On Saturday I taught the final module of my 4-month workshop series, The Healthy Woman.
During this workshop, we discussed the importance of the Spiritual Body, the psychology behind cleansing and fasting, and how the concept of symbolic substitutes and sacred rituals informs our relationship with eating, health, and body image.
Running parallel to the class themes this past weekend, I thought I’d share a personal ritual I have been engaging in all year and invite you, if you feel inspired, to create something that feels special for you.
(Note: Ritual meaning any series of acts that has a “sacred” feel to them)
The Practice
Since January 2014, I’ve been keeping a clear glass vase on the countertop, and as days, weeks, and months have gone by, I’ve been taking note of moments of significance, writing them down on small slips of paper, folding them in half, and placing them in the vase.
These have been significant conversations, meetings, periods of ‘coming undone,’ insights, victories, synchronicities, surprises, and more…really anything that felt meaningful for me.
The lovely part is two-fold:
1.) Taking the time to pause and notice “This means something to me” has had innate value itself, and 2.) On the Winter Solstice I am creating the space to sort through a years worth of significant happenings I’ve written down and literally see the narrative for 2014 unfold before my eyes.
What can I say? I’m a sucker for these sorts of things.
It is Thomas Moore who said: “The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.” (A favorite of mine!)
Ritual can bring meaning and depth to our lives, when we allow it to.
If I am speaking your love language, then I encourage you to create an end of year ritual that feels good to you, or begin a new one come January.
Some ideas to work with:
Set aside time to look through journals from the past year, soaking in themes and victories
If you use social media like Facebook, scroll through your page for the year and notice what seemed most important to you this year
Have a fire ceremony and write down what you’d like to release as you step into 2015 as you burn the paper
Set aside time with a close friend or your partner to reflect on the past year
Take an evening hike on the Solstice and feel the mystery the darkness of winter brings
Or something entirely different! The only ‘wrong’ way to do it, is to engage in something that has no meaning for you.
Now I want to hear from you! What sort of year-end rituals nourish you?
With Love,
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