How to Create a Ritual in Everyday
Have a routine part of your day that if you skip will throw off your balance? Do you have moments where the mundane seems just a little more magical, maybe even spiritual?
What is a ritual? And what makes the jump from an everyday habit to an intentional daily ritual?
My preferred preferred definition, by Dr. Catherine Bell, describes a ritual as a repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning.
Rituals were long considered to be thoughtless actions stripped of context, but Dr. Bell’s insights proved that rituals were more a strategy of how to behave and interact in one’s own world.
Some rituals are obvious, being religious rites, family traditions, or cultural norms we instill in our lives to maintain intentional faith, strength, or comfort. Beyond that - we all have little rituals we are imparting throughout our day, whether we recognize them as rituals or not. These intentional moments of awareness are worth noting for the impact they have on us and our day.
How and why do rituals form?
Rituals are often inspired by our own lived experiences- religious traditions, family customs, or community practices. Our daily rituals are a beautiful patchwork of the influences of those most important or comforting aspects in our lives. It is a sense of security and self perseverance that are inspired by the most profound bits and pieces of our lives thus far. What a beautiful thing.
We are naturally a people of ritual. Rituals can bring comfort, faith, safety, inspiration, and even strength to individuals and communities.
What makes a ritual?
Rituals will vary from person to person- even different people practicing the same ritual- but what are the common elements that create a ritual? A ritual is mindfulness in action, if a ritual is anything it is intentional. This is a moment to bring awareness to yourself and what you’d like this moment to bring.
Intentional Environment: The element to a ritual is creating an intentional environment, a select space or at the very least mindset is the kick off for your body and brain to know a moment of comfort is settling in. This step could be taking grounding breaths, holding your hands together, lighting a candle, or putting on specific music- anything that is an intentional start point for setting the moment and environment for your ritual.
Intentional Structure: Understanding the start and end of your ritual will help to ground the moment and be specific about its intention. It creates set boundaries of a moment of distinction.
Intentional Rhythm: The repetition of a ritual is part of how it gains divinity, the repeated moment of intentional incoming sanctity and connection are powerful grounding points in day, week, month, year, or life.
Intentional Centering or Contemplation: All rituals contain a purpose, be it to bring you closer to a spiritual higher power or even your inner self, a driving purpose for this moment of intention.
What are your personal rituals?
You likely already have rituals in your daily life creating comfort and intention. How do you feel when you skip are particular step in your routine? Do you feel off kilter or a little chaotic the rest of the day? This a sure sign that the habit has become a ritual for your day. As you move through your day, take notes of what habits orient you to the presence in that moment or things throughout your day that help you to connect with something intangible.
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