Coming home

Do you have a ‘coming home’ ritual? A series of tasks you do to welcome yourself home after a day at work and something to then settle you into the evening.

For me a coming home ritual signifies safety and nurture; I create an environment where I feel safe and comforted by the aesthetics of what I see around me. These rituals are a non-negotiable to remind me of my sense of place.

These rituals are not grand or even time consuming, they are a series of mindful tasks that see me move through the house with appreciation and gratitude. I don’t want for much, in fact I am wanting for less these days but what I do want is calm, beauty and a space that offers all that up is my home.

My arms and hands are often full when I walk in the door; more bags than sometimes I see necessary but obviously of some use or why else would I have them in my possession. Gym bags, handbag, shopping bags and any other bag that one should carry seem to be in my arms – I am a self-confessed bag lady.

As I set all the bags down, I pause. I take a moment to breathe in my space, to feel its energy to understand what I need from the space right now. It changes every day and sometimes I need to inject positive energy as its heavy and clouded, each day offers something different. I don’t fight the day.

One of my calming rituals is to light a candle, locally sourced and made Etikette candles. These are staple in the house in particular – The Art Series – Breathe Deeply ~ Palo Santo which grounds me. The simple gesture of lighting and breathing in offers so many rewards.

Next turn the kettle on. My goal is to boil water slowly on the stove but maybe that is something for another day. For the moment, I am somewhat a slave to the urgency of modern life – press and boil. What isn’t fast is the brew process of the calming tea that steeps before me; Love Tea ~ Calming Tea. A tea to calm and relax the nervous system, it nourishes from the inside out.

These two tasks work in the mindful nature of igniting the senses, of massage smell and taste. Next onto hearing/sound.

I often sit in silence, no TV, no music just the hum of the traffic behind me and the rise of the nature scape that erupts in my backyard – the trees, the birds, the water flowing. I tap into the soundtrack of nature; I have no control over the rise and fall of the sound nor do I try to attach anything to it  – I just listen to it as it is, dynamic and organic.

Nature grows inside my house with plentiful indoor plants; while some thrive, others struggle but I nurture them all the same – with care, attention and water (maybe too much at times, this is why they come and go in the house). The sense of peace and accomplishment that nature offers when you nurture them indoors is softening.  I recommend to anyone to purchase a plant and do your best to see them grow, plants do become your best friend very quickly and provide a wonderful companion in which to share all your secrets, plans and desires with.

Moving through my house offers a sensory input that evokes peace and calm. Sometimes that just flows without any internal input other days, I must work hard to see it. But that’s life isn’t it – the flow between ease and difficulty.

My rituals help balance out the sway between both; I don’t sway too far to the left or the right and if I do, I am somewhat skilled enough to help bring myself back into balance.  I am constantly working on developing myself and understanding what I need at any given time. I know too well I can’t control everything but what I can, I do with a mindfulness awareness that benefits me in life.

I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on your home rituals, to identify if you have any that move with you throughout the day and if you do, what do they mean to you and how do they make you feel.

This post was a close to the end of year reflection. I took a few moments to reflect on the rituals that helped to support me in 2024.  Enjoy taking a few moments yourself to sit, be and reflect – it’s not often we gift ourselves this opportunity.

To find out how you can enhance your Planted Life, reach out to me today.