Reflections for the week

Over the Christmas holidays, I have really enjoyed my evening ritual with 13 wishes & The Holy Nights Practice. I've also included time for meditation & time to write after if it's felt needed.  I've felt so much more grounded by this evening practice & have looked forward to this part of my day so much.

What I've also become aware of is the beauty of the ritual .

What I noticed was that the ritual itself became as important as the wishes. Repetition created a sense of safety, presence & meaning. It wasn’t about doing it perfectly, but about showing up in the same way each evening. That consistency is part of the beauty of ritual , it turns intention into an embodied experience & it’s something I want to continue going forwards.

So why are rituals so alluring & powerful?

Rituals build trust - when something is repeated with intention, the nervous system softens. It softens with the familiar.

Rituals slow us down - without ritual, meaningful moments often pass through us too quickly to register. Ritual slows the pace just enough for experience to be felt, not just thought about.

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So I'll be continuing my evening ritual of a quiet space, candles lit & I'm including written reflections as & when I feel the need.

I've added a few below in case this resonates with you too.

You might like to take a few minutes with a journal, a cup of tea, or simply sit and reflect on one of the questions below (there’s no need to answer them all).

I'll randomly offer more. We don't want this to feel like another part of a to-do list but maybe a lovely moment of quiet time, just for you to reflect.

Maybe it can follow & align with anything that came up for you in the end of year practice (qualities you want more of in the coming months, for example)

So when you reflect back at the end of your week,

What has been challenging, & what strengths did you draw on to support yourself?

What's felt meaningful or nourishing?

When have you felt a sense of connection?

What has bought you genuine joy?

By working with just a few reflections at a time, you give your nervous system space to respond . You can just choose the one reflection that you are drawn to. You can return to these questions whenever you need & I’ll continue to share others in future posts, so this becomes an ongoing, supportive practice rather than another task to complete. I love to delve a bit deeper & to get beyond my thoughts through writing. It always amazes me what begins to flow & I do find that prompts help me tremendously - as sometimes I can just stare at a page in my journal!!

With love & until next time...

Deb xxx

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