Ritual, slow living, and creating a sense of home
As I sit here, having just returned to my current apartment from an adventure, amidst a longer series of adventures away from the home I grew up in, and with no current long-term “home” to stay in, I am reflecting on how to maintain the sense of home that I require to feel healthy.
For the past week of living here, I generally felt a sense of deep peace. The environment of the apartment I’m subletting is so lovely – I feel that it encourages me to live slowly, to sit in awe, and to be present with the body and space I occupy. But, I will only be here til the end of this month, so how else to create a sense of consistency and internal peace amidst change?
Lately I have been learning that a big answer for me to create these feelings is ritual. In his book Ritual, Malidoma Somé shares that ritual is deeply ingrained in indigenous cultures, but is often missing in modern culture due to industrialism being something of an opposing force to it, including by distracting us from it. Ritual is a way of connecting to ourselves, to our communities, and to our spirit.
To me, having been raised without any deep connection to religious, spiritual, or ethnic culture, I see ritual as any wholesome habit that contributes to my well-being.
These are some rituals that I use to support myself:
Starting each day with movement, stretching, and tension release exercise (TRE) – a way of connecting with my body, asking what it needs, and nurturing those needs. Then the TRE to release a part of what needs to be let go of.
Using cold then heat at the end of each shower to create a sense of relaxation
Spending time just sitting, not meditating, but letting thoughts come up and looking at them, asking if there are emotions or thoughts that need to be tended to
Putting the phone away for hours at a time – another way of becoming present with myself, and less reactive
Meeting with groups – I participate in a series of groups that meet regularly via video call, each with its own intentions. Within these groups, we have different forms of ritual that help us to connect to each other and to ourselves. I find a sense of self in each of these communities, and I see parts of myself within many of the people within these communities
Meditation – specifically heart rhythm meditation, where the heartbeat is synced with the breathing, and using different combinations of breathing in and out through the nose and mouth
Asking, “what is my intention?” before many of the interactions I have with other people. This helps me to check in and prepare me for what actions I’ll take next
Periodically spending hours or days of time deep in nature
These are all rituals that nurture me. Most of them have an aspect of being present, of inquiring, of deepening my connection to myself or others – there is a sense of being at home when I’m present and connected.
This year I plan to spend more time exploring the relationship between ritual and community.
🌞🌝🙏
