Three Ways to Center Mindfulness Daily
While we're celebrating the accomplishments of our sisters for Women's History Month, don't forget to prioritize wellness rituals which honor your spirit. Far too often, we focus solely on productivity, as if this measures worth. You were born worthy, remember this mantra - particularly on days when discouragement or overwhelm looms.
Creating a ritual for mindfulness is a sacred offering of love to the self. Grab your note pad, we're sharing three rituals you can embrace right now:
Begin by slowing down and sipping: Our handcrafted Zen Tea Ritual box , which includes elements created by Jonathan Castro Designs, ushers you into a relaxed vibration, while encouraging mindful sips. Beginning or ending the day (depending on lifestyle / schedule) with this quiet time helps release stress.
One of my favorite thinkers and teachers, Thich Nhat Hanh, explains mindful tea consumption this way: “When I drink tea, there is only me, and the tea. The rest of the world dissolves. There are no worries about the future. No dwelling on past mistakes. Tea is simple: Loose-leaf tea, hot pure water, a cup.
I inhale the scent, tiny delicate pieces of the tea floating above the cup. I drink the tea, the essence of the leaves becoming a part of me. I am informed by the tea, changed. This is the act of life...”
Mindfulness Meditation: When we are awake to the present moment, through mindful living and meditation, our mind, body and spirit operate in alignment. Committing to meditation not simply as an activity to check off the list, but a mindset to embody, grounds us in restoration.
Our ceremonial candle serves as a wonderful addition to your meditation practice, Laura Cepeda, our founder says: “In some spiritual practices, the coconut symbolizes strength. Bamboo also symbolizes strength, flexibility, and health. The bamboo’s strength teaches us to stand upright and its flexibility teaches us to adapt to the harshest circumstances. The combination of these virtues teaches us how to find balance and inner peace in our lives.”
Maintaining your ceremonial candles is important, too, and our kit includes accessories - wick trimmer, candle snuffer, and wick dipper.
As you deepen your meditation experience, you may also explore candle gazing meditation, focusing your eyes and mind on the light emitted. This form of meditation has a host of benefits, including increased focus, improved vision, deepened sleep, and assistance with sleep-related disorders.
Soothing Your Senses with Incense: Many of us now spend our days wearing masks for protection against COVID-19. We’re not able to enjoy various smells in the same way. Incorporating the power of various fragrances, through incense, helps you reconnect with this sense.
Our lovingly crafted ceramic incense holders, with bursts of color, supports this part of your well-being ritual. Incense and the various aromas are known to cleanse energy, restore inner harmony, and are part of numerous faith traditions around the world.
In a world where we are constantly bombarded with stimuli, and everything, at times, feels as if it’s competing for attention, take mindful moments for you - every day. Pema Chödrön, writer, Buddhist nun in the Tibetan tradition, urges us to remember a profound truth: “You are the sky. Everything else – it’s just the weather.”
Talk to Us in the Comments: Do you have a mindful ritual which helps you cope? Share with us below in the comments, and let’s keep the conversation going.
