The Importance of Ritual In Recovery
And by “ritual,” we don’t mean creating new, healthy habits.
When one hears the word “ritual” our mind immediately goes to religious practice and the various rituals associated with different faiths. One commonly known ritual is “communion”. A ritual that calls to mind Jesus’ last meal with his disciples. There are also the five daily prayers of salat, enjoined upon all Muslims, which is one of the main pillars of Islam. An, of course, there is the Passover Seder which is a significant Jewish ritual that celebrates the Angel of Death passing over Jews in captivity in Egypt.
Rituals in spiritual practice, bind people together and act as foundations of practice as well as means of connection to one’s spirituality and to one’s community. Rituals create a structure to the spiritual experience.
The creation, maintenance, and practice of the ritual as a structure to hold intent, maintain community, and deepen our exchange with self and spirituality is not solely for spiritual or religious purposes. Ritual can be a powerful part of our recovery journey.
Why Ritual in Recovery?
When we create personal rituals for our recovery, they serve to help us remember key ideas that can provide ongoing encouragement for us to maintain our sobriety. They allow and honor a greater awareness of our sober journey and keep alive our intentions and purpose. They hold the darkness and the light, they hold our fear, and they hold our joy. They encapsulate the totality of our journey so that we remember, and act as a beacon to hold and express our intentions with a clear mind.
It can be helpful to think of rituals as carefully crafted, intentional habits. Habits are a powerful tool that can be utilized to support recovery, to promote discipline.
For example, let’s say, in the past, that you had the habit of drinking every night after work. As strong as that habit may have become, you can shift, or exchange that habit to something healthy, like journaling after work in a cozy space, or taking a walk, or hitting the gym.
Think of the habit, as the energy expended into the intention. You really can exchange the habit to a healthy one. This is the pattern of recovery; this will strengthen your resolve, and support your intention in your recovery journey. The ritual is the bridge to that exchange. I set time aside for myself, make a cozy space, make a nice tea and read or journal everyday after work.
Journaling, cozy tea, and working out are not the only options. During the process of recovery, you will make your personal rituals, ones that you may have lost, or may be just discovering that speak to you. This may take time as you retrieve your core Self, and it is appropriate to utilize community rituals and activities to support your recovery (meetings, yoga, coffee groups); that is why we have them! It is that universality of humanity, that sense of “I am not alone”, that is truly at the core of all rituals.
For example, committing to consistently attend a local substance abuse recovery meeting is a powerful ritual that supports new exchange with a healthy, health seeking community.
Other Ritual Options
Other great ideas for rituals that lead to helpful habits include daily mindfulness or other contemplative practice, or taking up yoga.
Physical practice likea fitness class,Muay Thai,Jiu-Jitsu, skiing, swimming, snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, or just a daily walk can offer experiences that feed the body and mind, and support the re-emergence of flow, and joy.
Doing solo activities as well will also give you strength and self-contemplation that may be a new thing to us in recovery. Sometimes, we are in the process of letting go of a community that we no longer can be a part of. Sometimes that feels lonesome. Spending time to get to know yourself, and trying something new, can be a powerful force in recovery. Your tribe is out here, and solo times allow that light to turn back on and shine, which attracts the true tribe you seek. Creating a ritual that is just you, just for you, will support that soul retrieval process.
Ritual Doesn’t Have to Be All Physical!
It is well known that substance abuse disconnects us from our bodies, especially for those whose use was trauma-informed. That is why connecting with our bodies is essential to recovery and always always encouraged. The body is that temple that connects us with and supports our recovery goals. The body, when active, tells us how good recovery feels. However, exchanging old habits for healthy new ones does not have to be aggressive or pushy. It is most important to meet yourself where you are!
Consider engaging in an artistic endeavor like learning a new instrument, painting, collaging, writing stories, singing, or any variety of academic classes!
Look for something that can provide you with a focus and goals to achieve over time. Look for something that may be new to you!
You might also consider developing rituals around key parts of your daily life like your diet (learning to cook for yourself), your morning coffee routine, and even your sleep schedule. Having good nutrition and restful sleep can provide powerful boosts to your mental health, which (ultimately) supports your recovery efforts. Planning your meal schedule and establishing an evening routine that leads to a good night’s sleep consistently are all rituals that can serve you well.
Cooking and mealtime (think mindful preparation, exploring healthy foods, and candles:) can be an amazing ritual that can be fantastically healing and grounding.
Ritual Is Important & So Is Balance
Balance Balance Balance! Finding balance is a lifelong pursuit that we all share. For recovery, finding balance is essential to all things. Managing stress, and triggers, and regulating your emotional world are all addressed by balance-seeking behaviors. Establishing rituals in your daily routine is a powerful way to ensure your recovery journey stays on track and that balance is an intention.
It is important to remember that your rituals are designed to serve you. So do not stress yourself out if you don’t quite hit your goal each day. So what if you miss a day of exercise or meditation, eat something decadent, stay up late reading or watching a movie, fail to write the day’s journal entry, or whatever. It’s your ritual and you can get back on track! You are also entitled to enjoy a day off from your rituals if that serves you well. Feeling exhausted, sick, tired, or just completely burnt out? Take a day off! Get back to it in 24 hours. OR! Make one day of the week your day to do absolutely nothing. This is a powerful ritual in and of itself! Maybe go for a hike or just go sit on the couch and Veg out. Make part of your ritual to not have a ritual in other words. Be patient with yourself, your process, and your journey.
And…We want to be extremely clear: We are not talking about taking a day off from your sobriety. Missing a day of meditation or eating too much dessert is in no way equivalent to picking up a drink or taking drugs because you “need a break” from your rituals and routines.
Establishing rituals is for supporting and scaffolding your recovery journey. From hardcore physical experience to gentle self-reflection. From creating a ritual for each day to sit and ponder the awe and beauty of this world, to creating a fun mealtime, or to deepen your meditation practice, rituals are available to you.
From connecting to nature to connecting with a healthy community, ritual holds and supports consistently, all the beautiful things, all the beautiful reasons you are on your recovery journey. Try one today. Seek support if needed🌞
