defining rituals and habits. what is the difference?
Posted by Sinead on
we are creatures of habits. Most of our day is full of habits. We don’t even think about them. You know how it feels like when you arrive at work but don’t really know how you got there? The journey was completely on autopilot. Habits are so ingrained in our daily routine that there is no awareness or consciousness to them.
Rituals, on the other hand, are connected with a higher level of consciousness. We do them with purpose and with mindfulness. We used to be more ritualistic in our daily habits but not so much any more. Perhaps it’s time to bring in rituals and mindfulness into our daily life. Having rituals is a wonderful help to mindful living.
To help you get started we have a 4 step plan.
4 steps to rituals and mindful living
1) Create a habit inventory. Literally list your daily habits, how you go about your day and your routines. It’s more difficult than it sounds because these habits are done on autopilot. We don’t even think about them. You might want to ask friends and family as they sometimes notice your habits more than you do! What do you do on a regular basis?
This inventory is also excellent to check in on how your habits affect your wellbeing. It might even be time to ditch some of them?
2) Choose one habit you can ritualise. We are not suggesting any crazy rituals, sacrificing or long ceremonies. Simply, choose a habit you can be more mindful about. Something you can do with more awareness and intention. It can be a simple habit like brushing your teeth. This can be done with much more consciousness and mindfulness and become a ritual. Something you practise with full awareness. Maybe it’s your morning shower. Perhaps you start the day with gratitude and applying Yogandha Balance Rollerball for a balanced state of being. How you leave the house in the morning, how you interact with your family. Choose one habit you can bring more consciousness and awareness to creating a ritual.
3) Prepare the environment. Make the environment a sacred space both physically and mentally. Start the night before so it’s all ready for you. Perhaps you pack your bag for work the night before so it’s all ready for you. Maybe you roll out the yoga mat and have your Yogandha Oils ready for your morning practise. We love using Yogandha Oils as part of our mindfulness practise as they create rituals. The choosing of the oil, the application, the inhalation. It's part of being conscious and aware. We also like having the oils by the door so we can choose a Yogandha Oil to dap on as we leave the house and start the day. A simple ritual we can practise anytime is the mindful breath. Dap on your Yogandha Balance Rollerball, take a deep inhale and long exhale. That’s it. A simple ritual to become present and mindful.
4) Arrive full of intention. Arrive at any moment and to your ritual with intention. Bring your awareness into the present. One great way is offering gratitude. Taking that mindful breath. The creation of rituals will bring you into the present moment just by the act of mindful awareness.
That’s it. Your guide to acknowledging the difference between habits and rituals and how to bring more mindfulness into your life.
Below, in the comments, please also share how you use rituals in your daily life?
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