June 12 The Art of Ritual

"The Art of Ritual"

There is so much information floating around about longevity and the factors contributing to it. All kinds of studies I've run across recently make claims based on lifestyle observation and interviews, and are then compiled into lists that we can read and then incorporate, with the intention of living longer, better lives. With all the lists circulating, it is getting tricky to sort it all out and decide which things will really work and if we consider them worth adding to our routines.

In the last week, I've met two women who smoke cigars. One confessed it was her secret indulgence and she had one every afternoon on her porch, overlooking the ocean. Part of her daily ritual, it gave her much pleasure and offered her an opportunity to relax and reflect on her day. The other woman, also an artist, had a cigar each morning as a way to start her day. Ritual was an item on many of the longevity-factors lists I saw. It provides an enjoyable little something we look forward to daily and the benefits, the "experts" proclaim, far outweigh the negative or unhealthy aspect this ritual might have.  

So, time to engage in that daily ritual that allows you to feel like you are treating yourself to something special.