Rituals exist in most aspects of our lives, and they are often identified as habits. When we think about habitual behaviours, we may identify them as negative, but not all habits are destructive or unproductive. Rituals serve a purpose, they can help us stay centred and focused on where we are in life, on what we are evolving into, and where we are journeying to.
First lets talk about our “bad habits”, if there is something you consider as a “bad habit”, look into that ritual a little more deeply, and consider what it does for you, what it represents in your life. An example would be that wine you pour while you cook your evening meal, maybe it’s what you do to begin the ritual of cooking, maybe it’s what puts you in the mood to cook. Of-course if you are drinking the whole bottle every evening, you may want to consider why, and maybe ask yourself if you are in control of that habit. Alcohol can indeed become a “bad habit”, if over indulged. Not all “bad habits” are indulging, some are self-care.
Rituals are the actions you take habitually, like your morning coffee, before you embrace your day, when you miss your coffee, you day may seem out of sync somehow. Or like the rituals you have before you go out to socialise, like putting on your favourite song to get you in the mood, or a relaxing shower so you feel fresh to embrace your day or evening. Or the rituals you do to set the mood, and put you in the right frame of mind.
Think about what rituals you have in place in your life, and how important they are for your equilibrium. Think about what happens when you don’t do them. You may have a nightly ritual where you process your day, you write your thoughts down in your journal or have a relaxing bath before bed. And if you don’t do it, you can’t sleep, your ritual is self-care but may feel self-indulgent. You may have a weekend ritual, where you do a particular activity as a celebration at the end your week, or at the beginning of you week, where you may very self-indulgent in prioritising, but when you don’t take time out, you stress. Your ritual is self-care.
You may have a massage ritual, where you indulge in a weekly trip to the salon, you know how you feel after a massage and without it you feel you aren’t quite yourself. Your ritual is self-care.
Your exercise routine, is a ritual, and you know the benefits of exercising, and the energy it creates if you miss your workout, you somehow feel you aren’t quite yourself. It is self-care.
A meditation ritual can centre your being, it can increase your awareness of what is important to you, of what resounds with you, it can increase your sense of self, and connectedness to your environment.
If you feel you are being self-indulgent, think again, the rituals in your life that are self-care are not self-indulgent, think about why you do them and what they do for you. They exist to keep you centred, to keep you focused on the life you are creating, they exist so you remember who you are.
So take a break, have a cup of tea, and join me in the wonderment of why we do what we do, in the wonderment of why we attract what we attract, and be curious, question, and explore where they take you. Are you being self-indulgent, is there really something wrong with being self-indulgent, or is this self-care.
Be inspired by who you are.
Mari.
