Rose, Thorn, Bud, Soil - A ritual that has touched lives and deepened bonds in unimaginable ways

A mindful way to reflect and bring people closer

The coronavirus pandemic led lockdown has resulted in so many upsides. Never before have I enjoyed the morning coffee on our balcony overlooking the sky with birds flying by. This precious time with my SO has been the highlight of the lockdown days. But there is another, more profound reason for this and that is a special ritual - Rose, Thorn Bud and something we added to it, Soil.

There is a thing about rituals. They force you to develop good habits and see tangible results over a period of time. Some of us may be vocal about our feelings of joy, sorrow or gratitude and do express these from time to time. However there are some fatal flaws in letting things flow as and when an opportunity arises.

• Firstly, you do not always discuss your deepest thoughts or desires or sad thoughts with all your near and dear ones. It wont be surprising if you do not share this with even your spouse or sibling or parents or kids

• Secondly, you keep waiting for an opportune moment to share. Sometimes that moment passes and the thoughts remain bottled inside. This can be damaging in the long run

• Thirdly, things like thanking or showing gratitude is not something we express often. Trust me, this needs to be heard loud and clear, not for someone else, but you need to hear yourself say it

And hence, the ritual of

Rose - something positive about yesterday/last few days you are happy about, a small win

Thorn - something you are not too happy about, a challenge

Bud - something you are looking forward to today/in the coming days, new ideas or experiences and

Soil - something or someone you are grateful to…

Once this becomes a part of your daily ritual, with family, kids, closest friends and anyone who you would like to prompt into sharing more, your lives, your days and your thoughts will change like never before. I am not exaggerating when I say, this one ritual has changed our lives in unimaginable ways and I highly recommend everyone to do it daily - morning coffee, dinner time, walk in the park, bedtime, you choose when. But do it. Even when you seemingly have no rose or thorn. You will be amazed at the quality of thoughts and discussions arising from this little inclusion in your everyday life.

My husband and I have discussed things that we may otherwise not have spoken about. Be it work pressure, tiff with a family member, environment and our role in it, solving world problems, life after 60, what makes us truly happy, what puts us down and how to get out of a rut, recognize the beauty around us, thank the sun, moon and the stars. We have gone into such depths in our discussions, it is immensely fulfilling. And we just don't get tired of it. The family bonds as a result have become deeper and stronger and I am grateful to this massive opportunity that has led us to this beautiful ritual of Rose, Thorn, Bud, Soil.

The value of emotions comes from sharing them and not just having them