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When we perform or participate in
rituals and ceremonies, we enter into a state of mind that is different
from mundane consciousness. Ranging in significance from bedtime stories
to weddings, ceremonies and rituals are acknowledgments that an event or
period of time has special meaning. As a result, they can draw us into
the moment, inviting us to pay closer attention and tune into the subtle
energies that are always present but often go unrecognized. In addition,
as we perform the same actions we have performed before and will perform
again, we immerse ourselves in a river of continuity that extends back
into the past and forward into the future.
Many of us have distanced ourselves
from rituals that may have seemed too constricting or too attached to an
organized religion. However, we can reclaim the practices of ceremony and
ritual to good effect, imbuing them with our new consciousness. We do not
have to wait for a big event to do it. We can engage in daily practices
that include ritual and ceremony, reminding ourselves throughout the day
of the sacredness of this life. In fact, if we look closely, we will see
that our days are already flowing with rituals, from the time we wake up
to the time we retire. We do not need to change anything except our
perspective to fill our day with an air of ceremony.
Most of our daily rituals revolve
around nourishing and cleansing, both of which have always been sacred
acts. With this in mind, we may pause before each meal, close our eyes,
and say a silent thank you to the universe that provides. If we want to
get more elaborate, we can light candles or bless our food. Similarly, as
we wash ourselves in the morning and evening, we can choose to see the
grace in this act of cleansing and purification as we release what has
passed and prepare ourselves for the new. We can be as simple or as
complex as we like, so long as our attitude is one of reverence for this
sacred moment in this sacred life.
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