Move With the Sun
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Until I lived in Asia, I didn’t have a morning ritual other than the shower, coffee, out-the-door trio that’s become commonplace around the world. A year into living in Hanoi, a ritual emerged, and for the most part, remains a part of my third year abroad. So why do I do it?
A daily ritual is important. It sets the tone of my days, buoying me to something that keeps me afloat even on the roughest of days. Along the way, I’ve modified my routine, and that’s been critical to its longevity.
Here are my tips for creating a ritual that lasts:
Move with the sun. I adjust the time I wake up to when the sun rises. So that means that during the winter I go to bed earlier and wake up later, while in the summer I go to bed a bit later and rise earlier. I also adjust it based on my exam schedule. You may find changing it to suit your work or family’s schedule ensures it happens every day, all year.
Be flexible. So you missed a day. Ok. Begin, again.
Try a nightly ritual. Rituals don’t just belong to the morning. I even have one for the afternoon.
Create rituals that energize or nourish you. They can challenge you, but shouldn't deplete you.
Share your practice. My husband and I share parts of my evening ritual. Since he knows about my practices, he encourages me when I'm slacking.
Keep it simple and maybe even short. Three times during the day are set aside for ritual, so I keep things short. No more than an hour in the morning, and only thirty minutes in the afternoon and evening. While I admire people with Superman meditation sessions or Rushdie's writing stamina, they are not for me right now.
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