I’m a big believer in rituals. In fact, I got my doctorate in the subject from Vanderbilt. (Rituals and Adult Development were my areas of special focus in my chosen field: History and Critical Theory of Religion.)
Rituals, we learn, are the container for created sacred space. In other words, people either receive rituals through tradition or go about setting aside special times and places for rituals within which transformation takes place. For some, going to church, temple or Mosque serves this purpose. For others, it may be going to a museum and sitting quietly before an inspiring painting or taking your flute to a favorite place in nature and serenading the trees.
I find the endless variations of ritual, the creativity that is brought to the occasion and the profound inner changes that can occur, endlessly fascinating. But this morning, I took off the scholars’ hat and realized I was in need of creating a new ritual of my own. And happily, I was to discover that I need not even leave my house to achieve my goal: creating the context for peace and meaning for which I yearned.
The inspiration came to me via a “chance” encounter with a posting by Vibrant Nation member Charmaine’s Muse Pallet titled “How to Be Rich in Spirit.” (And if you wonder whether such transformative moments are actually chance, or divinely-inspired, you will also be interested in the conversation on the subject begun by Granny in Long Johns, “When God speaks.”)
Charmaine’s Muse asks, “How do we keep our spirit rich when reduction and deprivation lay siege?” In addition to words of wisdom, she provides a step-by-step ritual she learned from Jana Fleming, a certified instructor with Chopra Center, including sitting in silence, connecting with your breath, lighting candles and taking a warm bath in essential oils. There’s more, and it’s worth reviewing: both tried-and-true and new ritual elements that have the power to help us rise above our everyday state of mind to a special place of peace and perspective, something of which I am of in need right now.
But the thing is, I’d already taken my morning shower and it’s hot out, so lighting a candle held scant appeal. But then I realized that I was already in the midst of a transformative ritual experience: simply seated at the computer and engaging with Vibrant Nation.
Maybe I was onto something. What if I could build a morning interactions with my computer and Vibrant Nation into a transformative experience whenever I had a special need for a time-out in sacred space, or better yet, on a daily basis?
It didn’t take long for me to work this one out for myself, and given how peaceful, energized and hopeful I feel as I write this, I think it must have worked. Later this week, I’ll give you step-by-step instructions to follow. But if you want to get ready (and/or jump-start the process), here are some items to gather/think about…and step one to do.
The items: Think about which computer you will use, and where. This ritual works better with a computer at home, even if you also use the computer for business use later in the day. The important thing is to make an effort to find a time of day/place where you can be alone, with as few distractions as possible.
Assuming your computer plays music, think about a CD that you find inspirational and have it loaded up and ready to go. The final step of preparation is to make sure you have a screensaver that is meaningful to you. For instance, it may be people you love, a favorite place, a mandala…whatever.
That’s it. You’re ready to roll. Check back later in the week for detailed instruction – and in the meantime, peace!
Enjoyed your post …about two years ago I started “talking to God , by computer…it really works well, I once decided I would try to ask my mother a “question who had passed over” and got the best solution ever on a personal family matter.
I have some beautiful poetry written in meditative form coming from a deep place… my Blue Wall outside my study..I would go in and mediate every morning and when I would finish I would look outside the french doors an the words would flow on the keys of my computer …I would put some of my poetry and share it with Face book… before I found VN ,,here I believe you will have a better group to share the experience with. Good luck with your project… and it really is a great way to communicate with The Creator.
This is so terrific! I have been trying to muster up a ritual of my own for a couple years now, but haven’t quite got there. And I am positive it is because I am doing it alone. Knowing that others are creating a ritual that parallel to mine helps me stick to pulling this together for myself!
That’s so great! Want to make sure you see that Part Two ran, as well, with the specific ritual I put together. Love to hear yours!
http://www.vibrantnation.com/carol-orsborn-inside-the-nation/2010/08/12/the-vibrant-spirit-ritual-part-2/
I also believe in rituals, not just religious, but for myself and my family, and yes, for the dead.
One of my mantras through life has been a line from WB Yeat’s poem written to his daughter: ”How but in custom and ceremony are innocence and beauty born?” When my children were little, that was especially true. I found out right away, how much even very small children, toddlers, love beauty, cutom, ceremony….just other words rituals. And so, we customarily candles every night at the dinner table…that’s all I needed to do to make sure that dinner was a lovely time for all with cooperative and happy boys. We had many other daily and seasonal rituals…songs, prayers, gathering objects in the woods and making ‘nature tables.’
The same words and phrases repeated only become more meaningful with each utterance. I still have to repeat the same prayer from my childhood…the old one, “Now I lay me down to sleep….etc.” before I can rest easy for the night. So, I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas about making a ritual of the use of the internet….because I often feel guilty about ’wasting time’ on it. Thanks. MM