from Wikipedia:

'The purposes of rituals are varied; they include compliance with religious obligations or ideals, satisfaction of spiritual or emotional needs of the practitioners, strengthening of social bonds, demonstration of respect or submission, stating one's affiliation, obtaining social acceptance or approval for some event - or, sometimes, just for the pleasure of the ritual itself.'

Dictionary.com has a number of definitions, including:

'any practice or pattern of behavior regularly performed in a set manner '

I like to go a little more specific. I think of a ritual as a habit with an attitude, or a deliberate habit with a purpose.

Bad habits are easy to develop. Bad rituals are not. The secret is in the word 'deliberate'.

I place the five rituals into the physical realm of what I refer to as critical activities. In each major area of one's life - mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, vocational, social - an individual can identify certain activities which are critical to success. Critical activities vary from person to person.

For example, if one is type II diabetic, a critical activity in the physical plane might be not consuming any processed foods containing sugar or flour. For other individuals, a trip to the donut shop is a treat, not an invitation to a sugar coma.

I work each day to turn what I perceive as my critical activities into rituals. The five Tibetan rituals make that job easier.

I started a new job recently with an online university where most of my co-workers are half my age. When I saw the ID badge they gave me, I wondered who the old man was in the photo. (Inside every old man is a young stud wondering what happened.)

We work 10 hour days in an intense environment. Without the lift I receive from performing the Five Rituals before work, I would not have the energy to keep up with the kids. Red Bull is not enough.

Proponents of the Five Rituals claim the following benefits:

-look younger
-feel younger
-increased energy
-live longer
-reduced stress
-increased vitality
-increased virility
-sense of well-being
-spiritual enlightenment
-balanced life
-unlock the potential of the brain
-positive outlook on life
-slow the aging process
-increased productivity
-boost in self-esteem
-heightened immune system
-less fatigue
-positive emotions
-less depression

Let's face it. The promises are just about everything except the location of Jimmy Hoffa's remains. I'm a skeptic. I don't need everything on the list. If I have more energy, look a bit younger than that ID photo, and a touch more virility, the rest of the items in the list will take care of themselves.

Caveats:

1.Start with 7 reps of each ritual instead of 3. If you are basically healthy, 3 reps just seems to be too little. Max for each ritual is 21.

2.Ritual 6 is one you will want to add.

3.Ritual 7 is one most will avoid, especially if your virility has increased, if you get my drift.

If you find, as I do, that the Five Rituals are critical to your physical and mental well-being, you will find 10 minutes each morning to start your day right.