4 Simple Daily Rituals that Nourish You

Do you have rituals that you enjoy in your life?  What do you honor and celebrate with intention?  Of course, you probably honor birthdays during the year and special events such as a graduation or an anniversary.

You may even have a smaller ritual that you include in your week or day. Lighting a candle at dinner time. Saying a prayer with your child before bed.

Rituals make sacred a special moment in our lives. We take time out of our daily rhythm to celebrate and honor this moment in a meaningful way.

A Daily Rhythm
Of course, all of us have some type of rhythm in our days that helps to provide a framework for our time and energy throughout a day. This gives us strength and even nourishment as we relax into the repetitive nature of doing these actions every day again and again.After we wake up in the morning, we typically shower, get dressed, brush our teeth and do other things that prepare us for the day. During the day, we have specific times where we pause from the day to eat meals and maybe even share them with family or friends. We wash our face, brush our teeth, and prepare for bed.
Creating Rituals
Within your daily rhythm, you can also take time to create rituals that imbue meaning and sacredness into a moment of your life – big or small. It’s quite easy to do!Maybe you’re starting an adventure such as a new job or moving to a new house, or even embarking on a new year. Or possibly there’s something coming to completion such as a graduation, a school year, or the end of the first year of a new business. All of these are wonderful times to celebrate in a way that honors that moment.  A special verse or poem can be read. A blessing spoken or a song sung.  What’s needed in the moment will come to you, helping you to create a clear intention with a celebration that’s perfect for this time.

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Ritual in our Daily Lives
Creating rituals can also be a part of our daily rhythms.  When you do this, your days are sprinkled with moments that are infused with gratitude and awe. As you engage in them with intention and care, your energy shifts in a positive way for that moment and even for the rest of your day – bringing more joy and love into your life and to any others who participate with you.Here are 4 simple ways you can bring ritual into your daily life.
1. Set an intention for the day.  As you wake up and enter into your day, take a moment to pause and set an intention that has meaning and purpose.  A good question to ask yourself is “What will I create today?”
Then at the end of the day, pause and ask yourself, “What did I create today?”
2. Express your gratitude.  At the end of the day, before you go to sleep, take a moment to bring awareness to at least 3 different things for which you’re grateful. Challenge yourself to not repeat anything you’ve said in the past.  Choose something new.  Spend a few minutes and bring to mind each one, filling yourself with appreciation as you think of it.

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3. Get out into nature.  Find 10 minutes in each day where you can be outside in nature.  A walk or run is great, but if that’s not easily done, then you might sit under a tree on the ground or take off your shoes and put your bare feet in the grass. As you do so, slow down your breath and breathe in deeply.  Feel gratitude for all that Mother Earth does to support you. Let your worries and thoughts from the day drift away as you experience the beauty and nurturing of nature.
4. Eat mindfully.  Before eating a bite of food, take a moment to appreciate the food that you have today and how it nourishes your body.  How Mother Nature provides the nutrients that your body needs to survive and to thrive in the world.  Appreciate the glass of fresh water you have to quench your thirst and keep your body healthy.  With this mood of gratefulness, care, and attention, enjoy your meal!

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These are 4 simple ways to bring sacredness and meaning into your daily life through ritual, without a lot of planning or preparation.  It just requires your intention and attention to honor and celebrate that moment in time in your day – a new day that has been given to you today.

Want a deeper dive? Check out the many resources available to support you in your spiritual practice in my Free Healing Library here