Routine or Ritual?: More than Semantics

There is a lot of talk right now in the health/wellness world, about the importance of routines, specially morning routines. I follow some very intelligent and well-intentioned people who sometimes reveal themselves to be totally out of touch with real people with real jobs and real obligations. I don't mean to imply that their work isn't real or their obligations any less real. I suppose I should say "traditional" or something more along those lines. Let me give you an example, and I think you'll get the idea. 

One such health/wellness professional advises that each morning, my morning routine should consist of:

* No alarm, allowing my body to awaken naturally according to its circadian rhythm

* 15-20 minutes spent in the morning light, as the sun rises and I drink my organic, mold-free coffee which has been poured over the French press in my organic kitchen

* 30 minutes of meditation 

* 45 minutes of cardio, followed by a cold plunge for 10 minutes

* 35 minutes of yoga 

* 25 minutes of visualization journaling, or possibly designing a vision board

You get the idea. There is no possible way that any person with a traditional job could really spend a ton of time on simply starting their day. The evening routines are just as unrealistically demanding. 

I've settled on something that looks like this on the weekdays:

* 5 AM Alarm

* Brew a pot of coffee & make myself a cup

* Spend 45 mins. reading/journaling/blogging (depending on the day)

* Get ready for work, reporting around 6:45 AM (roughly 75 mins. before I'm required to be there). 

It works for me. Here's the trick, though. I don't consider this a morning routine, though it certainly could be called that. Instead, I consider it a morning ritual. What's the difference? Aren't these words pretty much interchangeable? Well, no. A ritual is a routine that's been infused with intention, with meaning. That means that I don't just go through the motions, like the steps of brushing my teeth, for example. Instead, I intentionally acknowledge my choice to wake up at 5, my deliberate decision to spend time in personal, spiritual, creative growth. I make this a priority. 

Maybe you have a similar approach to your morning. I see people in my neighborhood going for their morning run (I was one of those people, once). There are things we each do every morning. I wonder, though, if you've pushed from routine to ritual. Are you going through the motions? When was the last time you considered which motions you go through and why? Is the way you start your day in alignment with the kind of day you'd like to have?

We've lost touch with rituals in our society, perhaps rightly so. If a ritual is imposed upon you from some entity higher up on the hierarchal food chain, like many organized rituals are, then they lose meaning. They become outward signs of obedience, of going through the motions. But, if a ritual is self-designed and in line with your values and goals, then you are more likely to not only stick with it, but also get something out of it. Athletes and performers of every stripe tend to have rituals that prepare them to perform at their peak. These rituals are unique to the performer, designed to evoke focus and diligence for the task at hand. 

So while it's tempting to allow the "professionals" to tell you what your morning routine should look like, the reality is that the answer is already within you. You can design your own ritual that sets you up for the kind of day you want to have, that tends to your unique needs and fuels your own soul. Infuse your routine with intention, and see what rises to the top.