Ritual

It is ritual that grounds me; chasing away despair and stress from the sphere of my heart and mind. More than a decade ago, realizing I can’t have coffee on an empty stomach, I made a large mug of a green/black tea combo first thing in the morning. Espresso comes later. It’s been an official ritual ever since. I add raw, organic honey and a splash of organic cream and soy milk. I hold the hot mug with both hands and sit outside to observe the integral workings and birdsong orchestra of nature. When I close my eyes and breathe deeply the variety of song is vast. When I watch and listen carefully, I’m aware that a whole world extending from me is doing their part to keep the earth spinning.
Every aspect of nature has a job to provide the nurturing we depend on. A ritual in nature feeds the soul, and starts the day on a good footing. Even during those times of the most excruciating recoveries with drains hanging out of me, knowing the nurse would show up mid-morning, I’d carry on. I’d carefully sit on the balcony chair, drains tucked away in the waistband of my Juicy pants, sip my delicious tea and behold the world around me. It deepened my trust that all would be well, especially when I experienced a magical friendship with hummingbirds. Whatever ritual in nature speaks to you, know that going there consistently will provide a meditative peace.
If a brisk and wet morning greeted me, I’d sit outside bundled up and watch the rain. Or on a very chilly, but sunny day, I take my tea outside and sit in a spot where the sun hits my back, and the cool breeze washed over my face. It helps me to wake up and move into the day no matter what lies ahead. Even if the positive residue of my morning ritual doesn’t last, I know that tomorrow I’ll be visiting it again — I’ll breathe in the morning air and observe the exquisite miracles of nature connecting me to what is true.
On the other side of my arduous journey, I’m realizing that I’m not sure where I fit any longer, how to chase away the trauma and blues, who I am as a woman making my way through the day in Santa Barbara, or how this new chapter will play out. I find that my tea ritual is more important than ever. I need to rely on something I’m familiar with, otherwise I’ll binge watch Mad Men again. It would be a recommendation I’d share with anyone who’d find a grounding ceremony, anywhere in or by nature, beneficial for their own healing, as well as a pathway of infusing peace to the mind.
Keep on swimming through life,
Valerie
