Don't be scared off by the word 'ritual'. All it means is a set of actions that come together to make a whole. Rituals can be as simple as daily actions you do to connect with deity right up to ceremonial circles and of course everything in between. We all do our own personal everyday rituals. Even simple rituals such as getting up, brushing your teeth, showering and having breakfast are rituals. They are a set of actions that you put in motion.
Rituals are performed by groups but also by solitaries. As a witch, I perform structured rituals to celebrate sabbats and work with moon phases and deity. I also perform very simple everyday rituals for self care. Let me give you some examples. The following rituals are super-easy and don't require any fancy tools, whirling about in circles or calling upon outside energies...
Everyday Ritual for Anxiety
Wake early (if it is still dark, even better!) or work this in the evening when the sun has set. Make yourself a hot drink and then sit down in a quiet place. Light some candles around the room and turn the electric lights off. Sit down with your hot drink and just enjoy the candlelight and silence. Quietly and peacefully, sip your drink and focus on breathing deeply and slowly. Inhale calm air and exhale any worries. Sit for as long as you want to.
Everyday Ritual for a Busy Day
Life is ridiculously busy most of the time and rushing around just adds to the stress of the day. However, if you can fit in this little morning ritual before you start the day, it can really help to set you off on the right foot. I have been guilty of rushing out the door without having eaten breakfast or grabbing a cereal bar as I rush to the car. Aside from not being very good or kind to your body, this sets the tone for the day: missing out on important things and being overwhelmed and rushed. If you can fit a ritual like this everyday ritual for stress into your morning, do it.
Sit down at a table to eat your breakfast. Make yourself a nice pot of tea or coffee: not just a quick throw-a-tea-bag-into-a-cup kinda beverage but nice tea leaves in a pot or fresh coffee in a percolator. And eat something! Prepare a slice of toast or cook up a bowl of porridge. Sit down, drink, and eat. Take a moment to breathe and to sort through your to-do list in your head before you race out the door. This is a quiet "prepare yourself for the day" moment. You may have to get up a teeny bit earlier to fit it in. Honestly, you will feel so much better for it.
Everyday Ritual for Worry
I love a bit of drumming, and making noise can really help release negative emotion and raise your energy. If you have a drum, perfect! If not, you can improvise. Use a metal biscuit tin or a saucepan and wooden spoon. When you feel the need to release worry, fears, or tension, get your drum out and give it a good ol' bang! Walk around the house, stand in the garden, or take yourself out to the woods and make some noise. Really give it some gusto. With each bang of the drum visualise your worries being crushed and destroyed. Let the sound take them away. And then possibly apologise to your neighbours…
Everyday Ritual for Self-Care
If you haven't already, make moisturiser a part of your daily routine. Apply in the morning and/or evening and add in some affirmations as you do so. Keep it simple and just repeat, "I love you. I love you. I love you," as you look at your reflection. As you massage the moisturiser into your skin, look in the mirror and repeat your chosen affirmations. It might make you feel a bit silly at first, but honestly, you deserve to love yourself!
Everyday Ritual for Obstacles and Blockages
Next time you shower, bathe, or wash, use the water involved to help you release and let go. Water is a natural purifier. In the shower, stand and let the water wash over you. It clears, cleanses, and takes all the negative energy down the drain. In the bath, let the water cleanse your body and soul. Just having a wash with a flannel, even if it is only your face, will cleanse negative energy. All you need to add is a dash of visualisation as you wash.
Everyday Ritual for Sleep
Your feet are an important part of your body and can be very telling, particularly if you partake in the holistic therapy of reflexology, which I wholeheartedly recommend. I receive reflexology treatments regularly and would not want to be without them. The sole of the foot is a map for the entire body. Give your tootsies a little TLC - you will feel the effects throughout your entire body.
- Start with relaxation stretches for your feet: wriggle your toes and rotate your ankles.
- Then, using your usual moisturiser, focus on the outside edge of your big toe. That is the spot that helps release melatonin into your bloodstream; it aids with sleep. Begin at the base of the toe and rub up and down the edge of the toe.
- The ball of your foot represents the solar plexus, so massage there to help you relax.
- The crease inside the big toe, just above the ball of your foot, is another good place to massage to release tension in your whole body.
- Finish with a light massage all over both feet and you are done!
- If you'd like an extra-relaxing experience, add a few drops of lavender oil to your moisturiser next time.
These everyday self-care rituals are not complicated or fancy and they can all be tweaked and tailored to suit you. Make the time to do these for YOU. Self-care rituals are incredibly effective and you absolutely deserve them!
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