No matter who we are or what we have gone through or will go through, there is within us this possibility of growth. Of change, clarity, love, and connection.
Sharon Salzberg
It’s the final stretch of the summer, and autumn is on the
horizon. Are you looking forward to the change of season? A
new season means a fresh start … so let’s celebrate you, your
hopes, and your fears.
As the Great Mandala begins its final turn toward autumn, I
hope you're finding opportunities for inner and outer
adventures. August 1st marked the mid-point of the summer
season. In some cultures, this is a traditional time for celebrating
the beginning of harvest season. It's also powerful time to look
at what you planted and what you’re cultivating this year.
Remember in January when you created your Vision 2020?
Remember all the hard work you put into planting your vision in
the spring, just like planting seeds in a garden? Now, that hard
work is beginning to bear fruit--literally and figuratively.
The sun is at its hottest this time of year. Where we are in
Colorado, we're approaching a record number of days in the
90s. The sun is ripening the fruit on the trees and the plants in
the garden. All of nature is opening to the sun. Our garden is
overflowing with flowers and veggies (can you spell all things
"zucchini" ?). I think this year’s garden is particularly abundant
because the summer sun has been, and still is, fiery hot, active,
energetic and bold. It's helping to ripen everything we planted in
the spring. The same thing is happening within each of us (the
winter dreams and spring intentions we planted, and we’ve been
tending and growing all summer).
horizon. Are you looking forward to the change of season? A
new season means a fresh start … so let’s celebrate you, your
hopes, and your fears.
As the Great Mandala begins its final turn toward autumn, I
hope you're finding opportunities for inner and outer
adventures. August 1st marked the mid-point of the summer
season. In some cultures, this is a traditional time for celebrating
the beginning of harvest season. It's also powerful time to look
at what you planted and what you’re cultivating this year.
Remember in January when you created your Vision 2020?
Remember all the hard work you put into planting your vision in
the spring, just like planting seeds in a garden? Now, that hard
work is beginning to bear fruit--literally and figuratively.
The sun is at its hottest this time of year. Where we are in
Colorado, we're approaching a record number of days in the
90s. The sun is ripening the fruit on the trees and the plants in
the garden. All of nature is opening to the sun. Our garden is
overflowing with flowers and veggies (can you spell all things
"zucchini" ?). I think this year’s garden is particularly abundant
because the summer sun has been, and still is, fiery hot, active,
energetic and bold. It's helping to ripen everything we planted in
the spring. The same thing is happening within each of us (the
winter dreams and spring intentions we planted, and we’ve been
tending and growing all summer).
I love knowing that even if I didn’t plant a garden or have the
opportunity to be outside, I’m not separate from nature and the
natural world. Each season has its own unique energy. Whether
we’re aware of it or not, each season has a profound effect on
us mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
As we move from summer to autumn, the seasonal energy
encourages us to grow and thrive. When you see all the
abundant growth, and energy in the world around you, in the
gardens, in nature--even if you don't see it for yourself –it’s still
happening within right now. What did you envision for 2020?
What are you tending and nurturing? What have you been
working hard to cultivate so far this year?
Using seasonal Co-Creative Mandalas as the foundation and a
tool for understanding how nature and the current season
influences our lives, this blog looks at the effects the changing
seasons have on our journeys of personal growth and spiritual
evolution, and how we can use the Co-Creative Mandala and
seasonal energy to support transformation in our lives. And
when your inner life is in tune with the natural rhythms of the
seasons, it puts you deeply in tune with your most authentic self
and your life purpose.
The sun gives us a lot of clarity right now...about the work we're
doing, and what inspires and motivates us. This is the time to
open to the life-giving power of the sun and allow the vision you
imagined at the New Year, the seeds you planted in the spring
and cultivated all summer, to ripen. Which can sometimes be
hard to see. It can be a little scary, too. What if the seeds I
planted didn’t germinate, didn’t survive? What if all the hard
work over the past few months doesn’t bring the results I
intended? You may not think you have anything growing in your
inner garden or the vision you had for yourself at the New Year
has changed. What you set out to accomplish in January and
planted in the spring--may have shifted. Check in and make
sure you're directing the energy toward what you want to grow.
Can you name what you've been nurturing and tending? Look
into your inner landscape--what have you been working hard to
grow? Make sure you're still directing your energy in the places
you want to see growth and change. Do you need to change
that direction? I know my Vision 2020 is different now from my
intentions in January. A shift in perspective opens me to the
realization that simply being a human being living through the
past few months, living through the uncertainties and upheaval ,
has caused me to stretch and grow in unimaginable ways. It's
sometimes difficult or impossible to predict what will grow from
the seeds we plant. I so appreciate Debbie Millman's “Love
Letters to What You Hold Dear” video series. The first one--“A
Love Letter to My Garden” --reminds me that even the tiniest
seed produces amazing results.
opportunity to be outside, I’m not separate from nature and the
natural world. Each season has its own unique energy. Whether
we’re aware of it or not, each season has a profound effect on
us mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
As we move from summer to autumn, the seasonal energy
encourages us to grow and thrive. When you see all the
abundant growth, and energy in the world around you, in the
gardens, in nature--even if you don't see it for yourself –it’s still
happening within right now. What did you envision for 2020?
