Developing Daily Rituals
What is a ritual, and how would I start one in my daily life?
I get asked this a lot, and while folks often envision some huge ceremony filled with smoke and sacrifice… little rituals can be easily found in our daily lives.
A ritual might be likened to a routine, however rituals offer us something different than a daily routine…
A ritual invites something deeper and more sacred into the small moments of our lives. They offers us connection - to who we are, our values, our joys, and they shift how we experience our the present moment. They shift the mundane, into something special.
We are spiritual beings; research shows we long for connection and seek purpose. Rituals also offer us support - structure. Research shows how rituals can help reduce anxiety and improve focus. Rituals are powerful! No wonder we see evidence of them being used around the world, for thousands of years… because they provide a foundation - connection to ourselves, to our community, and to the greater world.
A ritual doesn’t have to be something grandiose either - I have found that no matter the “task”, it can likely become a ritual… as long as we bring a few key elements, like presence - a key ingredient for ritualistic living… we can shift any task into a sacred moment.
So, how do I know if something is or can be a ritual? As Casper ter Kuile writes in his book, ‘The Power of Ritual’ a ritual requires 3 important things: intention, attention, and repetition. Whether we realize it or not, we usually already have little rituals woven into our daily lives. It’s just a matter of identifying them and deepening our relationship to them. It’s about cultivating our awareness around them and bringing consistent soulful devotion to them.
So, how do I find a ritual? It can be any small daily act - making coffee, applying an essential oil before bed, gardening, drawing tarot, bathing, witnessing our own breath upon waking - all of these can become a ritual. It becomes a ritual when you root it in purpose and return to it with your loving awareness.
Rituals invite us to slow down and remember the sacredness of what it means to alive - in this human body - on this beautiful Earth. They bridge the spiritual and the secular; they shift how we interact and experience what we’re doing. When we welcome the practice of ritual into our daily lives, we bring a deeper sense of connection and purpose into how we live.
How to Start Daily Rituals:
FIRST - Find a ritual. Start by working with something you’re already doing daily - a walk, devotional, working out, cooking dinner, journaling, showering… then start to notice why you’re doing this act. Can you bring more intention, joy, compassion, or focus into this activity?
SECOND - Witness it. Remember a ritual doesn’t have to be some grand act; we can turn any task into a heartfelt and soulful interaction with our awareness. Tucking your children into bed can become a deeply profound ritual… Remember - it’s about how we approach, interact, and experience the task that makes it a ritual.
THIRD - Repeat it. This is so important. Repetition is key here: “Rituals are different than habits. Repetition without intention and attention is a habit.” - K.E. Even if you’re just making coffee, see if you can wake up & make coffee at the same time every morning. When we bring repetition into the mix, we witness the beautiful subtleties of life more.
What a daily ritual could look like:
Upon waking - notice your body breathing, sense the sacredness of your breath
Snuggle with your puppy before bedtime.
Plug in an afternoon walk, tea break, or breathing practice
Set a timer and journal; reflect on your day, goals, desires
Shower time! Listen to a favorite song and treat it a mantra for your life
Have a weekly dinner with friends, church group, or family member
Welcome a burn ritual during yoga, meditation, journaling, reading
Struggling to really connect with a ritual? Make a list of your values and/or goals. Values offer a firm foundation for establishing daily rituals! Whether being a body builder, catholic, or activist… what we value will help guide us where and how we want to weave rituals into our lives.
Another inspiration for finding rituals, is looking to nature. Rituals traditionally mark a shift or transition in life; i.e. the season/year, graduation, marriage, etc. Look to the Celtic ‘Wheel of the year’ holidays, equinoxes, harvests, or even your own religious holidays to establish rituals. There can be soo many ways to collect and cultivate rituals - you only need to seek + find.
Cultivating rituals into our lives is about connecting to the simple, yet reverent, moments that make up our lives here on Earth. They’re a chance to shift how we live and experience each day on this planet, in our body, and bring deeper relationship to ourselves, to our community, and the greater world.
