Letting Go

Summer is a good time to practice letting go - of structure, judgements, caution, and perfection. This season, more than any other, requires space for spontaneity and time for just being.

My theme this month is balance - the stability of a grounded body and a clear mind, along with equanimity of heart. When I practice balance I am better able to let go of the bank, and dive into the flow of life.

Agenda:

1. Read "Discover Inner Peace"

2. Balance practices

3. Balance journal queries

4. Standing practice

1. Read "Discover Inner Peace":

Today I did some reading from this beautiful little book by Mike George (2000), with the subtitle of "A Guide to Spiritual Well-Being". I read it first over 20 years ago!

Chapter 4 is Letting Go: "...the various important projects we may have in our lives are not damaged by deliberately doing, and thinking about, something else. We remain the same person if we spend a week on retreat

... Such periods of letting go are refreshing and balancing."

The author reminds me that I can also let go of excessive attachments to possessions, to emotions, or to the status quo in my life - Yes!

2. Balance Practices:

My balance practices include morning journal writing, a standing practice, and a walking meditation, and fall into these four categories:  

1. Earth, stability, grounding: Stand in the mountain pose; work in the dirt; center my weight low and maintain stability as I walk.

 

2. Air, clarity, intentions: Map my priorities for the day, and journal about my intentions; read about inner peace; take slow breathes as I walk to help bring expansion of thought. 

 

3. Fire, equanimity, love: Journal about daily connections and where I will need patience; stretch up and back to open my heart; send kind thoughts to my neighbors, my family, my community, the earth.

 

4. Water, spirit, creativity: Mandala painting; artist awareness; practice flowing qigong; notice the movement of life I am in, let go of the safety I am clinging to, and find a mantra to take with me.

3. Balance journal queries:

I start my day early with some thought about my priorities, and choose the top one or two to write brief intentions for, that help me to clarify why they are priorities. I ask-

What is the purpose these tasks support?

Then I think about the connections I will make this day, and ask- 

What is the patience and equanimity I might need? 

The equanimity I am seeking includes also rich, thoughtful inner dialogue, so I list some things I want to contemplate today.

Where is the flow of life taking me today?

4. Standing practice: 

This is a compact version of my walking meditation:

• Start in mountain pose - plant feet firmly on the earth (picture a mountain - be a mountain). Give attention to my feet, the ground, and send my roots deep.
• Touch my forehead with one hand, and take several slow breathes to bring expansion of thought.
• Touch my heart, relax shoulders, stretch up and back to open my heart; send kind thoughts to the world.
• End with some gentle qigong movement.