Healthy Rituals

Our current understanding of rituals, their place and / or their usefulness is mistaken. We see a ritual as either a part of a religious ceremony or a part of ancient history. Not so. Rituals serve a purpose. Granted, the purpose does depend on who is using them. After all, anything – rituals included – can be used to benefit or intimidate and exploit. For the sake of this post, let’s leave power struggles out and examine purposes of any ritual. The main ones are to honor, affirm and remind.

Do we partake in rituals, today? Of course! Most major life events are marked by rituals: a marriage, baptism, funeral, special occasions, holidays, etc. Can rituals be used outside of ceremonies and special occasions? Yes! Do you know who could benefit from them? YOU!

You have to be reminded of things you are used to ignoring and what better way to do that than with rituals?

How often do you think about being alive?

Meditation focuses the practitioner’s attention on his / her breathing. It allows the practitioner to notice that he / she is alive: there is breath, there is heartbeat, all body’s systems are in motion. It’s also a timeout from a hectic schedule. It slows down the body’s rhythm to a health-promoting speed.

Whole body movements (such as those used in Tai Chi or yoga, for instance) help to remind us that our bodies aren’t a collection of parts but a harmonious whole.

How often do you think about being a part of the Earth?

Earthing / Grounding consisting of (in its most basic form) walking barefoot on the natural surface of the Earth (be it dirt, sand, grass, etc.) is a therapeutic technique for releasing excess positive charge from the human body (we have way too much of this disease-producing charge: from living too well insulated from Nature, from stress and from constant exposure to electromagnetic fields, blue screens, etc.) and balancing the body with the rhythm of Nature.
The direct contact with natural surface of the Earth allows our bodies to take up free electrons from it. These free electrons act like super-antioxidants that neutralize damage caused by free radicals, prevent chronic inflammation and disease.

(If you’re not familiar with grounding and skeptical: try this technique when you are either stressed out or upset. Based on personal experience, just standing barefoot on the Earth’s natural surface to the count of 40 produces immediate relief.)

How often do you think about being a part of a community?

Staying in touch: as much as it is true that many of our interactions take place in the course of our routines, the people we have to deal with all the time may not be the people we like being – or want to be – with. Our most important relationships (with family and friends we don’t bump into very day) have to be kept alive with regular communications. These regular communications, acknowledging and expressing appreciation to those you care about are of utmost importance to the relationships, the people you care about and YOU. The daily grind keeps us busy and tired. Every then and again, we may feel alone because those around us don’t meet our needs. Don’t feel abandoned. Don’t sit and wait for someone to reach out to you. (Everybody – not just you! – gets stuck on autopilot sometimes.) Stay in touch with members of your close circle regularly and they’ll remind you who you are and how important you are to them!

Why would you want to turn the practices mentioned above into daily rituals?

Because life is a gift we don’t take time to appreciate.

Daily rituals will help you remember that you are valuable; that you are a part of Nature and a tribe. Practicing such affirming rituals is empowering, energizing, comforting and motivating. (Not to mention, healthy!)

Daily rituals may just inspire you to reflect on – and perhaps, reevaluate – what’s most important in life; what’s necessary and what isn’t; your definition of happiness….

A ritual doesn’t have to involve a special occasion, live sacrifice or drinking blood! A ritual can also be a form of a deliberately cultivated habit that serves…. YOU! Click To Tweet

The daily rituals I’m suggesting will improve your physical and emotional health. They’ll improve your performance, preserve your sanity and help you appreciate and enjoy life. In short, they’ll make you happier!

YOU are the beginning and the end, the center of the world, life, eternity and so much more. What are you doing to nurture and honor YOU? A good ritual may just be the answer!