Still On Break

                                                                         

I am still on break from coming up with a new challenge and that is okay.  I am doing some new things like starting a new dance class this week and walking the lake in the evening but most of all, I am enjoying my summer by letting go and relaxing.

July Break

• Here it is July 8th and I loaded this photo on the first,so, I guess I am taking a break for the month of July.  I need some time to just relax in my sunny garden and dream up some new challenges for myself.  So, I will be back on August first with a new fun challenge for myself oh and by the way, my June challenge on giving up gossiping and releasing the past is a challenging work in progress.  It was one of the hardest challenges that I have taken on and I was constantly catching myself in the act of failing at one or the other. 

June Challenge Remix

My June challenge has to be expanded, instead of it only being about releasing the past, I now realize that I have to include my original challenge to the mix.  I tried to leave it out because I felt as though it would be almost impossible for me to succeed in this challenge but after today, I know that I have to do it for my wellbeing.  I challenge myself to stop gossiping, and that includes listening to and passing on second hand information. So that means staying out of other people's drama, leaving my two cents out of the equation, minding my own business. Louise Hay said that when she decided to stop gossiping, lol, she didn't have anything to talk about for a month.  So here I go and I will check  in to let you know how it is going.  

June Challenge - Releasing the Past

This is probably going to be one of the most difficult challenges that I have attempted so far and it took me a few days to narrow it down actually I made my final choice about five minutes ago. I am going to release the past.  All last month I did affirmations where I stated over and over twice a day that I released the past and then blew my candles out and returned to talking about the past.  I am a storyteller and I always end up going into my past as a source for my stories well now I would like look forward instead of looking backwards. I would love to release traumatic stories, hurtful stories, sad stories from my childhood because they have been conjured up over and over again and every time I bring one of them forward, I subject my body to the physical and mental memories.  It is time to let those stories fall away, the past is over. "Hip hip hooray, there is joy in everyday," and that is what I plan to focus on for the month of June and beyond.

May Challenge-Daily Affirmations

So the month of May seemed to come to an end way too fast, I mean, the famous 2012 is already half over, how did that happen, I swear time is speeding up. I am so happy with the results of this challenge, I feel a lot more grounded and at peace.  I did affirmations every morning and at bedtime. The above photo is my new altar created for my morning and evening affirmation ritual.  This space is evolving and the poster represents my breaking out of the rut that I was in. I am continuing my affirmations because it really helps me to notice my mind/thoughts and to catch them before they get out of hand and end up creating dis-ease in my physical body.

May Challenge-Affirmations

May is already off and running and this new blogspot is getting on my nerves because I have already lost two posts trying to adjust and hitting the wrong things.  Anyway, this month is all about affirmations!!  I live in a living altar but last month thanks to the work I did with the book, "the Artist's Rule," by Christine v. Paintner, I felt I needed to create an altar for my morning rituals.  So, I started gathering sacred objects from the cottage and placing them on the little space in front of the fireplace.  This month I will do pre-selected affirmations after my morning and evening meditations. I have loaded myself down with all of these new activities so doing affirmations will be a lovely way to release, refresh, and heal myself.   

Week 4 Review

"I want to rise and fall like the ebb and flow of the ocean.  I want to shed parts of myself in the autumn,  to go deeply inward in the winter, to blossom into spring, and to shine forth and be radiant in summer.  I want to live my life in healing rhythms that honor the limits of my body, the pleasures of rest, and the delights of play."

This week was all about recognizes and embracing the seasons of life .  This chapter had a beautiful and sacred way of celebrating the four seasons everyday .   Dawn's direction is east and it is associated with spring, renewal, awakening,and with the breath/air.  Noon is associated with summer, fire and the direction is south if you are in the northern hemisphere and north if you are in the southern hemisphere. It is a time of fullness and the sun is at its peak, a time of illumination.  Anyway, you get the point and I am able to create rituals to honor the seasons in my life on a daily basis.    I already have rituals for dawn, the awakening and what the author refers to as the "hour of dark," which is associated with winter, the north in the northern hemisphere and the south if you are in the southern hemisphere, and with the element of earth.  It is the time of rest and stillness, a time to go inward, a time for grounding.  

I want to create rituals for noon time and also for  "dusk." Dusk is associated with autumn,  the west and with the element of water.
The chapter also dealt with monthly cycles, and yearly seasons and ways to use these sacred cycles/seasons, to deepen your creativity.