What are you tending and nurturing? What have you been
working hard to cultivate so far this year?
Using seasonal Co-Creative Mandalas as the foundation and a
tool for understanding how nature and the current season
influences our lives, this blog looks at the effects the changing
seasons have on our journeys of personal growth and spiritual
evolution, and how we can use the Co-Creative Mandala and
seasonal energy to support transformation in our lives. And
when your inner life is in tune with the natural rhythms of the
seasons, it puts you deeply in tune with your most authentic self
and your life purpose.
The sun gives us a lot of clarity right now...about the work we're
doing, and what inspires and motivates us. This is the time to
open to the life-giving power of the sun and allow the vision you
imagined at the New Year, the seeds you planted in the spring
and cultivated all summer, to ripen. Which can sometimes be
hard to see. It can be a little scary, too. What if the seeds I
planted didn’t germinate, didn’t survive? What if all the hard
work over the past few months doesn’t bring the results I
intended? You may not think you have anything growing in your
inner garden or the vision you had for yourself at the New Year
has changed. What you set out to accomplish in January and
planted in the spring--may have shifted. Check in and make
sure you're directing the energy toward what you want to grow.
Can you name what you've been nurturing and tending? Look
into your inner landscape--what have you been working hard to
grow? Make sure you're still directing your energy in the places
you want to see growth and change. Do you need to change
that direction? I know my Vision 2020 is different now from my
intentions in January. A shift in perspective opens me to the
realization that simply being a human being living through the
past few months, living through the uncertainties and upheaval ,
has caused me to stretch and grow in unimaginable ways. It's
sometimes difficult or impossible to predict what will grow from
the seeds we plant. I so appreciate Debbie Millman's “Love
Letters to What You Hold Dear” video series. The first one--“A
Love Letter to My Garden” --reminds me that even the tiniest
seed produces amazing results.
As the seasonal wheel subtly turns, the daylight hours are
getting shorter, the nighttime temperatures are cooling. It's not
uncommon to feel out of sorts as we transition from summer to
autumn. With this year's summer sun burning so HOT, your
mind, body, and spirit may feel worn out because of it. This is
the perfect time to pause and check in with yourself. How are
you feeling? Are you getting enough rest?
Go ahead... invest in yourself by pausing and appreciating the
work that's gone into tending all the seeds you planted. Create
space for honoring your process and all the work you've put into
your personal growth so far this year. During the whole, entire
growing season we've been up against uncertainty. It's
important to recognize how hard you've been working. Even if
you don't see the fruit of your labors--trust that unbelievable
harvests will come from all your efforts. Even if you don't see
that YET--the universe has been working intensely for you.
Celebrate that you’re still showing up. Day after day, you’re
giving your reasonable best to yourself and others.
My garden reminds me of this truth: We can bloom. We can
endure AND thrive. We can be joy and bring joy.
Simple lessons from the garden:
Be patient and trust that everything we're tending will come in
its own Divine timing. We can't rush the harvest. Trust that you
put in the work, tending your garden--and all will come to fruition
at the perfect time, in the perfect way.
Take action: Your intentions for the things you want to grow
need forward action. What steps can you take this month to
move those things closer to harvest? Does the garden need
water? Does it need weeding? Does it need to be nourished and
fed?
Protect and nurture the seeds you've planted. With loving
care for the seeds you planted, you will experience expansive
growth.
Growth takes work. With perseverance, you nurture what you
want to grow in your life.
Rest: Find the balance between working hard and resting--so
as not to burn yourself out. Rejuvenate, refresh, recharge every
day.
Notice: Without trying to change things. Simply using your
mind without pushing. That allows you to accept what is.
The Co-Creative Mandala below—“Joyful Endurance”—from a
photograph of a swallow tail butterfly and a zinnia reminds us of
transition and endurance. The butterfly is one of the most
symbolic animals regarding the power of personal
transformation. The black and yellow butterfly meaning is
representative of cycles and tides. It relates to the end of one
thing and the beginning of something new, like a wave on the
beach pulling one rock into the sea as it leaves another behind.
