Ritual Cleansing

I've read enough to know that meditation comes in many forms. As far as I can tell, the health benefits are undisputed. The trick is finding the form that works for you. For many, it comes through sitting in a congregational worship service. For me, it's more individual. Sitting out in the sun, feeling the breeze, and listening to the thoughts of my quieted mind has been one way. More recently, with fall growing toward winter, I've taken to an evening bath. The air is clean from radio, T.V. and traffic noise, accented merely by the sounds of rippling water. No clock nearby, just the fullness of the warmth, and the harmony of washing the body and mind clean while slowly taking in the gentle scents. In these moments I lock the mind's door from any responsibilities - this is the time to savor what life's brought and to dream about possibility. I give thanks for my blessings, and let my mind play in the visions of that next opportunity tomorrow, or in a month. By the end, I am certifiably cleaner in body and spirit than when I began. And if I were a Creator, that result would please me more than any prescribed ritual for the masses.