Joyful Rituals

I took a deep inhale at the end of my (short) meditation this morning and was flooded with memory of the phase in my life where yoga took up most of my pre-work morning. Once, before the swamp of parenting toddlers, I took my yoga seriously. 

The current stripped down version of caring for myself gives me some perspective on the younger yogi me.  Of course I was deeply nourished by my yoga practice, but there was a sneaky rigidity to it. If I could fold myself into deeper postures I would be “more” enlightened. If I did my breathing practices morning AND night I would be a “better” yogi. 

Now, I’m excited for each minute on a meditation cushion. Each minute is sacred and necessary to my being. I no longer have energy for the should. My rituals need to give me pleasure to make the cut. This is different from cultivating discipline. Of course I have a part of me that laments my lack of discipline. It would be awesome to leap out of bed for an intense yoga practice before the kids are up. It would be so cool to touch my toes effortlessly again. And my energy is too precious for discipline. 

For now, I’m honoring a few simple, compelling rituals that give me pleasure. Hot tea in the morning. Moving outside with people I love. A few minutes of silence on a cushion. It’s enough. 

Consider taking an inventory of your rituals. What is driven by pleasure? What has rigidity hiding underneath? Is there a way to soften into what is compelling? 

With love,

Liz