The zinnia flower symbolizes endurance. Zinnias are happy to
grow in the boiling, hot sun, in poor soil, and under harsh
conditions. They are prolific bloomers until the first frost. I think
the zinnia flower’s message is that setbacks are only temporary,
the heat of the moment will pass, and you will be able to move
graciously through any obstacles to get to your goal. The
benevolent rays of the sun will shine down on you again.
getting shorter, the nighttime temperatures are cooling. It's not
uncommon to feel out of sorts as we transition from summer to
autumn. With this year's summer sun burning so HOT, your
mind, body, and spirit may feel worn out because of it. This is
the perfect time to pause and check in with yourself. How are
you feeling? Are you getting enough rest?
Go ahead... invest in yourself by pausing and appreciating the
work that's gone into tending all the seeds you planted. Create
space for honoring your process and all the work you've put into
your personal growth so far this year. During the whole, entire
growing season we've been up against uncertainty. It's
important to recognize how hard you've been working. Even if
you don't see the fruit of your labors--trust that unbelievable
harvests will come from all your efforts. Even if you don't see
that YET--the universe has been working intensely for you.
Celebrate that you’re still showing up. Day after day, you’re
giving your reasonable best to yourself and others.
My garden reminds me of this truth: We can bloom. We can
endure AND thrive. We can be joy and bring joy.
Simple lessons from the garden:
Be patient and trust that everything we're tending will come in
its own Divine timing. We can't rush the harvest. Trust that you
put in the work, tending your garden--and all will come to fruition
at the perfect time, in the perfect way.
Take action: Your intentions for the things you want to grow
need forward action. What steps can you take this month to
move those things closer to harvest? Does the garden need
water? Does it need weeding? Does it need to be nourished and
fed?
Protect and nurture the seeds you've planted. With loving
care for the seeds you planted, you will experience expansive
growth.
Growth takes work. With perseverance, you nurture what you
want to grow in your life.
Rest: Find the balance between working hard and resting--so
as not to burn yourself out. Rejuvenate, refresh, recharge every
day.
Notice: Without trying to change things. Simply using your
mind without pushing. That allows you to accept what is.
The Co-Creative Mandala below—“Joyful Endurance”—from a
photograph of a swallow tail butterfly and a zinnia reminds us of
transition and endurance. The butterfly is one of the most
symbolic animals regarding the power of personal
transformation. The black and yellow butterfly meaning is
representative of cycles and tides. It relates to the end of one
thing and the beginning of something new, like a wave on the
beach pulling one rock into the sea as it leaves another behind.
The zinnia flower symbolizes endurance. Zinnias are happy to
grow in the boiling, hot sun, in poor soil, and under harsh
conditions. They are prolific bloomers until the first frost. I think
the zinnia flower’s message is that setbacks are only temporary,
the heat of the moment will pass, and you will be able to move
graciously through any obstacles to get to your goal. The
benevolent rays of the sun will shine down on you again.
...there will be an increasing need for those who can stand
strong...who can stand in calmness and in Light...points of
grounding who can also be tall in the Light, trees well-
rooted in the soil but with branches drawing in the
sustaining light of the sun
David Spangler
strong...who can stand in calmness and in Light...points of
grounding who can also be tall in the Light, trees well-
rooted in the soil but with branches drawing in the
sustaining light of the sun
David Spangler
Joyful Endurance Exercise
In this simple, yet powerful exercise, I invite you to celebrate
"Joyful Endurance" and make a connection between yourself
and the presence of the elements around you. Each connection
is a strand of blessing. The following exercise is adapted from
David Spangler's Web Weaving exercise I learned in a class
taught by friend and colleague Rue Hass.
Give yourself plenty of time without interruptions to dive deeply
into this exercise. Meditate, journal, create and bless your
sacred space.
Make this exercise your own. Invest your time and attention.
Don’t rush.
As you sit quietly in your space, light a candle that welcomes
"Joyful Endurance". What does "Joyful Endurance" mean to
you?
Close your eyes. Bring your awareness to your breath; just be
with your breath. Take a deep breath in. Breathe out. Take
another deep breath in. Breathe out. Notice the sensations as
you exhale—without judgement. Feel the body breathing. Bring
your body into stillness.
Open your eyes and bring your attention to the mandala; allow
the mandala energy to fill your heart; be with whatever is there.
Invest a few minutes toward allowing the “Joyful Endurance”
energy to flow to and through your body. Imagine that energy
bursting through your crown chakra and extending far into the
heavens
.
Imagine the “Joyful Endurance” energy flowing through you
and down deep into the earth. Imagine it radiating from your
heart and extending out in front of you and behind you. Imagine
the “Joyful Endurance” energy is a radiant ball that encircles
you.
Now, sit with this energy for a few minutes.
What about the mandala captures your attention?
Notice and Wonder--Something in me is feeling...
I wonder what it wants me to know?
Relax into your body and its quietness. Be with the energy, be
present, listen
.
Bring our attention once again to the mandala. Feel the
connection, partner with the mandala. Imagine a ribbon or
strand of Light between you and the mandala. This strand is a
carrier of your goodwill, love, and blessings to the mandala, the
co-creation of a partnership.
