Turning Daily Routines into Spiritual Practice
by Joshua David O'Brien, O.M.
Consider what makes some moments of our lives more meaningful than others.
Holidays
Take for example the Christmas season. In our predominantly Christian society, we place special importance on a particular day of a particular month to celebrate the birth of a particular person born over 2000 years ago. We decorate our homes, exchange gifts, send cards, gather with friends and family, and say things like “Happy Holidays,” or “Merry Christmas.” We even donate more to charity during this time of year. The date, however, that we celebrate the birth of Jesus is a matter of social convention. We’re not really sure when Jesus was born. Depending on the source, Jesus was born on December 25th, October 2nd, September 29th, or April 6th! The significance we give to this time of year is completely arbitrary; strictly speaking, the reason for the season is a matter of debate.
Birthdays
Celebrating a birthday is a beautiful way to honor the anniversary of the day a human being came into this world, but what about leap year (day) babies? The way we keep track of time has evolved over thousands of years and the calendar has not always been the way it is now. Is it any less meaningful to celebrate their birthday on February 28th or March 1st during a non-leap year? It’s not the date that’s important, but the sentiment and feeling we bring to the date we choose to honor their birth.
“Time has no meaning in itself unless we choose to give it significance.” ~ Leo F. Buscaglia
Songs and Symbolism
I have deeply patriotic friends who are moved when they salute the American flag and sing “The Star Spangled Banner” and I have devoutly Christian friends who are moved when they sing “Amazing Grace.” The power of their experiences, however, are not in the songs themselves, but in the meaning the songs have for them individually.
Rituals around holidays, birthdays, special songs, or symbols are intended to infuse meaning and special feelings into daily life. But again, the quality of our ritual experiences lie not in the rituals themselves, but in how we relate to them. In other words, “the more significance you give the moment, the more the moment has the opportunity to be significant.”
Daily Mindfulness Practices
In previous classes we’ve talked about the various ways we can integrate mindfulness into daily life. For example, our days are full of “transition moments,” little fragments of time when we are moving from one chore to another, one place to another, or one activity to another, and we can use these little moments to stop doing and just “be” for a few seconds to break free of our habitual tendency to live on auto-pilot. When you’re done brushing your teeth, when you’ve finished doing the dishes, when you get into your car, etc., just pause, feel yourself breathing, check in with your body, take in your senses, and really embody the present moment. When you drift off into thinking, come back to your senses if only for a few seconds.
Using Daily Rituals to Support Mindfulness
“Transition Moments” invite us to be mindful in small pauses throughout the day. The use of Daily Routines invites us to be mindful in routine tasks, thus transforming the mundane into something meaningful. We learn to see that there are no ordinary moments in life; every moment is sacred and deeply spiritual if we are open to changing how we relate to those moments.
“When every moment is rich with eternal significance, there is neither the lingering clinging to the dead past, nor a longing expectation for the future, but an integral living in the eternal now.” ~ Meher Baba
Showering
Consider that much of the world’s population doesn’t have access to clean water, let alone clean hot water on demand. We don’t have to walk to a water source and carry water back home. We don’t even need to heat it. All we have to do is turn a knob. It’s truly a miracle and something to be thankful for every day.
Our morning shower is how we care for our body and keep it clean and healthy. We’re among a privileged few in the world who can do so. Taking a shower helps to keep our body free of diseases, infections, and infestations. As you shower, be mindful of these facts, slow down just a little, pay attention to how it feels to care for your body and thank your body for taking care of you.
Getting Dressed
In the big picture of things, there is really no difference between getting dressed for your inauguration as President of the United States, getting dressed for work, or getting dressed for a day of chores. The difference only exists in the meaning we attribute to the occasion, not in the act of getting dressed itself. Slow down. Turn getting dressed into a sacred ceremony once in a while. Whether you’re donning a tux/elegant gown or an old pair of jeans, imagine you are getting dressed for a momentous occasion – you really are – today is the only moment you have and it’s a miracle that you have it.
Meals
As you prepare a meal and as you serve the food slow down and really notice the process. Be physically present with the moment and connect with heartfelt gratitude. Engage your senses. Imagine that you are taking part in a sacred ceremony from the Native American, Japanese, or Hindu cultures. It’s fun, completely refreshing, and transformative.
Entering your Home or Your Meditation Room
There are a wide variety of rituals for entering a room, home, or sacred place from nearly every major religious and cultural background. Even in our Western culture it is common to wipe your feet before entering someone’s home. You can do this mindfully and you might enjoy adding one of the following traditions to your daily routine:
Stop and bow as you cross the threshold into your home or your meditation room.
Mindfully remove your shoes before entering your home or meditation room.
Offer a short blessing as you enter your home such as, “Peace to everyone who finds shelter in these walls.”
Meditation Rituals
Before you sit to meditate, dim the lighting, light a candle and some incense, offer a blessing or prayer, and ring a bell before you start and when you’re finished.
“The Sabbath was Made for Man, Not Man for the Sabbath” ~ Jesus
Remember that rituals are just tools to help you stay present in the moment and connected to the significance of each moment. If you find yourself just going through the motions, refresh your intention to be mindful by coming to your senses and connecting with your body and heart.
by Joshua David O'Brien, O.M.
