Rituals of Self-Care - Jane's Mindful Musings

Jane Witherspoon is a Canadian expat adventurer, yoga instructor and passionate rambler who recently relocated from Panama to Denia, Spain.

Do you have or perform rituals during your daily life that you practice as an act of self-care?

My lovely friend and Sole Sister gifted me a book called Rituals for Every Day, for my 60th birthday. The quotes contained within are meant to be reflected upon. They are a gentle reminder to allow time for mindful meditation to enrich your life and create clarity and purpose.

There are many ways to define rituals and I love the definition by Sarah Kerr. She says, “It is simply action imbued with meaning and intention; a way to slow down time and truly notice our lives. In this way, ritual is mindfulness in action.”

Rituals allow us to shift our attention to where we need it most. They allow us to move out of focusing on the day to day requirements of life and create a quiet space to push the reset button and bring on a feeling of control.

Like everything else in life, creating rituals is a practice that requires attention. These moments can be especially important during times of stress, anxiety, change or any situation when we are feeling a loss of control. It requires a conscious decision to put ourselves and our well being first. 

There are those, like my husband, who go about life in a regimented way. The certainty of how their day will unfold creates order and calm in their lives. I, on the other hand, am not one of those people.

Creating rituals and sticking with them has been something I have craved and tried to establish my whole life, especially rituals that help create clarity and purpose allowing me to find peace and happiness. 

Being a yoga practitioner for over thirty years and a teacher for ten you would think that I have the ritual of making space to meditate figured out. But being able to settle my monkey mind is an ongoing challenge.

I am a master of procrastination when faced with a task that I find difficult, especially the task of creating a long lasting ritual of self-care. And so I keep coming back to meditation with the idea of eventually being able to find peace and consistency in this practice.

These moments of self-care are unique for everyone and may change with time depending on what your needs are during various times in life. Here are some simple rituals that I and other women I know find helpful when in need of a calming moment.

Morning Ritual

Start the day by finding a comfortable spot to turn your attention inward. Notice how you are feeling both mentally and physically. Set an intention for your day, something simple that will create a sense of joy. This can be done before you get out of bed or maybe with your morning coffee.

Relieving Anxiety Ritual

When feeling anxious the most beneficial practice is to breathe. Find a quiet space where you can sit or lay down. Gently breathe in through the nose to the count of six. Gently exhale out through the mouth and as you do release tension and anxiety. Continue until you feel a sense of calm returning.

Walking Meditation Ritual

Get out and move your body. Forest Bathing is a beautiful practice. This Japanese practice is a process of relaxation; known in Japan as shinrin yoku. The simple method of being calm and quiet amongst the trees, observing nature around you whilst breathing deeply, facilitates de-stressing and boosts health and wellbeing in a natural way.

Evening Ritual

As you settle into bed this ritual will help your body to relax and calms the mind. Start a full body scan starting at your feet. As you notice each part of the body mentally allow it to relax and become heavy. Work your way up slowly starting with the back of the body to the head and then back down across the front of the body ending again at the feet. 

And so my Sole Sisters, as you ramble out into your week, what rituals of self-care do you practice to reset and find calm?

Women have to take the time to focus on our mental health,
take time for self, for the spiritual, without feeling guilty or selfish. 
The world will see you the way you see you, and treat you the way 
you treat yourself. – Beyoncé

Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom 
in the direction you want to go is attainable, 
and you are worth the effort. - Deborah Day

READ MORE > Jane's Mindful Musings, Rambler Cafe Blog.