Have you discovered how rituals are Loves way of calling us home?

"Ritual is our love song to the universe. We anoint our bodies in warm oils not just for beauty, but to touch our skin with the tenderness of the Divine. We sip warm tea as if we are sipping the nectar of life itself, and in the quiet pause, we hear the hum of our own soul. It is in these moments, the seemingly small and routine, that we find the vastness of spirit." 

Katie Silcox - Ayurveda Teacher and Author. 

Isn't that an inspiring quote? Would you like to sip warm tea as if you were sipping the nectar of life itself while hearing the hum of your own soul?

This is such a divine view that turns our awareness towards a deeper sense of ourselves. Of course, this ritual could be about tea if thats what we wanted but it can also be about how the smallest, humblest rituals and routines can be a love song to the Shakti (our very own spiritual energy).

Let's take the tea ritual as an example of how in the smallest movements of our day we can connect to the divine within us. The ritual of drinking tea first thing in the morning can connect us to the watery depths of our spiritual nature, to the nurturing benevolence of our first Mother, Teacher, Guru where we enter the sacred pause and sing our love song to the divine and in this incredible act, remember who we are. 

That's the role of ritual to remember. Remember our divinity to lift the veil. To clean the screen. 

jagdhipanakrtollasarasanandavijrmbhanat

bhavayed bharitavastham mahanandas tato bhavet

When one experiences the expansion of joy, of the savour arising from the pleasure of eating and drinking, one should meditate on the perfect condition of this joy, then there will be supreme delight.

Vijnana Bhairava: Dharana 49

What about the ritual of taking your shoes off when you come home. Maybe as you slip off your shoes, its a quiet pause so you can say something to the Universe, maybe it's actually a moment of prayer or thanksgiving?

For some folks this is just a practical act, it keeps the house clean. For others, this simple act symbolises a deeper sense of release, leaving your crap at the door with your shoes, and for someone else the act symbolises a transition from the world at large into the sanctuary of home. 

Many people in the yoga community view rituals as something very austere involving statues, sacred mantras and text and this is true, but it is only one part of the art of rituals.  

I've found that Infusing my life with rituals and routines that connect me to the vastness of my own spirit or Shakti is a rare and precious gem in our ever-more-distracted world. For me rituals offer containment, focus, a kind of accountability and connection. They're creative, intimate, and intuitive, and help me to remember there is more to this picture than meets the eye. 

In Ayurvedic rituals we often chant the Gayatri mantra, one of the lines recited is

tat savitur varenyam

“We recall within ourselves and meditate upon that wondrous Spirit of the Divine Solar Being.”

Be inspired dear yogi to recall the Shakti, to remember that divine energy in simple ways, no caves needed, just another beautiful breath and your heart or devotion.

Craft those rituals. 

Here are some more ideas

When everyone arrives home, pause, let go of devices and just hang out. My teacher, placed a rug on the floor when her children were small. When they arrived home together they would gather on the rug and just hug and reconnect for a moment.

Smudge your body after a long day out

Light a candle at the beginning and end of the day

Oil your body with warm oil (Abhyanga) 

Sip tea

Pause often

Look at the light

Walk in your garden in your neighbourhood after dinner

Look for the moon every night

Celebrate festivals like the solstice or equinox or ones relevant to you

Make ghee on the full moon

Morning pages - journalling (same for evenings)

Create more rituals