The Medicine of Daily Ritual

It’s summer time! Which means everything is grabbing our attention, pushing us to go go go, offering little time to sit and enjoy the feel of sunshine on our faces. Soon, school will be back in session, the leaves will start to crinkle under our feet, and Christmas trees will be greeting us at Lowe’s.

Not so fast, says beautiful St John’s wort, the 2-3 foot tall perennial Hypericum ferforatum that grows as a weed in full sun in parts of the southeastern US. In my home garden, it occupies a 16 square foot area, offering stunning little yellow flowers from around the time of the summer solstice until August. The flowers are fleeting, lasting only a day each. Today’s flowers will be spent by tomorrow morning. Luckily tomorrow will gift us with another round of blooms. It takes a lot of flowers to make enough tincture and oil to last throughout the year, so I must be diligent in collecting each and every day.

Today's collection of St. John's wort flowers

The daily ritual of spending time with these plants reminds me to slow down, be present with the gifts of each day, express gratitude to the plants themselves, the creator,

and all of life that supports the growth of these precious beings. Each day I set the intention to bless others with the medicine of these plants and assure the plants themselves that their gifts will not be wasted. This practice anchors my heart and attention to my highest goals. It calms my scattered morning brain, caffeinated and anxious, and reminds me what’s important. It’s a moment of true summer, embracing that which only summer can provide.

I often encourage my clients to develop a daily practice of some kind, whether it be prayer, meditation, yoga, journaling, or just sitting and watching the birds at the feeder. Physical and emotional change takes time and repetition. Growth takes attention and persistence. Whether you’re working on shifting an internal belief system, updating a behavior pattern or healing a physical ailment, it is the cumulative shift in the energy system of the whole being that makes and sustains the progress. An enjoyable daily practice of some kind, whatever appeals to you, can be a grounding anchor keeping you on your path.