Every week of quarantine for COVID-19, then beyond, as I am venturing back out into the world, I baked muffins. I rotated among a few favorite recipes, with occasional variations. Baking muffins became a weekly ritual that gave me moments of familiarity during an unusual year. When I don’t know how to pray, I bake.
Rituals — actions done with presence and intention — tell our bodies and brains that something is about to begin or shift, so get ready. They have the power to move us into a different frame of mind and openness of heart. Prayer before a meal is a ritual. So is celebrating a friend’s birthday with a party (even over Zoom)! Lighting a candle is a ritual.
We need rituals to anchor us when we feel like we are drifting away in our fears. Rituals that ground and nourish us can be connected to faith, but they don’t have to be. They help us feel more centered, calmer, especially when life and the world around us are anything but peaceful.
This message is excerpted from “Rituals that nourish and ground us” by Jordan Miller-Stubendick in the October 2020 Cafe online magazine.
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