*Spin a strand of Light between you and all the minerals that
you see, the rocks and stones, brick, and mortar that are in your
environment. This strand is a carrier of your goodwill, love, and
blessings to the minerals.
*Spin a strand of Light between you and anything made out of
wood. Track back through the life of that wood, its native forest,
the hands that created it in this shape, the story it holds.
*Spin a strand of Light between you and any other things that
humans have created with their conscious and unconscious
imagination, love, and purpose. This strand is a carrier of your
goodwill, love, and blessings.
*Spin a strand of Light between you and any animals, insects,
other material lives that may be present.
*Spin a strand of Light between you and any plants that are
present. This strand is a carrier of your goodwill, love, and
blessings to this space.
*Honor and inwardly bow to yourself, spinning a strand of Light,
goodwill, love, and blessings into and throughout your body and
all the stories that are held in it, weaving a loving connection
across space and time.
*Weave all your strands into the larger web of light of the love
and blessings of the Sacred; the universal web of life is
perpetually emerging toward manifesting wholeness, goodwill
and mutual support.
You can do this exercise anywhere and at any time, particularly
times when you want to bring more calmness and loving
presence to your awareness. Our personal energy is part of the
larger, interdependent energy fields found in our communities,
the land, and the planet as a whole. Recognizing that we are
part of a larger whole and acting to benefit the world around us
is a vital way to keep our energy flowing, healthy, and
connected.
Take good care of yourself. You know how…
Peace and joy to your seeking heart,
In this simple, yet powerful exercise, I invite you to celebrate
"Joyful Endurance" and make a connection between yourself
and the presence of the elements around you. Each connection
is a strand of blessing. The following exercise is adapted from
David Spangler's Web Weaving exercise I learned in a class
taught by friend and colleague Rue Hass.
Give yourself plenty of time without interruptions to dive deeply
into this exercise. Meditate, journal, create and bless your
sacred space.
Make this exercise your own. Invest your time and attention.
Don’t rush.
As you sit quietly in your space, light a candle that welcomes
"Joyful Endurance". What does "Joyful Endurance" mean to
you?
Close your eyes. Bring your awareness to your breath; just be
with your breath. Take a deep breath in. Breathe out. Take
another deep breath in. Breathe out. Notice the sensations as
you exhale—without judgement. Feel the body breathing. Bring
your body into stillness.
Open your eyes and bring your attention to the mandala; allow
the mandala energy to fill your heart; be with whatever is there.
Invest a few minutes toward allowing the “Joyful Endurance”
energy to flow to and through your body. Imagine that energy
bursting through your crown chakra and extending far into the
heavens
.
Imagine the “Joyful Endurance” energy flowing through you
and down deep into the earth. Imagine it radiating from your
heart and extending out in front of you and behind you. Imagine
the “Joyful Endurance” energy is a radiant ball that encircles
you.
Now, sit with this energy for a few minutes.
What about the mandala captures your attention?
Notice and Wonder--Something in me is feeling...
I wonder what it wants me to know?
Relax into your body and its quietness. Be with the energy, be
present, listen
.
Bring our attention once again to the mandala. Feel the
connection, partner with the mandala. Imagine a ribbon or
strand of Light between you and the mandala. This strand is a
carrier of your goodwill, love, and blessings to the mandala, the
co-creation of a partnership.
*Spin a strand of Light between you and all the minerals that
you see, the rocks and stones, brick, and mortar that are in your
environment. This strand is a carrier of your goodwill, love, and
blessings to the minerals.
*Spin a strand of Light between you and anything made out of
wood. Track back through the life of that wood, its native forest,
the hands that created it in this shape, the story it holds.
*Spin a strand of Light between you and any other things that
humans have created with their conscious and unconscious
imagination, love, and purpose. This strand is a carrier of your
goodwill, love, and blessings.
*Spin a strand of Light between you and any animals, insects,
other material lives that may be present.
*Spin a strand of Light between you and any plants that are
present. This strand is a carrier of your goodwill, love, and
blessings to this space.
*Honor and inwardly bow to yourself, spinning a strand of Light,
goodwill, love, and blessings into and throughout your body and
all the stories that are held in it, weaving a loving connection
across space and time.
*Weave all your strands into the larger web of light of the love
and blessings of the Sacred; the universal web of life is
perpetually emerging toward manifesting wholeness, goodwill
and mutual support.
You can do this exercise anywhere and at any time, particularly
times when you want to bring more calmness and loving
presence to your awareness. Our personal energy is part of the
larger, interdependent energy fields found in our communities,
the land, and the planet as a whole. Recognizing that we are
part of a larger whole and acting to benefit the world around us
is a vital way to keep our energy flowing, healthy, and
connected.
Take good care of yourself. You know how…
Peace and joy to your seeking heart,
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