daily wellbeing practices and rituals that centre around food and beverages. Those living in Nordic countries, for example, carve out time in the mornings and afternoons to enjoy a cup of coffee with presence. This sacred and mindful ritual intrinsic to Scandinavian culture is called fika.
Fika allows you to cherish the experience of drinking coffee in its entirety. It is seen as an opportunity to slow down, be mindful and savour an everyday ritual. While often enjoyed with others inside homes, at workplaces and in nature, fika can also be practised on your own. All you need is time; space to simply just be for a moment and enjoy your cuppa.
When actioned with presence, rituals become self-care practices that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary events. Rituals are a profound way to cultivate meaning, wonder, awe and appreciation for the simple things in life. The concept of mindful rituals, and how they can enhance your wellbeing, is explored in Being’s Mindfulness Workbook.
