Day 4: Design the Edges Crafting Your Own Shabbat – A 6-Day Journey to Rest

How we begin and end something matters.

A simple ritual—lighting a candle, washing your hands, taking a single deep breath—can shift us from ordinary time into something sacred. It helps our body catch up to our intention.

For me, I always start Shabbat by washing my hands. No big ceremony. Just water and awareness. It marks the transition. It tells my system, “Now is different.”

Today’s reflection is all about helping you design the edges of your Shabbat—how you’ll open and close this time so it feels held.

Journal Prompt:
What would help you mark the moment that Shabbat begins?
What would feel grounding, gentle, or meaningful to help you close it?

Ideas for Starting Rituals:

• Light a candle

• Wash your hands or face

• Stretch or take three conscious breaths

• Read a blessing, psalm, or quote

• Sip tea or wine slowly

• Step outside for a moment of silence

Ideas for Ending Rituals:

• Journal a few lines about how the day felt

• Blow out your candle

• Go for a walk and reflect

• Sit quietly with your hands on your heart

• Say a closing blessing or mantra

Call to Action:
Choose one way to begin and one way to end your Shabbat.
You don’t need to overthink it—simple and meaningful wins.

Write them down. Try them this week. See how it shifts the experience.

Tomorrow:
We build your Shabbat Menu—what you want to include inside your sacred time.