June is a transitional month, the end of spring and the beginning of summer. June’s color is the yellow of the sun and calendulas, and its element is fire, which purifies and gives life. It’s the season of completion, abundance and fulfillment - in the summer, I have hope that I will reach the full flowering of my self and my dreams.
June has a different pace, less scheduled though more active. It’s a time for fine-tuning, and for decisive action. It’s a time to energetically climb to the top of a hill, survey the landscape and climb down again; a time to put myself in context, evaluate my progress, see what I’ve accomplished since January, and make careful adjustments in my goals. My aim this month is to stand still and calm in the center while I am hiking, cleaning, writing, socializing, teaching, digging, swimming, traveling and painting like crazy.
“Feeling good doesn't just happen. Living a life in balance means taking the necessary time to renew yourself. It's all up to you… You can revitalize yourself and face a new day in peace and harmony. Or you can wake up in the morning full of apathy...” --Stephen Covey
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 some combination of physical, mental, and spiritual regeneration activities, plus work to improve my social skills and relationships. Today's third quarter waning half moon is my opportunity to review how I'm doing, and make note of what could be improved:
Body & Discipline: Am I walking fast daily, plus some stretching, strength, and aerobics; eating well and drinking plenty of water; budgeting, saving, and spending within my means; sleeping and playing?
Mind & Vision: Am writing in my journal regularly; expressing myself with art and writing, reading a book on principled living; researching or studying something; teaching others?
Spirit & Ethics: Am I maintaining a daily awareness practice; maintaining my integrity; reviewing and working to understand my mission; immersing myself in creation (writing, art, and nature)?
Heart & Passion: Am working daily to improve and repair relationships with my family and friends; making new friendships; volunteering my time in service; working to understand and care for myself; studying and practicing better skills for patience, listening, and communication?
From my Journal: I'm doing really well this month. I've started a healthy competition with W to lose weight, and I plan to up my effort this month. I've also begun to work on my Ducks in a Row book again, which is stimulating. And I have one week left of my joy focus - contemplating these queries:
1. How do I remember to notice the joy of each moment?
2. How do I interrupt my habitual patterns of worry, judgment, and annoyance?
3. How can I better radiate a joyful, loving spirit onto the world?
2. Self-care routine:
Caring for myself with persistence will give me the energy and health I need to succeed. More energy means more focus, so I can approach my goals with more discipline.
Self-care involves eating well, exercising, sleeping enough, and taking time for renewal of my soul, including time with God.
I have found that having self-care rituals helps me to stay on track: When I have a routine I am more likely to maintain the discipline to do it every day.
Today I will review and renew my health and self-care routines.
- My reasonable goal this month is to eat less and exercise more, so that I will lose a little weight.
- My exercise ritual is to flaunt my short (10-15 minute) video exercise routine in the morning, before eating lunch, every day.
3. Cleansing:
Cleansing means to purify my body/soul/mind and my sacred spaces, clearing out the negative energies that harbor there. I can choose from a wide variety of methods:
- Sea salt and sage smoke
- Ritual Baths: bathing in water that’s infused with salts, flowers, or herbs.
- Leaping over a bonfire
- Cleansing with Sound: Tibetan singing bowls, chanting, ringing bells, clapping, banging on pots/pans, and ancient music
- Sweeping with a besom, one’s space and one's aura from head to foot
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