Rituals as a Starting Point for a Mindful Life
When you hear the word Ritual, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?
Depending on your background, religious affiliation, and exposure to different cultures, this word can mean a lot of things.
Some may think that it’s strictly tied to religious and cultural purposes, often associated with honoring the dead. On the other hand, rituals might be practiced to celebrate huge life-defining events such as birthdays, weddings, and graduations. Others may even think they can’t even bother with the word because it triggers them to automatically associate it with things they don’t want to be a part of—perhaps even from past negative experiences.
Rituals, I would like to propose are valid in our lives no matter what our background; and is something that we can all intentionally engage in as we choose to become more self-aware, and as we see them through the lens of our own choosing.
Lately, I’ve started to ponder about how the rituals in our lives, some even unconscious, are worth acknowledging. Why? It allows us to acknowledge that we are present and aware that time is moving along and we are a part of it. We also need a starting point, and that point is always healthier when it’s well-intentioned.
The Importance of Mindfulness & Consistency
I’ve also thought about healthy rituals and how they involve mindfulness and consistency, whether it’s to remind me of gratitude, to help me engage in better habits, or most importantly, on a level of self-care.
Rituals involves mindfulness, and consistency. The good news is many people probably already have daily rituals implemented in their lives without knowing it.
For example, if you stop to think about what your pattern of behavior is once your alarm clock goes off in the morning, does that tell you anything about your unconscious ritual in the morning?
Rituals also don’t have to be grand to be counted as worthy.
Here are some examples that come to mind:
Drinking a glass of water when waking up in the morning.
Choosing to do one specific thing for yourself every week, on the same day. For example, going to the flower shop and picking up flowers of your choosing.
Sitting in silence in meditation or prayer once a day to gather your thoughts and be aware of your breath.
Going to the grocery store once a week and enjoying the process of buying food instead of seeing it as a burden.
After a while, you may even realize that these small things that were counted as your “rituals” slowly become a healthy new habit!
How exciting is it to come up with another new ritual to bring to life?
Where to Start
If you would like to start a new ritual in your life but don’t know where to start, here are some questions you might ask yourself:
What is something that will bring me joy and that I can enjoy once a week within my financial budget?
What is an area of my life I would like to be better at so that things become easier in the long run?
What is something that is not working for me currently that I can replace with a healthy ritual?
What do I really enjoy doing and wish I had never stopped but put it aside for years?
Rituals, when used for good, really are quite wonderful.
They require us as human beings to be mindful, intentional, consistent, and purposeful, and they require dedication. Interestingly, these are also powerful elements exercised in healthy, powerful human relationships.
What better way than to begin to restore a healthier relationship with yourself than by practicing a new ritual in your life?
About The Author
Christina Chung is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT 124782) supervised by Jeremy Mast, MS, MDIV, LMFT (CA90961) at the Center for Integrative Change. She has always had a heart to see people healed and walking in their best self, long before she became a therapist, and has a passion for seeing women healed and restored. When Christina is not working, she loves sports, a great cup of coffee, and traveling the world where all her friends can be found.
