What Are Rituals and Why Are They Important?
I’m currently deep in the snowy woods of Northern Wisconsin. I’m curled up in front of a fire, reading a book on Japanese Folk Religions. It’s a fitting subject for a natural environment that evokes stillness and silence in a busy mind.
The Japanese culture is synonymous with ritual, particularly ritual that is tied to nature’s rhythm and beauty. Shrines, festivals, purification rituals, ceremonies, and Ancestral veneration, all bring meaning to Japanese lives and culture.
Rituals invite us to go deeper, deeper into the meaning behind our actions. They speak to a part of us that honors the power of intention.
How to Incorporate Intimate Rituals Into Your Everyday Life and Relationship
What rituals exist in your life and relationship right now? Is there a ritual that, given more conscious intention, could deepen your connection with love and life?
Our lives are filled with rituals we inherited from our upbringing as well as rituals we’ve created that are unique to our own lives. Even the most mundane daily activities, like sharing a morning coffee or lighting a candle at dinner, can be elevated to a ritual by empowering the purpose of that activity and bringing meaning to our actions.
What rituals do we honor in our relationships that bring meaning and purpose to our actions?
The answer to that question is unique to each couple.
A common ritual is putting aside quality time to be intimate, both physically and emotionally.
Quality time can last a weekend, an evening, an hour or even a moment. If partners acknowledge the intention of being together, they can turn a simple hug into a ritual.
If a couple agrees that the purpose of an extended hug is to drop into a connected space of appreciation and love, then a hugging ritual is born.
If serving a cup of tea to your partner is done with the full intention to offer that cup with all of your love, in service, then you have brought ritual to that ordinary daily gesture.
If opening the car door for your partner is a ritual, you accept that service as a reminder to show your appreciation, and you do it with full attention and a smile.
By visiting a beautiful vista that has meaning to you as a couple you can share the intention of renewing your connection.
When we agree to express 3 things we’re grateful for before we go to sleep at night, we’re bringing a ritual of positivity and fullness into our slumber.
Make Every Moment Count: How Rituals Can Bring Meaning Into Your Relationship
What moments in your relationship deserve to be ritualized and honored?
I encourage couples to explore rituals in the bedroom.
By preparing the room for intimacy by using lighting, music, scent, and fabric, we transform our intimate preparation into ritual.
By showering or bathing, shaving, etc, we create the ritual of offering our bodies to our beloved and receiving their body in return.
When you enter that prepared intimate space, light a candle together and speak your intention for that time together.
“My intention is to be here with you completely, and let go of all the mental chatter in my head.”
“My intention is to feel my love and appreciation for having some time alone with you.”
“My intention is to let go and receive pleasure.”
When we can identify and speak our intention, it empowers us to make it so.
When we hear our partner’s intention, we can support them in making it so as well.
Transform Everyday Activities Into Sacred Rituals to Deepen Your Connection With Your Partner
Rituals have been an integral part of human life throughout history. These days many people have moved away from traditional rituals or forgotten the importance of creating new ones.
In order to reengage rituals into our lives, we can start by having a conversation with our partner and making a conscious effort to incorporate them into our daily routines.
We have the power to bring meaning to every aspect of our life and relationship. Couples who share this understanding, are always finding new ways to renew and refresh their life together.
If you’re ready to take the next step in creating a deeper and more meaningful connection with your partner, then book a free Discovery Call today and learn how to unlock the power of intimate rituals together.
Let me show you how to make every moment count with rituals that will bring new meaning to your relationship.
Discover the power of rituals that empower your intimacy. Book your free discovery call now!
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This post was previously published on Love Sex and Desire and is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock
