On this morning.....

Sacred Life - attention

Yesterday, I used some of my time to create a schedule. It's a rather flexible organic chart that I will use and tweak over the coming weeks as I DREAM and take ACTION. I am capable of drifting endlessly 'til the end of my days if I don't begin to use my creativity to plan my time better. I recognize what a gift it is to be able to have so much freedom and I'm tired of feeling so restless and dissatisfied. Now is the time for dreamaction.

Starting with this post, I'm going to start highlighting the words create, dream, and action because I want to put my attention on these this year. What am I creating? What thoughts are spinning around and leading me to dream nightmares or dream beautiful creations? Where, how, and when am I taking action?

I added Library thing - you can see the first two books I put into it over there to the right sidebar. Mark Nepo's The Book of Awakening is a sacred book to me. I just purchased it last year in September. So now with the turn of the year I am starting the book for the first time from the beginning of the year. Every entry slows me down and opens me up to the sacred and the cherished in my life.

What slows you down to notice the sacred in your life? What infusion of attention does your schedule need?

Dreamaction

I don't normally set new years resolutions. I like the idea of them (perhaps it's the virgo in me) so I spend time thinking about them somewhat, but I don't really ever set resolutions and then inevitably break them by February.

I was thinking a theme word for this year would be now. Or maybe heart. Or maybe something more practical like focus. As I doodled this afternoon (my creative today activity) it came to me that 2008's theme is Dreamaction. Yes, one word put together. I need very much to exercise my dream muscles and take action toward my dreams. One word, one continuous process.

Today these things are on my mind:
letting go -
listening to my heart
putting my hands in clay
focusing my time - instead of just wandering
creative companion group
volunteering
learning
making friends
moving and singing

If you want some inspiration on the subject of resolutions and theme words I found this article by Christine Kane which might be a useful way to focus. I know Marilyn and Leah are also using themes and or theme words in 2008.

So leave me a comment if you have a theme word or a possibility. Or just leave a comment I like comments - smile.
and
if you would like a clay heart seed go here for more information.

Bubbles

Yesterday was Sunday - I went to look for the snail mail. huh? I also forgot to post a Sacred Life Sunday post. I'm all mixed up on what day it is between the holidays and my husband being on vacation from work.

So this morning as I did a little web surfing and went to read the Inner Christmas topic for today I realized I'd missed the Sacred Sunday. The Inner Christmas topic was about reflection and anticipation. Lynn wrote and I quote "Reflection comes from the Latin word that means to bend back. “Bend” has such grace in its meaning. When we reflect in our thinking we gracefully bend back to what was past."

Reflect is what I did this morning. I've gently bent back to yesterday specifically to what was sacred about yesterday.

I took a bath. Soaking in a bathtub is the most relaxing comforting thing for me to do. It's a sacred activity. I try to conserve water and I have a big bathtub so I usually only take about one bath a week in the winter and less in the summer. This act of conserving water has made me more mindful about a long soak in the tub. I never do it unless I have the proper amount of time to really deepen into the bliss of it.

What I've noticed is that when I bring my full attention to it and my willingness to surrender to it - it truly becomes a very sacred activity. Coincidentally, the day six topic for Inner Christmas was warming and cooling and it encouraged me to take that bath.

I love how words or topics seem to circle about until they land like angels in your mind. Yesterday it was like a green light of encouragement to go nourish myself in the bath. What showed up today was reflection. Not only did the Inner Christmas encourage this - I saw that Zen Habits had a very practical posting of advice on the topic of reflection. It is that time of the year when we reflect on our Sacred Life. Or consciously choose to make changes.....

So as we all celebrate the turning of the calender year I offer you bubbles. No matter if you celebrate the New Year with champagne or sparkling apple cider. Or if you choose to take a bubble bath.

I hope laughter bubbles up from your depths and delights your soul
and may you find time to reflect as you anticipate the turn of the calender page.

For some reason I also want to send out to you the spiritual gospel song......."THIS little LIGHT of mine........I'm gonna let it SHINE......." come on sing it now.........

......let it SHINE, let it SHINE, let it SHINE!!

Happy New Year!

Spider Meditation

Way back in February I re-committed to meditation practice. Actually, I committed to being more consistent with practice. I even gave myself stars for each session. It was a visual reminder to help me establish the habit. I achieved my goal of 40 days consistent practice - though I never reported it here.

