I recently attended a lovely tea ceremony at my friend Tara Benmeleh’s house which got me thinking: What rituals make me most happy at home?
No, not online shopping.
And nope, it doesn’t involve shoving Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups down my throat or watching pimple popping/ASMR videos on YouTube like a total weirdo.
For me the answer was a resounding: Light a deliciously scented candle (right not I have Soy Delicious’ Mademoiselle burning), sprawl out on the couch under a cozy Barefoot dreams blanket and watch a mindless Bravo program/or snuggle up with a book. Basic, I know.
But here’s what said ritual does immediately:
It helps me slow down and to find happiness in the smallest of things. Doing this turns an everyday routine into more meaningful moment. I am calmer. Less anxious. I am present.
After a little digging in my favorite self-help tomes, here’s what rituals afford our hectic lives:
- Rituals provide us with a sense of renewal
- Rituals provide an ongoing way to structure our lives
- Rituals remove us from the ordinary flow of life and place us in sacred space
- Rituals help us access our authentic selves through their ability to carry us into deeper levels of consciousness
- Rituals give meaning to our journeys and a sense of purpose to our lives
With this said, I would love to know what your favorite ritual is. Please comment below!
Lighting a candle and changing my shoes—Mr. Rogers style—are the first things I do when I get home. I agree, daily rituals are weirdly calming and help me ease out of work mode.
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Love that!
I like to light a seated candle and place it on my kitchen counter, than I play some soothing music from my IPad when I start to cook….this combination relaxes me and takes the tension off of my mind. Try it! Judith, Hanford, CA