Rituals for Self-Love
Do you have rituals?
Little rituals can promote a feeling of self-care, connection to yourself and wellbeing. Perfect perhaps for the month of February - Self-Love for Valentines Day.
What is a Ritual?
“Rituals are woven into the fabric of human life, shaping our experiences, relationships, and cultures. Whether they are small personal routines or grand cultural ceremonies, rituals have profound significance. They provide structure, meaning, and a sense of connection, helping us navigate life’s complexities with intention and purpose.”
Here’s 3 of my favourite personal rituals:
A Daily Ritual for Self-love:
Choosing a particular mug for my tea. I've 3 favourites, all gifts. They connect me to the person who gave them to me, but they also represent a moment of pause in my day. A pause to select the mug, enjoy making my tea and then drinking it with a moment just for me. If I can do this in a quiet moment enjoying the view of my garden even better!
Intention is the key in forming a ritual. Even if you make a coffee at the same time each day, if you just make your coffee without really thinking about it, or drink it whilst doing something else it’s a habit rather than a ritual. If you really make it mindfully, savouring the smell and taste and taking a moment of reflection it becomes a ritual.
Can you find ten minutes to make a similar daily ritual of your tea or coffee?
An Annual Ritual for Connecting:
A Christmas ritual that I have followed ever since I inherited them is to lay the table for Christmas day with my maternal Grandads Aunty May's beautiful linen tablecloth. And my maternal grandparents crystal glasses. It is a connection to my grandparents, to Christmases past in my childhood, and to making the dining table feel special when the family comes together at Christmas.
What are your special rituals that you do year on year?
An Evening Ritual for gratitude:
This is my favourite ritual is a daily one with my youngest son.
We sit on his bed at night and ask each other 4 questions:
What was your funny bit today?
What was your bad bit?
What were you grateful for today?
What was your good bit today?
Simple questions that require reflection, gratitude, noticing the small things as well as the big things. Bringing positivity to our minds and a sense of ourselves and our experiences being heard, shared and supported.
This would be a lovely one to replicate as a journal practice to reflect on your day before sleeping.
In his book, Happy Mind, Happy Life. 10 Simple Ways to Feel Great Everyday, Dr Rangan Chatterjee says of gratitude....
“The more you practice gratitude, the easier it becomes and the more you train your mind to be grateful in all aspects of your life. It doesn’t take much time and it’s completely free. But it only works if you do it. What are you waiting for”
I'd love to know if you have any rituals, personal, traditional, religious or otherwise where you repeat something regularly, with intention, that brings you a moment of peace, joy or positivity and self-love.
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About Sarah
I’m Sarah Clover, a certified yoga teacher in Cheshire, England, specializing in hatha yoga, gentle yoga for all, yoga nidra and mindfulness practices, pre and postnatal yoga. I teach yoga classes in Northwich. This blog is a space where I share yoga and wellness tips, and reflections to support your personal growth on and off the mat.
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