So what’s a Great ritual?

A well thought out ritual is a series of activities carefully choreographed that creates repetitive behaviour that creates a positive feeling outcome. 

"The original concept of rituals may be related to the Sanskrit ṛtá ("visible order)" 

Rituals bring our attention to the present, are highly personal and are really an expression of self-love and a sign of moving forward. Rituals stabilize and build on who you are. 

Rituals are becoming conscious of your life or designing the life you want.  Sometimes replacing old unwanted habits with new empowering habits or simply to build on what you already have.

There is no better feeling than that of your mindset once you have just finished a ritual that makes you feel good. 

It’s really as simple as the power of intention for yourself, a habit for improving your life.

 

 

Why are they so effective?

It’s a follow-through of intention a promise made good to yourself,

Rituals encourage a positive inner voice. Teaching yourself that you can do it. You can trust yourself, your instincts, and pursue your own impulses.

Setting a ritual with intention is the habit most successful people embrace. 

One of my most favourite people is Tony Robbins, in case you haven’t heard of him he’s a coach for life, the best in the world, and his morning ritual which he calls “priming,” looks like this, 

A Hot tube, then a plunge in a cold tub or cryotherapy

Gratitude Time 

Meditation to find his”presence of God” 

Then thinks about his “Three to Thrive.  

 

“setting yourself up with rituals or systems will help make sure you succeed" 

Tony Robbins

 If we take a look at Tony’s ritual we can see how he is setting himself up positively,

1, a change in neurology - the hot tube then freezing cold, 

2, reframing and giving thanks for what he already has, by making time for gratitude. 

3, creating stillness and space for his own intuition to speak to him, mediation and 

4, the 3 things that need to be addressed that day, is creating organisation with intention, prioritizing to stop overwhelm and setting himself up for getting things done. 

 How do you create a great ritual?

You need to decide to make a statement of who you are, to yourself. 

 

 

Who are you and what do you really want? Make the decision. 

By default, maybe out of necessity and not a place of desire, you may be doing some sort of ritual or habit, that doesn't really serve you.

The problem is, this quietly sabotages you. For instance, like looking in the mirror every day and speaking badly to yourself or wishing you had a smaller this or a bigger that. These are all negative subconscious rituals we carry out, some of us every day and at the same time. So my suggestion would be - break the habit. Catch your unwanted habits or rituals you've created and focus on what makes you feel good, alive and beautiful.

"You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine."

                                                                                         — John C. Maxwell

Some women just don’t feel great about themselves  

 

 

 

and don’t often experience the feelings of, worthiness, feeling beautiful, desired, or feeling confident.

If you want to change any part of your life, creating a ritual that makes you feel better and encourages emotions you desire and want, such as feeling beautiful, desirable, or confident will help you tap into how you are supposed to feel when you have those feelings, it encourages you to bring positive emotion forward into your consciousness.  Some women just don’t feel great about themselves and don’t often experience the feelings of, worthiness, feeling beautiful, desired, or feeling confident.  

Tony Robbins the master of human behaviour and change, would say" no ritual or intention to improve your day is too small, so start in small steps and build upon it."

This method is called “stacking” it’s finding a habit that’s currently working for you and adding one more thing to it, then another. 

And when we feel good, serotonin a chemical starts being produced by the body contributing to your well-being and happiness, which in turn makes you feel even better.

In the words of Ester Hicks - “MILK IT !” - leapfrog off it and keep it going, build momentum, keep this energy and emotion going. It’s easier to push a ball that is already rolling

Where in your life do you want to feel better and set a strong intention?

An effective ritual could be as simple as a “Pre Bed Beauty Ritual” that could look like this,  

1, Get off the computer at a certain time, 

2, Showering, 

3, Cleansing your skin, 

4, Putting on your favourite moisturiser,  

5, Putting on your PJ’s and 

6, Going to bed at a decent hour

And how does it work? 

•Getting off the computer is saying “me time “ 

•Showering relaxes you and washes off the day in preparation for bed, it switches your mindset from one of work to one of relaxing.

•Removing your makeup and cleansing your skin is self-love and respect for your own beauty, you are reaffirming you care and are important. 

•Applying your favourite moisturiser is saying “I love you and you are worth it” 

•Putting on your P.J’s at a certain time wires your body to start relaxing.

•Getting your beauty sleep, which really is loaded with an intention for yourself, is respecting your body. While you are sleeping your body is healing and rejuvenating, and if you don’t get enough sleep your body can’t do its job and you could be prone to wrinkles and a decrease in collagen or worse still the next day you’ll be running on adrenaline - defiantly a beauty breaker over a period of time. 

But most importantly it sets the intention for the next day so you are wide awake and ready to embrace it. 

Do all of the above with intention, don't just go through the motions.

Look at yourself in the mirror when cleansing your face and find something you love about yourself then tell yourself that you love that part of you. If you can find more than 3 things and reaffirm what you love. 

While applying your moisturiser, say to yourself that you are worth spending money and time on, and if you catch any negative comments - write them down, so you can monitor your negative thoughts and see where you are sabotaging yourself.  

The importance of your own focus is your own decision to do it. 

I have found incorporating these essentials listed below in my rituals have created health, beauty and vitality.

 

Exercise - totally produces happy endorphins and relaxes me. 

Wholesome foods- keeps me stable and nourished.

Both of the above is a sign of respecting and looking after my body - self-love. 

Hydration - lots of water - coffee only at the weekend, alcohol to a limit 

Mediation - 10 minutes every morning - listening to my favourite You tube meditations.  

Beauty routine - makes me feel beautiful, looking after the way I look makes me feel good about the way I feel.  

Gratitude - Giving thanks regularly keeps me in check with what I have and I love, creating a feeling of abundance and well being. 

I heard a metaphor just recently by Ester Hicks, about changing habits and really how easy it is to do so, but we just chose to believe it’s hard work. 

 

“Old unwanted behaviour can be a little like bad plumbing with pipes so filled with clay there is no way to unblock them and to do so would take tremendous hard work and effort - so instead wouldn't it be easier to simply lay new pipes?” 

                                                                                              - Ester Hicks 

I love this analogy as it simplifies changing unwanted behaviour or rituals, you cant dig out the past - far too much hard work and pretty much impossible as it's in the past, its gone, so simply lay new pipes - put new rituals in your life that serve and move you forward NOW!  

What’s the best ritual you have going on for yourself?  

Write it in the comments below and share some great rituals you do to improve your state of well being and feeling beautiful. 

 

If you enjoyed this article then why not hear more? 

Sandra x