July Sabbath for Creation

The month of July is a golden time of passion and activity. Nature celebrates the peak of its power, the sun reaches her highest point, and I do the same; every day I get to share my light with the world. I put my best and brightest energy into my projects, my garden, and my art. I seek out chances to be courageous, and extend myself beyond what’s comfortable.

The question for July is How do I shine through the clouds?

“Hold the sadness and pain of samsara in your heart and at the same time the power and vision of the Great Eastern Sun. Then the warrior can make a proper cup of tea.”

~ Chogyam Trungpa

Agenda:

1. Keeping the Sabbath

2. All day abundance meditation

3. Read "How to Manifest"

4. Make a vision board

5. Set intentions

1. Keeping the Sabbath:

Keeping a sabbath day is a personal thing. For me, it's a day with a slow pace, and everything I do has a flavor of peace. I schedule some work, but it's work I find fulfilling, or uplifting. Simple is a great word to describe my ideal activities for the Sabbath: Simple tasks, simple foods, and an undemanding schedule.

Today I plan to spend my whole day at home, read and write, work in the garden, take a bath, call my mother, and bake a birthday pie.

2. All day Abundance Meditation:

My theme this month is abundance. To attract abundance to the world, I need an abundance consciousness: That is, I need to be aware of the abundance already in my life, connect with it, feel grateful for it, and be open to receive more of it. I need to remember that we are limitless beings, and our world has an infinite supply of blessings.

Today I pray for an abundance of attention to nature, so that we (people) find unity with what the earth needs to survive.

I've decided to visualize abundance all day long. It's what people call "prayer unceasing" (which is not something I'm good at because I'm too impatient). 

I'm trying this re-focusing practice: I've set a bell alarm for every 60-minutes, and I'll stop whatever I'm doing and picture in my heart a growing awareness in the whole world: care for the earth, respect for nature, changes in habits - growing and expanding to shift us all towards life.

3. Read "How to Manifest":

I'm reading a book called "How to Manifest", by Laura Chung; it's a 40 day program to "Make Your Dreams a Reality". 

Manifestation is such a fad word, so I like to just use CREATE. I have one big dream that I'm making slow progress on -- to Teach Medicine Art --  and I hope to use this book to kick me into action.

Day 1 - What are You Manifesting?: Think about what you are already creating in your life.

Day 2 - It Starts with a Vision: "As creative beings we have the power to envision our lives.  ... We have the power to dream something better for ourselves with our creative and imaginative minds."

She lists a few practices to help with visioning: Visualization meditation, a vision board, Pinterest, affirmations, scripting, or field trips.

Day 3 - Set Your Intentions: "You have to know what you want and why. ... Strong initial intentions will help you refocus when the world takes your attention away from what you're working toward." 

Day 4 - Connect to a Higher Power: "... this is all about healing our belief in lack. Manifestation is bringing your ideas into physical form. A big component of that is your belief system and your ability to feel abundant... Being in a 50-50 partnership with a Higher Power is much easier than relying on yourself."

The author does not assume that we all feel this connection already; she just says that we are all a part of the universal consciousness; it will be easier if you can co-create with the Universe, and you will more easily feel the flow of creativity.

She suggests that we cultivate a spiritual practice to tap in to this infinite energy, and she lists a few ways: An altar, and a Higher Power meditation.

4. Make a vision board for Medicine Art:

In order to not waste too much time on this, I found an app called Vision Board, that allowed me to use my own photos to set up visual reminders of the dream I have to teach classes on Medicine Art. 

I chose photos for each part: Writing, practicing, making art, advertising, and teaching. I think it will be good to have these on my phone to look at from time to time.

5. Write intentions for Medicine Art:

I have my own way of setting intentions that works well for me: I write my intentions in present tense, using the action + definition + deepest reason model. When I have a succinct definition of what the action means to me, and a gripping explanation of why it's so important, then the intention captures the possibility of daily right action that is useful in any situation that arises in daily life.

My intentions for Medicine Art are complex - these are the parts:     

I intend to continue to write a guide to a Medicine Art process for how to practice everyday creative activities in a reverential way, that will help to heal our self-focus and sense of overwhelm and re-connect us to the earth and nature, because this draws on my strengths as an artist, writer, and teacher, and promises me a uniquely proactive response to climate change.

I intend to study and improve at using permaculture in my garden, and practice a Medicine Art way of living in the world, because showing care and reverence for all of life on this planet will lead me to greater connection and unity with nature.

I intend to work with attention and tenacity on art and craftivism that supports a Medicine Art perspective, because my creativity is from and of God, and is the voice of my soul. Furthermore, I intend to finish things I start, because my mission is to be a creative force for change, and my brilliant ideas won’t have any impact on the world unless I put them into form.

I intend to advertise and promote classes (starting with one class this month) to share my Medicine Art ideas, because I can't teach if I don't have students, and I truly feel that I have a message and skills worth sharing.