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When I think back to my childhood, I inevitably think about all the beautiful rituals that my mom lovingly created for us.
There was the bedtime story reading – something, I’m sure, most parents do with their kids. But still, it was special, it was comforting, it was the perfect way to end a day.
There was the ritual of putting together an Advent calendar story every December– one day at a time for 24 days. Every night, we’d sit down, mom would read a story to us and then we’d add a section to our Advent calendar. It was beautiful and something I treasure until this day.
Then, much later, there was the ritual of us three girls – my mom, my sister & I – watching Germany’s Next Topmodel together. Every Thursday evening, we’d gather in the living room and indulge in a world of beauty, drama and yes, make belief. I loved those evenings where all the sorrows and stressors of the week floated away and we’d just have a few hours of fun.
Family rituals don’t just provide nice memories, but they also serve as emotional stables in a child’s life; something that’s oh so important when growing up.
The same can be said for adults. We need rituals to feel safe, taken care of and at home.
When you’re trying to find your way out of diet prison, rituals can serve as a substitute for destructive habits and they can provide the platform from which healing takes place.
Here are my top 13 rituals that keep me grounded and happy in my body.
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Setting a positive intention
Every morning, I take a moment to set an intention for the day and for my body. It can be anything from “I will feel energetic today” to “I will listen to my body” to “I will be appreciative of the little things in my life” or “I will give lots of hugs”.
This little 5-second ritual sets the mood for my day and it helps me to begin anew every single morning.
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Checking in with my body
I begin and end my day with a short awareness exercise for my body.
I scan my body starting with my toes and ending with my head. This is a super simple way to ground yourself and to learn to embody your body. You’ll also see if something feels “off” and needs to be healed.
The more often you repeat this awareness exercise the more in tune you’ll live with your body.
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Tuning in to my senses
Throughout my day, I try to use my senses very consciously.
I smell my coffee intentionally, I slow down when I eat, I try to taste new flavors in my food or I simply feel the ground underneath my feet. These moments of pure awareness bring me back to the present (which is the place where no fear or worries exist) and help me to feel truly at home in my body.
This is also a ritual that reminds me of the beauty and magnificence of our world. I am often amazed at the different flavors and aromas that you can inhale within a single moment. Try it for yourself to see.
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Writing cards
This one is a ritual that keeps on giving love. It creates a ripple effect that touches many people in a positive way. The trick here is – obviously – to be sincere and kind when you’re writing a card to a person you love, admire or don’t even know all that much just yet.
I love to write cards to strangers and leave them somewhere in book stores or in misogynistic magazines. I know that those cards will fall into the hands of someone who truly needs to read a kind message – because who doesn’t, right?
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Being coached
I have several coaches. Some coach me off and on, others coach me bi-weekly. It’s the ritual that I rely on the most because it is the most effective.
I cannot tell you how blessed I feel to have the coaches I have and to be able to touch base with powerful women who have so very much wisdom to offer.
However, mostly, I am just surprised about the insight that I can offer to myself. Once you show up fully open, vulnerable and authentic to a call or a coaching session (or a simple conversation with your best friend), the world is at your feet. You begin to see your own messy ways, your own feminine essence, your body’s intuitive guidance.
It’s definitely the most profound way to ground yourself and get back in line with who you really are.
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Choosing gratitude
Gratitude makes my world go round. I have a running list of things to be grateful for in my mind and I own a gratitude journal where I jot down what I’m thankful for on any given day.
This small mind-shift from a space of lack and dissatisfaction (you know, the place we tend to dwell in every now and then) is miraculous. I also include my body on this list every day to highlight how important it is for me and my life.
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Bringing nature into my day
I am a nature lover. We live close to the forest and I try to take daily walks outside with Johann. I breathe better when I’m outside, I think better when I inhale fresh air and I definitely sleep better when I’ve been outside for a while.
When the weather is too nasty to go out (although that doesn’t happen often for me), I tend to get more creative and add lemon and mint to my water, use more nature-scented essential oils or hang dried eucalyptus in my shower, which is a trick I got from the internet a few years back and wouldn’t want to miss anymore.
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Taking baths
Taking a bath makes me feel immensely luxurious. I can forget about all of my sorrows and worries when I am surrounded by warm water, candles and a good book. But baths are about more than relaxing, they’re also a way of dropping into acceptance of your body and of your self. Don’t look away, hiding your body underneath bubbles and foam and look closely, get acquainted with it, allow it to exist.
When I don’t have the time for a bath, I make my shower more special by tuning in to my body, really experiencing the water pouring down my skin. Afterwards, I apply lotion and extend loving kindness to my body and myself.
If you feel like you don’t have the time to do this, don’t worry. It may take a minute or two more, but you’ll feel a million times more refreshed and renewed.
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Getting bi-weekly manicures
Manicures make me feel super clean and feminine. I choose to spend time and money on my fingernails every other week and I reap the rewards in between.
It’s an instant confidence boost for me and Johann loves it when I have colorful nails. 🙂
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Dancing in my underpants
I’ve always been a dancer and have loved music for all of my life (as Johann does now). I’ve tried Jazz, Zumba, Ballett, Hip Hop and many other forms of dance, but the one thing that will surely get me out of my head and into my body is dancing in my underwear.
It feels daring, audacious and quite vulnerable to strip down to your panties and a bra and move your body to the beat. This tiny bit of discomfort drops me into my body in a special way and it makes me powerfully aware of the skin I’m in. Try it. 🙂
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Bathing myself in beams of light
I have adapted certain visualization exercises I learned from different teachers to create my personal No Diet Diet visualization method. I bathe myself in beams of green, violet or white light (depending on my mood and on what I need) while breathing in love for myself and breathing out love for the world.
Sometimes a minute of this visualization helps, sometimes I need ten.
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Massaging my hands
This is great for tense hands; especially when you work on the computer all day long.
It’s also a great ritual to notice your body in your day-to-day life. Massaging your hands doesn’t need any equipment or a special place, you can do it anywhere and anytime. You can repeat your favorite affirmations for bonus points.
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Finding a spiritual practice
Last fall I joined a Kundalini Yoga Studio and began to attend two Yoga classes a week. This experience changed me profoundly and nurtured my being from the inside out. The connection between moving my body in often crazy ways with a spiritual foundation brought me closer to the universe and to myself.
I am not a super spiritual person (I’m learning to be though), but something about Kundalini Yoga simply made sense.
Finding a spiritual practice that speaks to you is a powerful ritual helping you to escape diet prison once and for all.
Now I’d love to hear from you. What are your favorite rituals that keep you grounded and sane?
