How to Ritualize Your Regular Routine
If you think that in order to create a ritual in your life you must burn sage and invoke specific deities with special mantras, think again. The act of ritual is simply bringing awareness to whatever you’re doing so that it elevates the activity and raises your consciousness.
It’s this notion of mind-opening elevation that must be incorporated into the act, which means that when you become a slave to a habit, like smoking cigarettes, it can’t be considered a ritual. A ritual is fueled by love and it fills us with meaning.
You may already be engaging in ritual each day, yet you’ve never referred to it as such. Or if you are looking to add more ritual into your life, then starting with what you’re already doing is the easiest way to begin.
As most of us have filled our days with many routines, I’m going to share how you can ritualize these activities so you add more fulfillment to your life.
1. Slow Down: Move Slower Than You Think
We often rush through our routines because we’re busy, but fueling our activities with this type of haphazard behavior means we’re not really engaged with what we’re doing. Instead, we’re trying to get to the end so we can rush on to the next activity. A beautiful ritual that occurs in many households is putting the children to bed. Try to take this moment in, and make it last as long as possible. Then think about how you feel while you’re doing this, and bring it with you when you wash your face before turning in. Let your fingers slowly soak in the soap and absorb the cleansing that’s taking place. A nighttime routine is ripe for ritual as it’s a nice way to remember all the good in your day.
2. Add Intention
Next you’ll want to think about why you’re going through the routine, and set intention to achieve the benefits the activity gives you. Yoga is a wonderful activity to steep in ritual. If you do yoga at home, then you could have a special area in your house that is reserved for your mat. Set the intention that the time and space will be for your practice so you can concentrate fully, and add meaning to your movement.
3. Allow White Space to Simply Be
Part of the beauty with ritual is that there is a sacredness to the activity. By making space to raise your consciousness, you open yourself up to receive. In order to facilitate your mind and body’s ability to receive, you’ll want to allow yourself to fully be in your routine. Mind present. Body calm. Feel the space you’ve created, and stay open to what arises.
After a ritual, you will feel more alive. And if you ritualize a group activity, like eating a meal, then you’ll feel more connected. When we ritualize our routines, we add more meaning into what we do which ultimately brings more fulfillment into our lives.
What kinds of rituals do you do? —Elysha