It is 6:00 am. My dad gets up to give himself a cup of hot water. Then he makes his bed, brushes his teeth, and then heads to our ancestor altar. With intense concentration, he lit up the incent and started making his bow to heaven, to mother earth, to his deceased grandparents and parents. He does this series of actions every morning slowly and mindfully as if they were all a series of meditative processes. After completion of his ritual, he would then begin his morning exercise as he stated that he must do so to keep doctors away.
While we tend to use the words “habit,” “routine,” and “ritual,” interchangeably, there are subtle differences. Understanding their definitions can help us build good habits, design good routines, and turn routines into rituals. With all three words, the similarity is they are all regular, repeated actions. A habit tends to manifest itself as an automatic urge to do something triggered by a cue. In my dad’s case, it is the habit to drink a cup of warm water right after he gets out of bed because of the chill (trigger) he feels. In contrast, a routine requires deliberate practice. Exercise is definitely my dad’s intentional practice of routine because he knows at his age, exercise is his prescription. He also knows that if he doesn’t, the alternative is medication.
The difference between a routine and a ritual is the attitude behind the action. While routines can be actions that just need to be done, rituals are viewed more as mindful practices with a sense of purpose or a sense of spirituality. Human beings need rituals to create a safe resting place for our most complicated feelings of joy and trauma so that we don’t have to haul those feelings around with us forever, weighing us down. In my dad’s case, he pays tribute to God, to his ancestors and his parents, as a way to bring vital support to fulfill the spiritual part of his life, here on earth, and he does so with such a focused concentration that I am always so moved by it when standing by his side.
My ritual, on the other hand, is scrubbing the floor. Yes, every morning, I mop the floor with my hands and knees. It is a habit that I do without thinking, but also as a ritual. As I go down on both knees, I feel as if I am surrendering to God. It may sound silly to say that, but as I scrub and scrub, I give up my thoughts, my idea, my will. I feel so small, so humble, and in the process, it cleans my soul…. And I get a good workout because, by the time I am done, I am all sweaty. I know many people read the bible in the morning as their ritual, I would argue if you can turn your exercise routine with mindfulness, concentration, and good intention, then it is a ritual.
Of all three words– habit, routine, and ritual–the ritual requires the most energy and concentration. But it is also the most rewarding act. While my dad’s ritual is his daily prayer, mine is scrubbing the floor and also a gratitude journal. So my dear friends, start building a good routine in your life as step one. If you can, turn that routine into a habit as step 2. Furthermore, make it a ceremonial ritual. I believe you bring the right earnestness to your homemade ritual, God will provide the grace. And that is why we need God.
