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Every day is a Ceremony
When living in Bali for 3 months we had the opportunity to connect with the local people and experience their beautiful culture. Every day we would wake up and be greeted with the smell of incense and frangipani flowers on our doorstep - the first thing you’ll see and smell as you walk outside are the daily canang – ‘chanang’, a small, square, woven baskets made from cut coconut leaves and filled with flowers – accompanied by an assortment of gifts for the Gods and topped with a single smoldering stick of incense. The making and giving of this offering is a selfless act; a kind of self-sacrifice. It is part-meditation, it’s a gift of gratitude to the Gods, and a supplication to the lower spirits that they do not disturb the living.
Our house cleaner Made came every day to our apartment and before she cleaned she placed the offerings - one outside the house and one indoors. She would greet us with a smile and place a flower behind our ear. She was by far one of the most positive people I have ever had the pleasure to meet and we felt truly blessed to be in her presence.
From being in the energy of so much dedication to daily practice and prayer I began to feel inspired to start showing up in this way every morning for myself and my life. I began to really feel what it felt like to see everyday and every experience as a blessing.
I started waking up earlier and before doing anything else (like turning on my phone) I decided to sit in silence for a while, light a candle and some incense and think about what I am grateful for. And express it out to the Universe....
The birds singing outside.....The beautiful abundance of food in the cupboards......My family and loved ones.....Clean clothes and shelter.....My sense of smell, hearing, touch.....The money that supports my adventures....the beauty of the Earth.....
After applying this short practice on a daily basis I began to feel amazing in every way. I felt more positive, I felt more energized, I started worrying less and noticing how incredible life is and how connected we all are.
I began to realize that I could apply this intention and create a Ceremony with everything in my life. From the food I eat to the water I drink...Everything began to take on so much more meaning and beauty.
How can we apply more ceremony and ritual into our lives?
- Offering a prayer of gratitude to our selves and our lives
- Blessing and giving thanks to our food before eating
- Connecting with nature more without the distraction of a phone or camera
- Practicing being more present
- Setting intentions for our day
- Practicing rituals
- Practicing gratitude prayers morning and evening
- Being grateful for what we have in this moment rather than what we don't have
- If you worship a specific God or Deity then placing an offering of food, flowers, water or lighting a candle on an altar or simply doing this act of worship for yourself and to the Universe.
"Ceremonies are a sacred way of instigating change and healing. They enable greater capacity to intentionally create and direct our future. Rather than feeling stuck, confused or lost, ceremonies & rituals allow us to acknowledge transitions or rites of passage, clearly mark closures and move on easily to new beginnings." - Kirsty Ka
I give thanks and gratitude to Mama Bali for activating this light code from within me. The codes of Ceremony and Ritual - so I can implement them into my life and live a more fruitful existence on this abundant planet.
