The Power of Ritual

I am a firm believer in ritual.  Not established ritual of religions (which has its place) but in personal rituals used to nurture body, spirit and mind.  Rituals provide structure, cleanse and strengthen our energy and exercise our creative mind. 

There are rituals that provide celebration (weddings, namings, new homes) and daily rituals that can be deeply personal and spiritual.  Rituals should be about the person or persons being celebrated, nurtured and loved.  Daily rituals are a way to honor our own spirit.

Morning is a perfect time for a personal ritual.  I find that greeting the day with yoga or Tai Chi provides food for body, mind and spirit and strengthens my resolve to take care of myself throughout the day.  The blood starts moving to all parts of my body and my breath oxygenates and rejuvenates my heart.  I feel strong and ready to meet the challenges of my day. 

I also chant in the morning.  By chanting "Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo" in front of my Gohonzon (a written representation of my inner Buddhahood) I am able to connect with the Mystic Law of the Universe and strengthen my courage and compassion.  Along with chanting, I read some inspirational literature to provide guidance for my day.  A morning ritual based on a person's own spiritual beliefs can be life-changing.

Over the years, when I have been going through a rough period I have made an evening ritual of writing a gratitude list.  I kept notebooks in which I wrote the things for which I was grateful at the end of each day so that I would not go to bed obsessing about the seemingly negative things in my life.  I knew that I was making progress when I started to understand how I could be grateful for the negative events as well.

It may seem as if there are not enough hours in the day to add rituals to your life.  However, there are many ways that ritual can be incorporated into every day activities from the blessing of the food that you eat to sending love to each part of your body as you wash in the shower.  Done with the connection to spirit, even seemingly mundane activities such as sweeping the floor or pulling weeds can be turned into healing rituals. 

I invite you to share your rituals in hopes that others will be inspired to create their own.