Consider what makes some moments of our lives more meaningful than others.
Holidays
Take for example the Christmas season. In our predominantly Christian society, we place special importance on a particular day of a particular month to celebrate the birth of a particular person born over 2000 years ago. We decorate our homes, exchange gifts, send cards, gather with friends and family, and say things like “Happy Holidays,” or “Merry Christmas.” We even donate more to charity during this time of year. The date, however, that we celebrate the birth of Jesus is a matter of social convention. We’re not really sure when Jesus was born. Depending on the source, Jesus was born on December 25th, October 2nd, September 29th, or April 6th! The significance we give to this time of year is completely arbitrary; strictly speaking, the reason for the season is a matter of debate.
Birthdays
Celebrating a birthday is a beautiful way to honor the anniversary of the day a human being came into this world, but what about leap year (day) babies? The way we keep track of time has evolved over thousands of years and the calendar has not always been the way it is now. Is it any less meaningful to celebrate their birthday on February 28th or March 1st during a non-leap year? It’s not the date that’s important, but the sentiment and feeling we bring to the date we choose to honor their birth.
“Time has no meaning in itself unless we choose to give it significance.” ~ Leo F. Buscaglia
Songs and Symbolism
I have deeply patriotic friends who are moved when they salute the American flag and sing “The Star Spangled Banner” and I have devoutly Christian friends who are moved when they sing “Amazing Grace.” The power of their experiences, however, are not in the songs themselves, but in the meaning the songs have for them individually.
Rituals around holidays, birthdays, special songs, or symbols are intended to infuse meaning and special feelings into daily life. But again, the quality of our ritual experiences lie not in the rituals themselves, but in how we relate to them. In other words, “the more significance you give the moment, the more the moment has the opportunity to be significant.”
Daily Mindfulness Practices
In previous classes we’ve talked about the various ways we can integrate mindfulness into daily life. For example, our days are full of “transition moments,” little fragments of time when we are moving from one chore to another, one place to another, or one activity to another, and we can use these little moments to stop doing and just “be” for a few seconds to break free of our habitual tendency to live on auto-pilot. When you’re done brushing your teeth, when you’ve finished doing the dishes, when you get into your car, etc., just pause, feel yourself breathing, check in with your body, take in your senses, and really embody the present moment. When you drift off into thinking, come back to your senses if only for a few seconds.
Using Daily Rituals to Support Mindfulness
“Transition Moments” invite us to be mindful in small pauses throughout the day. The use of Daily Routines invites us to be mindful in routine tasks, thus transforming the mundane into something meaningful. We learn to see that there are no ordinary moments in life; every moment is sacred and deeply spiritual if we are open to changing how we relate to those moments.
“When every moment is rich with eternal significance, there is neither the lingering clinging to the dead past, nor a longing expectation for the future, but an integral living in the eternal now.” ~ Meher Baba
Showering
Consider that much of the world’s population doesn’t have access to clean water, let alone clean hot water on demand. We don’t have to walk to a water source and carry water back home. We don’t even need to heat it. All we have to do is turn a knob. It’s truly a miracle and something to be thankful for every day.
Our morning shower is how we care for our body and keep it clean and healthy. We’re among a privileged few in the world who can do so. Taking a shower helps to keep our body free of diseases, infections, and infestations. As you shower, be mindful of these facts, slow down just a little, pay attention to how it feels to care for your body and thank your body for taking care of you.
Getting Dressed
In the big picture of things, there is really no difference between getting dressed for your inauguration as President of the United States, getting dressed for work, or getting dressed for a day of chores. The difference only exists in the meaning we attribute to the occasion, not in the act of getting dressed itself. Slow down. Turn getting dressed into a sacred ceremony once in a while. Whether you’re donning a tux/elegant gown or an old pair of jeans, imagine you are getting dressed for a momentous occasion – you really are – today is the only moment you have and it’s a miracle that you have it.
Meals
As you prepare a meal and as you serve the food slow down and really notice the process. Be physically present with the moment and connect with heartfelt gratitude. Engage your senses. Imagine that you are taking part in a sacred ceremony from the Native American, Japanese, or Hindu cultures. It’s fun, completely refreshing, and transformative.
Entering your Home or Your Meditation Room
There are a wide variety of rituals for entering a room, home, or sacred place from nearly every major religious and cultural background. Even in our Western culture it is common to wipe your feet before entering someone’s home. You can do this mindfully and you might enjoy adding one of the following traditions to your daily routine:
Stop and bow as you cross the threshold into your home or your meditation room.
Mindfully remove your shoes before entering your home or meditation room.
Offer a short blessing as you enter your home such as, “Peace to everyone who finds shelter in these walls.”
Meditation Rituals
Before you sit to meditate, dim the lighting, light a candle and some incense, offer a blessing or prayer, and ring a bell before you start and when you’re finished.
“The Sabbath was Made for Man, Not Man for the Sabbath” ~ Jesus
Remember that rituals are just tools to help you stay present in the moment and connected to the significance of each moment. If you find yourself just going through the motions, refresh your intention to be mindful by coming to your senses and connecting with your body and heart.
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