Routines or Rituals?

While attempting to clear my mind in savasana while melting into my usual mat at Ritual Hot Yoga, my teacher started talking about her intention for the new year about transforming some of her daily routines into rituals, such as getting up 10 minutes earlier to be able to sit and enjoy her morning coffee rather than taking it in a rushed to-go cup. Simple, yet could change how you feel about the entire outlook of your day from that point on. 

Naturally, I couldn’t keep all of the thoughts out of my head and I traveled from the cold, Chicago winter to sunny Napa and Sonoma during savasana, thinking about my rituals when I am there. That left me wondering, but what if I could bring these home? There are so many things that I do on vacation in the Valley that I love and could recreate at home, but when I am home they start to become routines rather than staying rituals. 

Can you bring vacation levels of mindfulness home?

As you may know, a routine focuses on efficiency, while a ritual focuses on connection and purpose. A routine becomes a ritual when infused with mindfulness, intention, or symbolic significance. So this got me thinking, where can I take a moment and slow down at home, just like I would if I were in Napa and Sonoma. Immediately, three things came to mind:

• I am giving myself slower mornings. It used to be so easy for me to wake up early. For some reason, it has been harder as I have gotten older. Of course it can’t be something I am doing, so I will blame the living stuffed animal in our bed, Midge the three year old mini golden doodle who snuggles up with us each night. The real question is, what is my tactic for getting out of a cozy bed and enjoying the morning? Setting my alarm about 20 minutes earlier and not hitting snooze more than once. Will it be painful when it is still dark in the morning this winter? Yes. Do I love it when the city is still a bit sleepy and I feel like I stole a bit of time back from the day? Of course. This way I can watch the city wake up, just like I would watch wine country wake up.

  
  

• I won’t multitask while making my latte. A latte is a critical part of morning no matter what part of the world I am in. Not forgetting that a latte is just there for caffeine, but enjoying the beans that we get from Daylily Coffee in Sioux Falls, SD who have relationships with the farmers who grow and harvest the coffee is a true morning delight. Pausing to remind myself of all the things that my coffee beans went through to get to me and the terroir it brings feel different than a generic cup of joe.

  
  

• I will connect with those I love. At home it generally feels like I am pulled in all sorts of directions or I have to be so efficient with my time that I don’t have a random 45 minute phone call about “nothing” or go out for a movie on a Tuesday night with friends to take advantage of discounted tickets. So, whether it is an informal bite to eat with family, happy hour with friends, or a phone call with my long distance bestie, I will make space for quality time with at least one person close to me each day. Some days are harder than others, especially at the end of a busy week. However, there are rarely times when I regret it, no matter where I physically am on that day. 

  
  

What routines can you transform into rituals?

So now you all can try this activity too. Take a minute to put on a relaxing Spotify playlist or something on your Calm app, lay down without distractions, close your eyes, and ask yourself, what routines are you doing at home that could become rituals? Are they rituals that you already do when you’re on vacation and can integrate into your daily life?