Daily Rituals

rit·u·al

/ˈriCH(o͞o)əl/

I’ll admit that recently any daily rituals I had established have gone completely out the window. I'm really trying to incorporate them back into my life now that the school year is off to a solid start. In my years of training in integrative nutrition and medicine, I have learned the value of these rituals to our health and wellness. So what makes them different from a daily routine (brushing our teeth, working out, etc)? A ritual is a grounding act that is intentional.  It’s a time for quiet and reflection. After experimenting with various rituals, the following are the ones that have made the cut (for now!):

1.     MEDITATION:  I know, right?!  We all know by now that this is scientifically proven to benefit us, yet we just don’t take the time to practice it.  I use the Headspace app on my phone and do 5-10 minutes/day.  It’s amazing how just taking the time for some deep breathing can feel so calming and healing and guess what?  You don't even have to clear your mind of all thoughts - a common misconception.  Andy Puddicombe, the founder and the voice of Headspace, has a beautiful way of guiding you through the daily exercises.  THAT VOICE!  You can watch his TED talk here.  

2.     GRATITUDE:  I HIGHLY recommend The FIVE-Minute Journal.  It’s a daily entry where in the morning you list 3 things you are grateful for, what would make today great and a few daily affirmations.  In the evening you list 3 amazing things that happened that day and how you could have made the day better.  It’s 5 minutes of reflection and it goes a long way.  You can buy it here.  Try it!

3.     TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS:  I love this book by Cheryl Strayed!  I read one letter and response per day and it’s life changing.  It starts my day with humor, compassion toward myself and others, insight, and honesty.  We are all flawed humans running around trying our best.  This book keeps me in check. 

4.     MORNING PAGES:  This is one that I’ve tried a few times and I’m so happy when I do. If I could just make myself sit down and do it!  I learned about Morning Pages in my integrative nutrition course several years ago and have always been fascinated by the idea of doing it.  I plan to write an entire post about this topic, but in the meantime this article explains it to perfection. This is the ritual that is proving to be the biggest challenge but I think will reap the most results! 

Please share some of your daily rituals in the comments below.