Today I want to report that I've kept up my practice of 15 minutes sitting in the AM and PM. There were some days initially that I missed a session - or a day. When that happened my husband would say - "oh a black star for you" - that was a gentle reminder to just get back to it the next session - the next opportunity.

Lately, I've found myself slipping and forgetting a little more. Maybe that is why I feel the need to post this update. It's a reminder to me to set my intention for consistency and to follow through. When I am consistent I have a very unexpected benefit which encourages me to stay consistent - I have found that I fall asleep easier and tend to sleep better.

Wouldn't it be nice if one could just say - I'm going to do this (whatever it is - meditation, weight loss, exercise, creativity, etc)....and it was so easy that forever after you uttered your intention you just did it. I think it would be nice and boring. It's good one has to work for change. It makes it feel all the better when one achieves the success of change.

Where I can get myself into trouble is in not honoring the work involved. Wanting it to be easy and wanting there to be no doubts, no disturbances, no sacrifices. As soon as I come up against one of those obstacles and miss my mark do I just give up? I am slowly learning to introduce change in small ways. Little by little is my philosophy. Over time those little changes really add up but in the moment a small step avoids the overwhelming fear of change. And if one slips there is another small step just around the corner to get back to it.

Do I forget a meditation session? - yes sometimes. Does life get in the way and disrupt my plan?-yes it does. AND I go back. I say to myself that was then and I return. What I try to avoid is placing shoulds on myself or talking mean to myself for the miss. Do I sometimes do those things to myself anyway- of course I am human! My intention is to bring loving kindness to myself as well as others. So on my best days I gently return to my work.

Last night I was meditating and my cat started chasing something up the wall. I got up to investigate and to stop my cat from knocking everything off the shelf. It was a spider. I fetched a drinking glass. My husband flipped through the Oprah magazine on the bedside table for a stiff reply card insert and then he caught the spider. We looked at it and we released it outside. I watched it through the glass door and thought wow that spider can move really fast. I marveled at the design of this spider. Then, I proceeded to go back to my meditation cushion. I had used up 7 minutes of my meditation session. I had a choice to make up those seven minutes. Last night I chose not to - I just completed what time was left. Another night I might have added seven minutes back in.

In the moment I can choose to be flexible about it. -to allow and to support my decision. There is no should.

Spider came to me in meditation - I may go look up the metaphysical meaning of spider. In the Native American tradition she is the Great Creator. She's coming to you now to ask - how in little by little ways can you create the change you want in your life.................one strand of silk at a time...........

morning introspection

I've spent a good portion of the morning in introspection. Daydreaming. Checking in with myself to see what Heart's Desires are there. I started this morning by meditating for 15 minutes. I want to get consistent at that amount of time and then increase it to 20 minutes. I am also wanting to meditate for the same amount of time in the late afternoon or early evening.

Meditating this morning helped me set the tone to be a little more introspective and look at my intentions. I have a day to really indulge in this kind of positive - goal setting - introspection time. Later this evening my art group is meeting and I've been spurred on by that - now is the time to either commit to making work for a show coming in September or bow out. I want to commit and I have some ideas so I'm using that inspiration to find my next direction.

Now for a special announcement:

• My husband gets the best husband award. The other day, when I was so discouraged and feeling as if my shadows were descending a darkness upon me, he took the time to listen. What a gift to give to anyone. He helped me allow my story to come out and to be heard and now I do not feel as if it has the power over me. Sometimes it is humbling to be so darn human.

I've been reading and listening to a lot of Pema Chodron. I realized though that I had not been consistently meditating since my Mom had passed. It is time to recommit to that. I need consistency in many areas -such as exercise, creativity, vitamins - but meditation feels like a tap root to me and I'm going to start there.

As for this blog - well I realize I am a bit out of sync with it. I want to freshen it up and dust the cobwebs out of the corners. It's time to set a new intention for it. I'm not sure what that is - but I'll at least take steps in that new direction and find out where it leads.

Do you meditate? Or have a time that you sit quietly and pray? Are you like me - good intentions but sometimes lack of consistency? I encourage you to join me in this intention of consistency with it. Let me know and perhaps we can help one another.