Rituals

The typical elements of my morning ritual—some open floor space, a kettlebell and Biggie :)

Rituals are a powerful thing. They’re habits that we engage in on a regular basis. What’s important to note though, is the value of a ritual. To me, unlike a habit, a ritual is something that holds a deep rooted purpose. It’s something that we engage in that reflects our values. They are opportunities to tune the frequency of our everyday reality by first setting a flow within ourselves. That alone can generate momentum, or a ‘ripple effect’ if you will, towards our relationships, our craft, our studies, etc. They are a catalyst. Because, much like the idea and intention behind creating ÜNDA, I believe that flow or momentum in one area of our lives should facilitate that same potential to all aspects of our lives. Ultimately, they should deepen the relationship we have with ourselves.

The one I most frequently engage in would be what I’ve come to call, my “Morning Ritual”. When I wake up every morning, I sit up in bed and drink an entire glass of water. Once finished, I place both of my bare feet flat on the ground and feel the world under my feet. I then use the bathroom, wash my hands and then finish with washing my face. If I may add, I’ve always told myself that at this point, if I truly don’t feel like it is worth it to carry on and that there is more to be gained by going back to bed, then I will, with no self-imposed guilt. I rarely do though. And so, after my time in the bathroom, I clear a section on the floor of either the living room, bedroom or wherever, and engage in a full body mobility routine.

Now, the exact movements, order and emphasis of that mobility routine changes daily, but the same basic framework and touch points happen every time. The intention, is to move every part of my body from a core set of base positions, starting from the ground up.

Physically, engaging in this daily movement practice is something that’s provided sustainable results over the last few years of my life. I understand that whether if we work a desk job or a construction job, we’re a professional athlete or a knowledge worker, we live in a physical world. And in this physical world, there is a toll to pay for every way in which we choose to use (or not use, misuse or disuse) our bodies. Daily movement, check ins and investments into my body have given me an outlet to nourish this thing that I only have one of and that largely impacts my quality of life.

Mentally, engaging in this daily movement practice is something that’s given me a catalyst for stimulating mental flow. This is really important. Too often, negative thought patterns can leave us a in a ruminating cycle of stagnation. Having something that can generate momentum gets us out of our own way. It is also rewarding knowing that you chose to make time for yourself and start your day investing in yourself, so that you can see the return on investment later. Especially given the hustle and bustle of work life and chaos that can happen once you step outside of your apartment, where many things now are outside of our locus of control, a morning ritual like stretching or training is a great start to conquering the day.

I’ve always admired early risers. Those who get after it first thing in the morning. I’ve always associated that with folks who are driven. Folks who work hard to reap what they sew. It’s a common trait I’ve observed in many of the world’s most interesting and successful people. I started paying more attention to it when I saw that in people I admired in my early 20’s. Though I wish it was something I could say I picked up on at that time, it’s not true. But I am happy to have made it a ritual of mine now. And that’s what matters.

Despite the reality that how I feel during the morning ritual changes day by day, the real value that I’ve gotten from nurturing and engaging in it is a sense of consistency. This ultimately gives rise to peace of mind. Internal chatter needs an outlet or else it festers. Whenever I am stagnant, on a thought or in a position, that rumination grows. That’s why the motto is always, keep it moving.

- DRJ