Routine vs. Ritual
Although many people look forward to a fresh start in spring, the season I resonate most strongly with renewal is the late autumn. I am more focused and inspired; driven by the condensed hours of daylight, invigorated by the chill in the air. In Ayurveda, autumn is a Vata season. It has quick, cold, airy energy that lends itself to creativity and movement. In many places, leaves dry and crunch under our feet, the sky is clear and we layer up against the dropping temperatures. Here in the Northwest it’s quite soggy, but there is a brisk wind every other day that drives away any stagnant humidity. It’s the kind of cold here that gets into your bones. I notice my body craving gentle movement to keep warm and allow for the unrestricted flow of energy.
I relish in the changing over of the weather and the preparations for the next year. Now is when I am most successful at organizing and committing to plans and goals. I take stock of what I have accomplished with my strategies from the year before, and what tasks need attention to prepare me for the next.
It’s during the “end” of the year, that I am most inclined to commit to new habits. When I see what has worked over the last months, what has served me, I can easily shift away from the behaviors that did not.
This time of year also lends itself to a solemnity that inspires reverence for the mundane. Many things require more time, such as dressing and cooking. I find that in slowing down, I am able to appreciate why I do the thing. I’m naturally more mindful and inspired to do it better. I notice myself becoming more intentional during this time of year, even when washing the dishes or folding laundry.
We are all familiar with the pattern of recognizing behaviors that we want to change or overcome, deciding to make a change, and then one day finding ourselves right back in the hands of the old habit. Whether we want to get up earlier to write and move our body or cook dinner for ourselves instead of picking something up on the way home, sometimes our bed is just too cozy and our Pinterest boards are empty of recipes. We let our rooms and our homes become labyrinths of clutter and debris, and we find ourselves over-drafting our checking accounts. Whatever these habits are that limit our progress and sabotage our growth, we have the ability to recognize them and choose an alternative, but often fall short of following through.
There was a fascinating podcast by Huberman Lab about dopamine and how it functions in the body.* Dopamine is a hormone and neurotransmitter that allows for communication in and between the nervous system and the brain. Our levels of dopamine, and their differences over time are—in a body chemistry sense—what determine our motivation, drive, and desire for certain things and behaviors. The beautiful thing about dopamine, much like other chemical functions of the body, is that it can be manipulated. We have the ability to convince ourselves that something is worth doing and thereby valuable to seek and accomplish or achieve. While the dopamine hit from a cigarette may double our resting dopamine, thereby making us feel GREAT, we can also achieve this high from diaphragmatic breathing and meditation.
When we are working to change behaviors through adaptation of dopamine levels, whether it’s quitting smoking, limiting our scrolling, or making time for a daily walk, we must attach value to the actual thing—not the reward that comes afterward. An example they use is: just because you know you feel good after working out, it will not make the workout itself any easier or more likeable. If you can have a cookie after you finish your monthly budget, you’ll be thinking about the cookie the entire time instead of the benefit of nourishing the relationship between you and your finances—which, just like any other relationship, requires us to invest, learn, nurture, and grow.
This is where I have found the practice of turning routine into ritual to inspire consistency and success. When we establish a new habit, we hope for it to become routine, something we no longer think about. But the things we no longer think about become unimportant to us and eventually neglected. Creating a ritual around a new habit inspires mindfulness and attention. We come to enjoy the new habit and look forward to completing the steps to accomplish it.
What is the difference between a routine and a ritual?
A routine is defined as “a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program.”
A ritual is “a series of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according in a set sequence.”
For some this may seem like semantics, so allow me to elucidate. To establish a routine only requires consistency. A ritual requires preparation, creativity and closure. It demands our attention and care. Building a ritual around a new habit, or an old one for that matter, invests our attention and emotion. It can help us to re-pattern long held beliefs about the thing and ourselves, to heal fractured relationships, and nourish the parts that desire growth and change through intentional action.
There are the misconceptions that ritual must take a lot of time, that it can only be performed one way, or that it is only meant for religious purposes. A ritual can be a song you sing while you’re preparing dinner for your dog, it can be a dance that you do when you’re walking up to your mailbox. It is a physical expression of the emotion of the present moment. “Attention and care” doesn’t mean strain and stress, the idea is for the thing to not feel like a chore. By investing ourselves, we gain a greater return on our experience. A ritual can take as much or as little time as you need. You are free to change it up if it begins to feel stagnant. Your guides and helpers will always be there, so it’s good practice to acknowledge their support, but you’re not required to incorporate any religious content.
To create a ritual from a routine you need only commit to giving your full attention and intention to these five steps:
Prepare the space (which includes yourself)
Incorporate the elements
Slow it down
During the activity, notice your breath and sensations in your body
Close with thanks, a firm exhale, a sound and/or a mantra
Say you want to get into the habit of waking up earlier to journal or do 15 minutes of yoga. You’re more likely to commit in the morning if you’ve done some preparation beforehand. Place your journal within reach so that you see it first thing; or set up your mat (with a small pillow, blanket, weights) the night before so that you know it’s waiting for you. Is you room cold when you wake up? Lay a cozy sweater and socks at the end of your bed. Need a little extra light to get moving? Try a sunlight alarm clock (I love mine and it was only $30).
Once you’re up, incorporate the elements by opening a window or stepping outside for fresh air; splashing your face with cool water or bringing a glass over to your practice space; always light a candle or several; touch your plants or hold your favorite stone for a minute.
Inhale, exhale, and begin your practice.
While you’re preparing, incorporating the elements, and engaging in your new habit, notice your breath and the sensations within your body. What does the morning air smell like? How does it feel to move by candlelight? Do you feel rooted through your feet or your seat?
When your 15 minutes are up, or the cat is telling you it’s time to put away your journal, take a moment to give thanks to yourself and your helpers, take one more intentional breath, and make a sound to close the practice. Personally, I like to snap my journal closed. It feels powerful and finite.
An afternoon or evening example could be making a cup of tea in your favorite mug, or dinner for yourself, signaling the end of the day by playing 1950’s jazz. Remember to water the ritual, warm it with fire, tend to its earth and give it some air to breathe. Create rituals that make you feel the most powerful, the most sexy, the most calm.
Try building two or more rituals into your day and see what happens to the activities and time in between. Intentional rituals that take 20-90 minutes can help align our ultradian rhythms, naturally occurring cycles of action and rest in our 24-hour days. Building intentional rituals can improve your sleep, lower your stress, and make those chores a little easier to bear because they become enjoyable.
*I would also recommend the episode about dopamine and time perception, and the episode about gratitude (it’s not what you think!).
I feel like I’m always sharing ways to turn routine into rituals in the Moonsletter.
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