Including Ritual in your Routines
Do you have a morning routine or ritual…do you have both…have you ever thought of the difference?
Ritual or Routine:
The difference between Routine and Ritual is the awareness you have before you take an action. While routines can be actions that occur each morning—such as having tea or coffee, taking a shower, or walking the dog—rituals are viewed as a specific practice which include a sense of mindfulness and a time for purposeful connection to your quiet Self or inner voice.
Rituals do not have to be spiritual or religious. What matters is your personal experience. With rituals, you are fully engaged with focus on the experience of the task, rather than its mere completion.
You can even apply awareness, and mindfulness, to already present daily routines as a way to create rituals for yourself.
Showering is an opportunity to become mindful of your body. Focus on the sensation of the water on your skin, the release of sleepiness, and waking the flow of your thoughts.
Standing quietly for a moment as you make coffee or tea can be a perfect space to breathe with intention and connect yourself to the moment you are in.
Even moving around the house in the morning can be used as a way to become more aware of your body movements and sensations in your muscles and joints.
One of my favorite morning rituals is purposeful silence, just providing opportunity for stillness in my body and mind. It is one the cornerstones of my day, my spiritual practice, and a route of connecting with my inner voice and greater awareness.
This looks like giving myself a few minutes each morning before rising from bed to be awake and quiet. - Not checking my phone, not planning my day in my head, not anticipating what needs to happen when my feet hit the floor - Just a few quiet minutes to notice my breathing, feel the warmth of my bed, have a few specific thoughts of gratitude and blessing for the day ahead.
Purposeful, aware, connection to myself and the beginning of a new day before hopping out of bed and into the world.
Whatever your ritual, applying awareness and mindfulness is an incredible tool to include in your day to become a part of life instead of feeling like life is happening to you.
Instead of looking at life as a series of things that need to be done <— Get Creative —> How you could incorporate Ritual into parts of your Routine.