What comes to mind when you hear the word “ritual”?

Full moons? Alters? Cloaked figures around open fires?

For many of us, the term comes shrouded with associations of ancient practices involving sacrifices and a form of spirituality that just doesn’t resonate! However, this isn’t how rituals have to look.

As far as we’re concerned, rituals in the modern world are simply routines with intentions behind them.

They’re actions that you commit to doing regularly - or at regular intervals - because you know that they will have some kind of positive impact on your life. Productivity. Mental clarity. Relaxation. If you craft the perfect ritual, you can help yourself to achieve any of these states. 

So, in our busy world and when we’re almost constantly surrounded by distractions, it’s never been so powerful to harness rituals as a way to reconnect with yourself. Book-ending your day with morning and night time practices can have a tangibly positive effect on your life and mental state.

Morning rituals for reconnection 

Morning rituals start your day on the right foot. They set you up for greatness and allow you to achieve the mindset you need, not only for a happier day, but for one where you complete your to-do list with ease.

What does your morning routine look like now?

Maybe you already have a few moments of mindfulness nestled into it, or maybe your head goes straight into your phone and your brain instantly goes into overdrive before your feet have even touched the floor! We’ve definitely been in the latter of these two positions and it isn’t much fun.

Getting clear on what your routines already look like is really helpful in forming new, more nourishing daily habits. So, it can be helpful to continue your morning as usual for a week or so, noting down how your time is spent before your day actually gets started.

Then assess what is serving you and what isn’t. Whether you have 10 minutes before you need to run out of the door or can afford a leisurely morning, start thinking about things that you can do to bring yourself more joy. Add these fresh habits into your day, one at a time, so that it is easier to stick to your new ritual. 

Morning ritual ideas

• Open the windows in your apartment or house. Letting the light and air into any room can refresh the senses after sleep!
• Mentally list three things that you are grateful for as soon as you sit up in bed, to help you cultivate a gratitude-based mindset.
• Light our Happy candle. Formulated with bergamot, orange, may chang, and ylang-ylang essential oils, this powerful and positive fragrance soothes the nervous system and boosts joy.
• Take 10 slow and deep breaths whilst your coffee machine kicks in, to ease any pre-work stresses and quell anxiety before it hits.
• Pick your outfit for the day with care, tuning into how you want to feel. Be it confident, joyous or empathetic, craft your outfit to feed this emotion.
• Practice sunrise yoga to get the energetic body alert and ready for the day. We love this free session from Yoga With Adriene. 

Evening rituals to help your disconnect 

Disconnecting is an important part of reconnecting with yourself. The rituals that you do in the evening not only set the tone for your sleep that night, but also give your mind a much-needed break so that you can tackle tomorrow with confidence.

Look at what you do from the moment you close your laptop at the end of your work day. What are you doing that is feeding into a more positive evening?

Whilst you can truly start an evening ritual whenever you feel it will serve you best, we’d recommend setting aside at least 30 minutes before bed to find calm and serenity after a busy day.

Evening ritual ideas

• When you’re finished with your to-do list and your dinner plates are in the dishwasher, create a clear divide between “doing” mode and “relaxation” mode. Change your clothes, dim the lights or switch locations to get into an instantly calmer state of mind.
• Take a bath with our Soothe Bath Soak. Its aromatic blend of lavender, eucalyptus, geranium, bergamot and clary sage essential oils work to soothe your system, leaving you ready for your best night’s sleep yet.
• Drink a warm, decaffeinated drink to soothe your senses and calm the mind. We love chamomile with a drop of vegan sweetener.
• Light our Soothe Candle. Not only will its soft light help to counteract the bright screens that you stare at all day, but its relaxing scent will allow you to find mental calm before sleep.
• Turn off all electronic devices an hour or so before bedtime. The blue light from technology prompts the brain to stay alert, so giving your eyes a rest is paramount to peaceful sleep. 
• Commit to a calming meditation or breathing exercise each night. This will help to clear your mind (no more staying up with to-do lists whirling around your head!) and calm the parasympathetic nervous system.

Three ready-made rituals 

 

Rituals look different for everyone. How you incorporate them into your life is completely personal, just like your journey in the direction of reconnection. 

However, we know that starting to practice rituals can feel overwhelming, especially since society loves to tell us that time spent on us is not productive and, therefore, not valuable. That’s why we’ve bought together our expertise on the topics of aromatherapy and rituals to craft three mindful, yet simple, step-by-step rituals for you to embrace.

Sign up to our mailing list to receive these three powerful downloadables, including a Sleep Ritual to soothe your mind before bed, a Detox Ritual to prepare you for high-pressure days, and a Happy Ritual to help you get out of a negativity rut.

As always, we’re here to help you on your journey to reconnect with yourself. So, if you have any questions at all, we love talking to you in our DMs on Instagram. Find us @YougiBotanicals.