Weaving Rituals into the Fabric of Our Lives

Weaving Rituals into the Fabric of Our Lives

By Jacqueline Koloski

How present are you being as you go about your day? Are you awake and aware of what you are doing or are you functioning from habit? What if you elevated your everyday actions into an intentional ritual? 

Life is busy, full and many of us do not take the time to connect with ourselves, or stop and look at what it is we are really doing in our lives. We do not take the time to slow down and be present in all that we do. Many of us have created habits for ourselves and we live our lives functioning from this space. We function with a lack of being present  and being aware of what we are doing. Habits allow us to not use up brain space as I like to call it. Our habits are what we have repeated over and over again to the point that we no longer think or sometimes even remember what we have done as it’s so habitual. The repetitiveness of a habit becomes such a part of who we are that we stop being present in our own lives. Like when you get up in the morning you have a routine. You do the same thing every morning without any conscious thought, you get out of bed, go to the bathroom, make a coffee, scroll on social media and before you know it time has gone by and you need to get ready for the day. In that moment you haven’t been present with yourself or possibly not even present with anyone around you. You function from autopilot, from habitual unconscious actions. There is very little conscious thought put into it. Often we don’t even remember doing the habit, it is so automatic. Is this really how you want to live your life? 

Rituals are done with purpose, with conscious choice and deliberate action. When we consciously perform a ritual it can provide us with clarity, purpose and mindfulness of what is going on for us. Rituals offer us a chance to become very present in that moment, assist in creating energetic shifts, healing, renewing our connection to self and having a deeper connection within to hear our own guidance. They require us to consciously make time and prepare for them. You can make anything in your life a ritual. It’s about being present and consciously aware of what you are doing. You could make having a shower everyday into a ritual. When taking a shower, be present with yourself and your body. Allow yourself to feel the water on your body, the joy of washing your hair and be intentional with what you are doing. This tells our bodies that we love and care for it. We appreciate all it does for us.

When doing a ritual there is an energy that weaves its way into the fabric of our lives. They create a foundation from which we can build our lives. To be present in all we do, to be mindful of our thoughts, feelings and actions, in how we live and interact with ourselves and others. They bring us back to ourselves and ask us to know who we are and what we are about. They offer us the gift of living consciously and with intention. Rituals weave their way into our very core to offer us the gift of truly being present with ourselves and the world around us. These rituals become traditions that are passed onto the next generation to weave the fabric of their lives. Rituals have always been with us and when we use them with intention they become the foundation from which we build our lives. 

• What foundations are you laying? 
• What life are you wanting to create? 
• What habits do you need to stop and let go of? 
• What rituals can you start and add to your life that will create a beautiful foundation from which to build your magical life.
• What if we created our own rituals that we can use everyday as we live our life.  
• What could we change in our life? 
• What is possible for us when we stay present and allow the gifts of rituals to weave their magic into our daily lives.

The consistency of small repetitive steps taken each day creates the rituals on which we live. The repetitive patterns of rituals can have symbolic meanings and can be personal, cultural, religious and can include words, gestures and objects.

 A few tips when creating rituals:

• Be present with yourself.
• Look at the everyday acts you perform that you would like to create as a ritual.
• Keep it simple. Don’t over complicate what you do.
• Rituals are generally repetitive and are performed regularly.
• What is your intention behind the ritual?
• They have a specific order to the actions.
• They can be symbolic in nature and ceremonies can be formal or informal.
• Create space for you to do your ritual. If you need time away from others then create that space and the time.
• Be present and conscious when doing your ritual. Whether it’s a daily task or a ritual that is for a specific reason, like a full moon ritual or letting go ritual or inviting things into your life ritual.
• What items do you need to use to complete your rituals?
• Give yourself permission to be present and create your rituals.
• Finish your ritual with the gift of gratitude.

When I started weaving rituals into my life, I knew that I needed them to be simple and not overcomplicated. I would look at all the areas of my life and start to see what rituals I could add. What daily rituals could I do to be more present in my life? I started looking at an act I performed daily and turned that into a ritual. Like brushing my teeth, showering, eating, exercising, interacting with others, cooking, sleeping and more. The more I focused on performing these acts as a ritual, I could feel my body and mind start to ease and slow down and relax as I became more present with myself and not rushing around just to get things done. I became aware of a shift in how I felt about myself and my world. I started seeing clearly how rituals were weaving their way into my life. 

Occasional Rituals are rituals that are done for specific reasons like full moon, new moon rituals, religious, cultural, ceremonial or sporting rituals. You might do a ritual to release things from your life or a ritual to invite something into your life. You might have a family ritual for birthdays or other special occasions that you celebrate. Whatever the ritual is that you are choosing to do, do it with intention. Set yourself up before doing the ritual. 

For example, if you choose to do a release ritual, what do you need? You might decide you want to use sacred cacao in a ceremony where you choose the cacao and lovingly make it up all the while being present in that moment. You may choose to have a journal, your favourite pen, crystals, incense, questions that you ask yourself or anything that you wish to have with you. Whatever it is you wish to include in your rituals, be present and listen to your inner knowing of what is needed. Take the time to set yourself up and be intentional with all you do.

Rituals bring us together as a community, they can reinforce values, have personal meaning, reduce stress and allow us to live our life intentionally.  Allow the magic of rituals to weave their way into the fabric of your life and watch as it transforms the way you live. 

About the author:

Jacqueline is an author and intuitive mentor, who  knows that true change is the result of the cumulative impact of small, consistent steps taken daily. She understands that healing and transformation flourish in the fertile soil of self-love and kindness.  She offers practical tools, strategies and introspective questions to invite you to look inwards to discover the magic of your true self. 

Here is the link to her book on Amazon: