Sabbath for Renewal

Every month before the Third Quarter Moon, I take some time to think about self-care, renewal, and "sharpening the saw", as Stephen Covey advised. That is, I look at my whole Being, and how I can live with more balance and resilience.

Keeping a sabbath day is a personal thing. For me, it's a day with a slow pace. I don't pack it as full. I schedule some work, but it has a flavor of rest to it - 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.

My perfect sabbath is a celebration, a holiday. I keep it holy with my attitude: I try not to rush, complain, or worry. I open myself to the Spirit of Love, and schedule activities that celebrate the season or the act of creativity or the joy of community or are satisfyingly peaceful in nature. 

Today, I plan some creative sewing, some gentle gardening, and writing about bird song! I also have a couple community worship times, but online, so I don't have to engage too much.

Agenda Today:

1. Read "Revolutionary Witchcraft"

2. Beingness 

3. Ongo journal

4. Renewal brainstorm

1. Read "Revolutionary Witchcraft":

I'm reading this sweet little book by Sarah Lyons (2019) that I got from my daughter for Christmas. The subtitle is A Guide to Magical Activism.

Chapter 2 is Shaking Off the Dirt, about letting go of lethargy so we can change the world.

The next section is about the 2016 Election, and how it was an initiation for many of us, "a break in normalcy, when you have to confront truth face-to-face..." She reminds us that it wasn't news that we live in a sexist, racist, and violent country - it was just such a glaring look at the shadow side of the USA that we couldn't ignore it anymore.

The question is: "Are we learning the right lessons? Are we allowing ourselves to be positively transformed?" We need deep political change, not "normalcy". We need to dream big. 

 

2. Beingness:

For Lent I am finding creative ways to make space for Being in Nature. Today: A walk around my entire yard to prune ferns, and notice what's growing.

3. Ongo journal:

I'm going back through this book by Catherine Madden and Jesse Weiss Chu (2022), focussing on the solo practices. I'm on week 9, and Day 1 is Mindful Walking.

Practice: Go for a slow, mindful walk. Walk for 10-15 minutes, bringing awareness to the movement of the body, the lifting of each foot, and the foot's contact with the earth. Breathe with each step, and appreciate what it is to be alive, and appreciate also the wonders around us. 

4. Renewal brainstorm:

I try to renew all four dimensions of my life (body, mind, heart, and spirit), as Stephen Covey taught: I spend about an hour each day on a combination of physical, mental, and spiritual regeneration activities, plus work to improve my social skills and relationships. Today' I will review how I'm doing, and make note of new ideas for the month ahead.

My ideas:

• Body & Discipline: Continue chair yoga stretches every morning; Take a daily walk - plan routes for week; Plan and prepare healthy lunches, snacks, dinners; Take care of basic hygiene, especially teeth and skin!
• Mind & Vision: Continue to research and write about Nature-Culture - make note of where I need deep research; Choose a new book focusing on optimism; Create more teaching opportunities.
• Spirit & Ethics: Cultivate spiritual order (inner peace and purpose); Enjoy nature daily with photos and grubbing; Keep a "new narrative" journal, as a tool for creative shifts in awareness. 
• Heart and passion: Build trust by turning my reactive resistance into presence, effort, and follow-through; Be in the moment with my grandsons, and be creative!