The beauty of these practices is that they are customizable. You don’t have to follow every tradition perfectly or even adopt all of them. The key is to find what resonates with you and make these moments your own.

How to Practice:

Look back at the rituals shared in this booklet. Which ones felt most meaningful to you? Maybe it’s the morning gratitude practice or adding in a blessing when you hear thunder if you’re in a rainy place. Consider how you can make them part of your daily or weekly routine. You don’t have to get it perfect, start small and adjust as needed.

Journal Prompts:

• Which of these rituals would you like to try first?
• Which of these rituals would you want to add on to?
• What moments in your day-to-day life already bring you joy? Is there a way you can mark and extend that joy even longer by putting words to the experience?

You may also find inspiration from this poem:

The Crescendo of Morning by Emily Carpenter

Modeh Ani, I give thanks

For quiet, even breaths during the crescendo of morning.

I steady myself as unfulfilled tasks are whispered, then yelled

Outside and inside my chest. I inhale and exhale;

I remember the renewal of the soul and the ancient covenant,

Written in sand, stone, struggle, and guided by 4.5 billion years of echoes

From rock weathered by rain and sun.

I will rejoice in the fragments and exposed cores,

And standing on the ruins, I will sense the swelled springs

Flowing beneath the rocks that Moses struck.

I will greet today with memories of

Lightning and thunder; flashes and rumbles of turmoil and yearning.

I will offer my soul to the crescendo.

Modeh Ani, I give thanks.

We all know how hard it can be sometimes to wake up in the morning. Taking a few quiet moments before getting out of bed can help reset your mind and start your day with intention. The Jewish morning blessing called Modeh Ani (thankful am I) is customarily recited upon waking.  

How to Practice:

As soon as you wake up, before getting out of bed, place one hand on your heart and the other on your abdomen. Take three slow inhales and exhales to center yourself.

Then, say to yourself or aloud, “modeh/modah/modet ani, I am grateful.” Reciting these words is a way to acknowledge that you’ve been given another day, another opportunity and that you’re grateful for it.

Some may prefer to recite the full prayer:

Modeh/modah/modet ani lifanecha, melech chai v’kayam, shehechazarta bi nishmati b’chemla, rabah emunatecha.

Which means: "Thankful am I in your presence, Spirit who lives and endures. For you’ve returned me to my soul with compassion, abundant is your faith!"

When offering blessings or expressing gratitude, feel free to swap in the language that resonates with you most on any given day. You might use words like Source, Beloved, Ruler, Sovereign, Creator, or any other term that feels personally meaningful. You can also say something simple like, “I give thanks for this new day” or “I am grateful for this moment of joy.” The intention is what matters most, so choose words that connect you to the sacredness of the practice in a way that feels authentic to you.