The Importance of Rituals
We are wired for ritual. That’s it!
Just by being here on earth, we are naturally drawn into its rhythms and cycles yet we, as a society, have forgotten how to move with this energy in harmony with the seasons, the sun, the moon, and the planets. We get caught up in daily tasks and forget, or neglect, to intentionally cultivate the slowing-down process of ritual.
In these crazy times, I find myself drawn to ritual even more than ever before because it supports me in being grounded and connected on a daily basis.
One of these rituals . . . which is more like my obsession, really . . . is drinking tea :-).
“For me starting the day without a pot of tea would be a day forever out of kilter.”
Every morning, I start my day with a lemon-ginger tea which I’ve been doing for over 4 years, now, and I treat myself regularly to a Chai Tea or my Turmeric Latte. Sometimes I make it completely from scratch using fresh turmeric, and sometimes I go for the quicker version using ground turmeric. Here is a recipe for my easy-to-make Golden Turmeric Latte for you to try.
It has also become my nightly ritual to drink a beautiful cup of tea as part of winding down for the night. As I hold the warm cup of tea in my hand, smelling the wonderful fragrance of the herbs steeped in water, I reflect on my day in all of its beautiful complexities.
“When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things. Where is beauty to be found? In great things that, like everything else, are doomed to die, or in small things that aspire to nothing, yet know how to set a jewel of infinity in a single moment?”
Yes, even during times of high stress and confusion, which is our current experience in this world, there truly is beauty in all facets.
Our Disconnect from Ritual
So, why are we struggling to recognize and experience this beauty? In essence, it is because we have become disconnected from ritual and sacred space practices, which are the core of well-being.
Instead, we as a society are rushing around, too often plundering natural resources and still living with backward technologies and outdated systems, when this earth, which we have the honor of walking on, is rich and endlessly abundant.
And there really is no reason why anyone should have to starve, why animals should have to suffer, and why people should have to be afraid of ridicule when they express themselves freely.
We actually have the potential to live the most amazing, abundant lives - in connection, and in harmony . . . and this hinges on our return to rituals which ground and center us.
Returning Home to the Elements
As we remember our return to moving and manifesting within the Sacred Feminine’s Heart, we bring forth our essence of love, which heals, teaches, guides, mentors, and supports ourselves and others.
“This is what rituals are for. We do spiritual ceremonies as human beings in order to create a safe resting place for our most complicated feelings of joy or trauma, so that we don’t have to haul those feelings around with us forever, weighing us down. We all need such places of ritual safekeeping.”
When we create a connection to the Element of Air and allow the simple ritual of being conscious of our breath to ground us, we create more space within ourselves.
The ritual of lighting a candle naturally connects us to the Element of Fire, welcoming the space of creation into our environment and our being.
Consciously creating the ritual of programming wishes and thoughts into our water before drinking it will uplift our emotional state and our cellular structure with new information. It is a simple way of working with the Element of Water.
Going outside barefoot and allowing our connection to Earth’s electromagnetic field will support and ground us while receiving the energy from the Element of Earth.
There is an abundance of magic and miracles which we, as influential creators, can bring into our lives, and, on an intuitive level, the knowledge of how to flourish already exists in us. By establishing and practicing rituals for ourselves, we return to the universal rhythms and nurture our connection to them.
Our Connection within the Cycles
The Sun and the Moon cycles have a consistent pattern that governs our life here on Earth. The Sun’s cycle is marked by the Equinoxes and Solstices’ points, signaling a distinct rhythm and pattern, letting us know to reset, check in, and pivot into a different alignment.
So, you can see that even the Universe practices and honors ritual!
The Moon’s rhythm sets up our monthly patterns with its approximately 28-day cycle, one spanning 14 days from the New Moon to the Full Moon and another unfolding 14 days from the Full Moon back to the New Moon again. This magnetic energy powerfully governs us.
For more on rituals centered around these cycles, read my blog posts on NEW MOON RITUALS TO MANIFEST YOUR DREAMS, and SELF-CARE FULL MOON RITUALS TO NOURISH YOU.
“Since this macrocosm guides us - the Universe and the cycles that govern Earth - the microcosm within our system is always connected and affected by its energy.”
Ancient traditions from various cultures seem to confirm to us that our ancestors also practiced rituals as they celebrated and transitioned through the Earth’s various cycles. They understood the significance of rituals some of which remain in practice today.
Since this macrocosm guides us - the Universe and the cycles that govern Earth - the microcosm within our system is always connected and affected by its energy.
The Simplicity in Ritual
Any practice of ritual that we consciously choose is our way of being part of this larger cosmos.
And keep in mind that many of the things we naturally do throughout our day ARE meditative practices that are ritualistic in nature, from the way we step out of bed in the morning to the movement of our arm as we turn off the light at night. They are signals to our body that is time to shift into a different state. Consciously acknowledging these rituals and enhancing their qualities will significantly impact our quality of life. It does not have to be complicated or take a lot of time.
Ritual, the Elements, how to work with Energy, and our connection to nature and the Moon cycles are vital components to our way of life. This is why I share in-depth knowledge of these components inside my membership, Beauty Flourishing Collective.
Practical Suggestions for creating Rituals in Your Life
Here are some sacred space practices to consider:
Setting up an altar
Lighting incense
Lighting candles
Listening to Mantras or a Playlist that you connect with
Taking time out to journal
Taking time out to consciously connect to your breath
Having a short ritual of moving your body several times throughout the day
Taking a couple of minutes to just ‘be’ in meditation
The ritual of preparing and drinking tea
And especially for us women: Eating a piece of chocolate to nourish the higher body and ground ourselves, especially if we spend a lot of time on computers. (My favorite is Lindt’s 70% dark chocolate.)
Repeated rituals in one space naturally increase the area’s energy, as it is layered in multidimensional ways repeatedly through the rituals created. This is true for churches, and ancient ritual sites, where ritual has been practiced for thousands of years.
Having one or more areas in and around your home set for rituals, and repeating them in those spaces will naturally enhance them and your practice.
When clients enter my classroom/healing room for the first time, it is always fun to observe their reactions. There is always a feeling of awe of the room itself and then, as they settle in, with the energy inside the space. They can feel the uplifting energy created throughout the years of hosting spiritual classes and events, and the continuous healing sessions in it. It is and accumulated effect that naturally developed through the ritual of my spiritual practice. The energy in my healing space now vibrates naturally at a very high level, resulting from all the beautiful healings, transformations, and experiences that have taken place. One can just enter the space and receive wellness and healing just by being in it.
Clearing our spaces and ourselves is also an important ritual to incorporate, especially when working with energy to maintain a high vibration. One of the more well-known traditions is smudging, and I share my practice of this ritual here in this free resource.
A Healer’s Ritual of Preparing the Space for a Session
Before every session I have a clear ritual of preparing my room for sacredness. Elements of this include:
Standing in the space for a few minutes, as I feel into the energy
Centering, placing intentions, and amplifying the vibration of healing
Lighting Incense (my favorites are Nag Champa and Scent of Samadhi)
Lighting Candles to set the intention of transformation
Turning on my Playlist on Spotify ( lately, my favorite playlist is the one I created for my Activate Your Sacred Feminine Event)
Making tea (I use my own herbal blend I developed to assist in the process of healing for my clients)
From here, I am ready to welcome my clients into this sacred space for deep transformations. It is my greatest honor to assist the wonderful people I work with in shining their brightest light.
I hope this article inspires you to set the stage for more ritual in your life, as it is an essential aspect of any self-care practice.