I've been doing deep breathing exercises for years (not actively thinking about the fact that I'm doing them) in order to deal with stress. Until I went to a few different trainings that were "voluntary" as part of my job (to be clear, everyone had to do it, not just specific individuals), I learned that I was actually "meditating".
By controlling your breathing, you are able to slow down your thought process, as well as your heart rate and lower your stress levels. The rhythmic pattern is soothing.
In the few times that I've tried Yoga, I noticed that breathing was a huge part of the exercise and I enjoyed that. I may not know all of the positions and poses, but I do appreciate the process and would probably get more into it if I had the time to take classes. Work, Work, Work, you know.. and traveling 80% of the time for work doesn't really help consistency with classes either.
Anyway, enough of me. Thanks for sharing your story and rituals. I'm sure this will be helpful to others!
(and welcome to the community!)