During long, stressful days, I find it difficult to pause and do the spiritual rituals I need and love. Instead, I try to power through without taking much-needed breaks to nurture my body, mind and soul.
However, I’ve realized that I don’t have to devote an hour in the morning to a spiritual practice to stay connected with my Higher Self. Instead, I can do simple acts throughout the day that only take a minute or two, and these can go a long way in helping me shrug off any negative energy that’s hovering over, around and inside me.
Here are nine easy spiritual rituals I recommend for busy days.
9 easy spiritual rituals
Put your hand on your chest
I wear a silver pentacle necklace as a symbol of my devotion to the Goddess, and when I feel particularly lost or overwhelmed, I pause, place my hand on my chest and mentally check in with Her. I usually get a gut feeling pretty quickly about what I should do next. Putting my hand on my heart chakra seems to help me tune into my inner wisdom. The fact that I’m also putting my hand on a symbol of spiritual significance to me makes this gesture that much more potent and meaningful.
Take five deep breaths
It’s such a cliché to say, “take a few deep breaths,” but this method is recommended so often because of how incredibly effective it is. You don’t have to set aside 15 minutes of your day for breathing exercises. One deep breath is better than nothing, but five will make a big difference. Don’t worry about exactly how long the inhales and exhales are. Keep it simple: As long as the exhales are longer than the inhales, you’ll experience greater calm pretty much immediately. Feeling calm will allow you to connect more lucidly with the present moment.
Stretch up and stretch down
I should be doing Yoga every day, but I find it difficult to stick to a daily practice. I do, however, take a few minutes to stretch before bed every night, and I pause to stretch a few times throughout the day. There are two moves I find particularly helpful: standing straight and reaching my hands up toward the sky; and bending at the waist to touch my toes and then slowly rolling up, vertebra by vertebra. Think of stretching up as connecting with the Goddess and stretching down as connecting with the Earth.
Eat or drink a magical ingredient
During stressful times, I find it helpful to deliberately eat or drink something that has a magical correspondence resonating with something I’m trying to manifest in my mind, body or life. Use charts like this one to find an ingredient you can incorporate into a drink, meal or snack, and then focus your mind on the symbolism of it as you consume it. For example, squeeze some lemon juice on your salad to remove negative energy.
Take a mindful sip
Wherever you are in your day, you likely have a beverage within reach. Take a break from whatever you’re doing and take a sip, slowly and mindfully. Whatever the beverage is, be grateful for it. Combining this simple act with a deep breath or two will rejuvenate you even more.
Send a thoughtful text
My tendency is to text friends infrequently, and only when I’m feeling particularly lonely. It’s a habit I’m trying to break. It’s important for me to remember to also send texts just for the purpose of cheering up the recipient by letting them know I’m thinking about them. It might end up being the best part of their day. If you’re feeling bogged down by stress, take a moment to text someone you care about. It will be good for them and for you.
Draw one Tarot card
Sometimes, I set aside 20 minutes to do a full spread, but most of the time, pulling one card is way more accessible. I don’t always bother cracking open my book of Tarot card interpretations; I simply intuitively respond to the image on the card and tune into the message it has for me. It’s amazing how much this simple act can connect me with my Higher Self.
Think of one thing you’re grateful for
You don’t have to sit down and write 10 things you’re grateful for. Bring to mind just one thing. Even this can lift your mood and shift your focus towards the positive. Gratitude is at the heart of many spiritual practices. You may find that in the minutes and hours that follow, other things you’re grateful for will naturally rise to the surface of your consciousness.
Piggyback a happy thought onto a negative one
It’s important to accept yourself as you are, and not beat yourself up for the times when you’re not at your best. Some days, negative thoughts are more persistent. I find that it can be helpful not to fight my negative thoughts, but instead try to tack positive thoughts onto the end of them. This could look like summoning to mind something I like about the person I just felt resentful towards or recalling a happy memory to counteract feeling triggered by something that happens at work. Positive thoughts like these can shorten how long negative thoughts and feelings linger in my mind.
Don’t underestimate a short ritual’s power
Everyone has bad days. The key is finding quick, simple actions that can reconnect you with your strength, resilience and intuition. You may not be able to raise your vibration as much as you wish you could, but perhaps you’ll get moments of sunlight on an otherwise cloudy day. These precious moments might remind you that tomorrow could be much sunnier.
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image 1 Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay 2 image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay 3 image by Foundry Co from Pixabay
