I hope you have had a good week, loving the sunshine, smothered in factor 50 sunscreen, and drinking lots of fluid … I hope I sound like your Mum here 😉

In all seriousness though it has been lovely to see sunshine and blue skies and the odd thunder storm and downpour just to feed the gardens. Let’s hope we have more of everything over the next few months.

I have been thinking about and focusing on rituals this week, the things that I do that help me feel more conscious and present. It was after I went off to teach my classes on Monday morning in Quorn. It was one of those journeys that when I arrived I wasn’t quite sure how I had got there …. it sounds completely bonkers when I say it out loud, but have you ever done that? When I arrived I felt a bit flustered, rushed, my headspace felt a bit foggy and I just didn’t feel right, I wasn’t ill, I just wasn’t present, so in Your Whole Self this week I am sharing how introducing rituals into our lives can help us be more present and live more consciously.

Meanwhile, here’s the news about this week’s classes.

This week I am sharing my 4 minute Pilates Ritual. It’s something I love to do before I teach my online classes because it gets me into my Pilates headspace. And sometimes I do it after I have taught to help me break from teaching mode into ‘other life’ mode. It’s conscious practice that I consider my ritual to help me be present and when I do it my mind and body feel more connected.

It's not a regular Exercise Of The Week as such, as I am not giving any modifications, adaptations, and so on... I don’t even speak… but you might enjoy giving this sequence a go.

Work appropriately for your body and keep away from pain.

What’s the difference between routine and ritual?

If you google it, routine is described as a sequence of actions regularly performed and usually as part of a procedure eg, heading to work, same time, same journey. It gives familiarity, it can feel safe, it can give stability, often it can be done on autopilot.

On the other hand ritual can be more formal, a set of actions or words that are performed in a ceremonial way, and it can be repeated. For example we can have a morning ritual which we can use to mark the start of our day, or it can be a shared proclamation of the beginning of something. Saying ‘Grace’ before eating could be a family ritual, a celebration of the food about to be shared and enjoyed. The ritual is more of a conscious act, and brings more of a connection.

A ritual can be an internal announcement that now is the time and this time belongs to …. starting the day, meditation, eating, Pilates practice, admin, stopping work, film night on tv. It can draw the line between the end of one thing and the beginning of another. 

Ritual assists with being conscious in this time, and the ritual makes the difference to the experience. It can make it more effective, more beneficial, and can lead to a more positive outcome. 

So here’s a couple of the rituals that help me to properly engage with what I am about to do: 

• I start the day with a cuppa in bed
• I light a candle before my morning meditation
• I mindfully run through the routine I have planned to teach before I head out
• I always do my 3 deliberate deep breaths before I start my Pilates practice
• I never stay in the clothes I have worn to teach in, I always change — it marks the end of my work day and the start of my other life
• I always massage my feet with foot cream when I am getting ready for bed
• I always write in my gratitude journal before settling down to sleep.

Don’t get stuck with routine, start to celebrate your actions and find your own rituals that help you feel present and experience the fullness of life.