First thing in the morning most people reach for their brown liquid addiction to start off their day. You know what I’m talking about. Now I'm using this example, not to disuade you from drinking coffee or tea, but to elucidate that we all have routines, but most routines are unconscious or driven by addictions.

I want to share a ritual that I’ve been practicing on and off for 2 decades on a quotidian basis that sets the template for each day to be happier and richer.

What’s great about this rite is that it can take as little as 3 minutes to do it if you’re having a morning that is time-poor.
Orc you can spread it out to take 30 minutes or so, depending upon how much time you have on any given morning.

What is it?

Water ablutions.

What is that?

In many cultures and spiritual traditions there are practices to cleanse using water as the conduit for meditation, contemplation, gratitude and prayer.

It’s a great way to set your mind, heart, body and soul into starting the day centered, focussed, happy, at peace and more capable of handling the waves of life.

The rite I describe below is loosely based upon the mystical traditions of Sufism and Kabbalistic Judaism intermingled with indigenous paganism.

I personally approach ritualistic practices with the understanding that if a ritual becomes stale and lacking ‘spirit’, intent and focus then the ritual becomes a droll empty shell of a practice that has little benefit. It requires full presence of all your being for it to have a profound affect in your life.
So over the years, if any practice I did, like water ablutions for example, felt soulless, then I’d take a break from it for a while (and replace it with something else) and start it again at a later date when I could rediscover it’s benefits.

Like the Waves of Life that I often speak of, everything comes in waves, including the potency of spiritual practices.

I’ve done this particular practice so long now that I’ve noticed something profound, at least for me.
What I’d observed is that whenever I’d had my ‘breaks’ away from water ablutions, my life was not as ‘good’ as when I practiced this rite. I had less focus, less presence, less peace and harmony in relationships, less ability to manifest and magnetise what I want in my life, less happiness and generally less ability to steer the vessel of my consciousness on the vast and sometimes turmultuous ocean of life.

And so we begin...

First, take a moment to take just a few slow, deep breaths with conscious intent. I’ll often imagine and feel each molecule of air slipping through my nasal passage.

        Either in your clean, springfed creek in your backyard, like mine here, or at your nearest unpolluted beach **or in the basin of your bathroom** (when I’m touring my music I just use the bathroom sink or shower in the hotel I’m in).

• Scoop water with both hands, first contemplating that nearly 80% of your body is made of water. Your blood, your flesh, your digestion process and even the chemical reactions in your brain are mostly liquid.
  Then wash your hands, thinking of the hard work they do every day whilst saying in your mind, “May these hands be instruments of peace.”
  
• Scoop another handful of water and splash your eyes with the water, contemplating the miracle of sight and the ability to consciously perceive our world, whilst saying in your mind, ”May these eyes only see God’s/Great Spirit’s/Creator’s/Mother Nature’s/Universe’s (insert your word for the divine mysterious energy permeating all of existence) beauty.”
  
  
• With another scoop of water, fill your mouth will water. Swish it around your mouth, scrape your tongue with you upper teeth to help remove the build up of toxins upon your tongue that excrete into your mouth during sleep, whilst saying in your mind, ”May my mouth speak only the loving words, the kinds words, the truthful words,” and then spit the water out of your mouth.
  
• filling your hands with water, bring the water to your ears, contemplating the wonder of hearing sounds and music and being able to listen to the ideas communicated by other beings, whilst saying in your mind, ”May these ears only hear Great Spirit’s loving words.”
  
• with each hand cupped with water gently sniff some water into each nostril and blow out the contents, contemplating the miracle of the olfactory sense whilst saying in your mind, “May this nose smell the scent of the sanctity of blissful Union with the oneness.”
  
• splash a handful of water onto your third eye, forehead and crown, feeling grateful for the clarity of clear intelligent thought aligned with the heart, whilst saying in your mind, ”May this mind be focussed and think only Creator’s loving and compassionate thoughts.”
  
  
• with the water scooped in both hands, press the water to your face, whilst saying in your mind, ”May this face radiate with the light of compassion.”
  
• with wet fingers dab the back of your neck and feel the humility of being a speck in the grandness of the universe, whilst saying in your mind as you slide your hands around your neck and bring them into prayer position, ”May my neck bend in humility to the one.”
  
• lastly, wash your feet, contemplating the weight they carry every day of your life, whilst saying in your mind, ”May these feet only walk on holy ground (and it’s all holy ground).”
  

After this process I’ll drink between 800ml to 1.2L of water with fresh lemon squeezed in or Apple cider vinegar (with the mother), before consuming any other liquid. This is to help kick start the liver and switch on other internal organs.

WELL, I hope that gives you some ideas for your own morning gratitude, focus cleanse rite.

Or try this ritual (in your bathroom) for the next 21 days to shift into positive new habits.

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