Ritual is merely a way of awareness in life.
It is neither mystical nor mandatory.
It simply provides space for your emotions, reserving a small area where you can breathe, and offers a more suitable rhythm for your physical function.
When creating EMOTOPOGRAPHY, I reflected on my past experiences and realized that the methods I saw and learned could not be consistently sustained.
I couldn't guarantee that I would have a fixed time, setting, or state every day that would allow me to practice these things.
I kept recalling a posture:
Holding a small object in my hands, allowing my mind to slowly settle down through the weight, anytime, anywhere.
The inherent temperature of the natural mineral stone gently spreads across the skin;
The breath, unknowingly, becomes longer.
This is the ritual I insist on—touch, breathe, pause—
Allowing the body to return to the present first, so that the heart has a place to settle.
(Each time may take less than 2 minutes）
Here are three small rituals I found most easy to stick to and highly effective during my use:
1. Touch-Sensation Awakening: 30-Second Reset
Gently hold the object, letting its weight bring you back to your body.
Don't think, don't analyze; just feel how it fits against your body.
Let your day start from stillness, not from rushing.
2. Emotional Tagging: Give Feelings Space
When your mind is cluttered and you can't explain your current emotion, don't instinctively reject it.
Place it in your hands, over your chest/abdomen, and let your body tell you what is happening.
Three deep breaths...
Emotions don't disappear because of resistance, but they lighten as they are smoothly accommodated through your breath.
3. Relaxation Ritual: Releasing Tension
Before sleep, hold the mineral, exhale slowly, and let your body know that today can be paused.
There is no goal, just permit yourself to "put down" the day.
Ritual doesn't change you
It simply allows you to hear yourself. And hearing yourself is, in itself, a change.