I got to thinking about rituals after spending time at Tassajara Retreat Center.  When not in "guest season"  Tassajara is a working Zen monastery.  Formal rituals are everywhere from the ringing of the bells, the bowing at the waist, the formal sitting ceremonies and the attendant repetitive chanting. There is a specific ways to enter and exit the zendo (meditation room), cup your hands and sit. I happily follow along trying not to screw up. Then, a colleague questioned, "what does all of this mean?  Why the black robes, the erect spine, the bowing and the incense?  Why do we do it?"

Rituals are a part of all known human societies. Just look at presidential inaugurations, marriages, funerals, bat mitzvahs, and first communions.  Even hand-shaking and saying "hello" can be considered rituals.  Rituals allow a group of people to express a common truth in an outwardly manner, like reciting prayers, gesturing or singing.  Psychiatry refers to rituals as the repetitive acts performed by those with OCD.

In the Zen tradition the masters recommend that besides the rituals that surround seated meditation (zazen) that the monks bring rituals into their daily lives.  They may recite a sutra or prayer before bathing or eating or dressing.  

Rituals don't have to be just for the Zen Buddhist Monks who spend a good chunk of their day in prayer and meditation. But we average folk can bring rituals, and thus mindfulness, into our everyday routines. Leo Babatia on the site Zen Habits, offers that "Done mindfully, a ritual can remind you to be conscious. Done mindlessly, a ritual is meaningless."  He offers some of his favorite rituals that you can incorporate  into our daily routine.  

1.  Sit in the morning.  Take your time with your tea or coffee, stretch and awaken slowly to the day.

2.  Brush your teeth - This is a given, right?  Try to pay attention to each tooth, moving the brush from one  side to the other, fully concentrating, just "brushing your teeth".

3.    Eat mindfully -  You've heard this before.  Turn off the TV, computer and set aside your cell phone.  Appreciate your food and taste and enjoy each bite.  

4.   Wash your Bowl -  Babatia suggests doing this immediately and with the same mindfulness as when you were eating , noticing the feeling of the  

5.    Drink tea -  Make your own tea ceremony by carefully and mindfully preparing the tea, pouring it slowly and savoring it with thoughtfulness.  The author suggest that doing this ritual daily with "transform your day."

6.  Walk slowly- Take break to go outside for a short walk, become aware of each step and pay attention to your breath, the scenery around you, and the nuances of objects..

7.  Read in silence -  Again, put aside the electronics and hit the power (off) button on the remote. Find a good novel and immerse yourself.

8. Look at someone gratefully.  The author suggests finding someone each day that you care about and really look at the person, but not too creepy-like. Be grateful for his/her existence.  Maybe you even tell them how important they are to you. What about having the same level of gratitude for your cat or dog or garden?

9.  Work with focus -  Perform a single task. Focus fully and give this one task your full energy and commitment. Try to avoid multi-tasking.

So, I think ritual can be about taking every day activities and giving them more attention. Call them ever day tasks or refer to as rituals.