New Dragon Moon

Tonight is the new moon; the Chinese call the fifth new moon the Dragon Moon. Chinese dragons are a symbol of cosmic Chi, good fortune, and new beginnings, but the time around the Dragon Moon is strongly yang, with bright sunlight and moist heat. The Chinese consider this to be a dangerous and unhealthy season and they have customs to protect against the excessive yang energy.

I feel strong and effective when I am able to harness my yang energy to get stuff done, but I like to remember that yang's best aim is to protect yin, and yin's best function is to nurture yang; life is good when I have each in a kind of dynamic balance.

This week I will make an effort to bring a balance of restorative yin energy to my life: Slow down, rest well, drink more water, and practice ‘discipline of purpose’.

Agenda:

1. Journal queries

2. Read "5 Resets"

3. Do Less plan

4. Simplify the kitchen

5. Choose a month theme

6. Set intentions

1. Journal queries:

Picture my Highest Self: Healthy, fulfilled, full of energy, and happy - what shift do I need to take me there?

In what areas is my endurance fraying? What could build my resilience?

How can I better connect to both my roots and my spiritual self?

How can I every day awaken the ears of my ears and open the eyes of my eyes?

From my journal: I'm working at being present and in the flow, but I am still unable to listen without reacting or interrupting and losing my equanimity. I'm still trying for zen calm; but I think I'm on the cusp of reaching it. Remembering my zen pause - to take a breath, ground my feet, touch my heart might be the ticket I need.

2. Read "5 Resets":

I started this book for Lent: "The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress and More Resilience" (2024), by Aditi Nerurkar. I'm finally into the 4th reset: 

Come Up for Air.

The message is that life is relentless; we need to learn how to take a break without sacrificing a feeling of creating meaning: We can do less to achieve more, create healthy boundaries, and feel more "in control".

Last week I introduced the first technique - Honoring my Breaks - by setting a timer for every 2 hours, and coming to a fullstops when it goes off.

The next technique is to mono-task using pomodoro. I'm already a pro at that, so I skipped down to the Fake Commute, a transition from home to work for those of us who work at home. I realized that my commute to school when I taught at school was full of rich thinking, plus I got in a nice walk. She suggests I build in a short walk with particular cues as a way to make a mental shift.

2. Do Less plan:

I plan to continue to Honor My Breaks with my timer, and when it goes off, full stop: Grab water, go out the back door, drink and look at the sky. Think about nothing for a few minute, do a stretch for two, take a few deep breathes, touch my heart and name the love I'm feeling now.

Secondly I plan to begin to take a Creativity Commute on the days I want to work in the studio:

1. Schedule a walk directly before my studio time.
2. Set up the studio to work before I leave. 
3. Take my camera and go out to find a shot.
4. Some days my commute might take me the library for a latte  and sometimes just around the block.
5. When I return home, sail directly to the studio without pausing.

3. Care for the kitchen:

My house care theme for the coming month is Basic Care and Zen Order. This means do the basics each week (sweeping, dusting, etc.) and find a zen balance of order that feels good.

Last week I tried this 2-step process for organizing stuff, from KC Davis' book:

1. Go systematically around a room and in each space, first put away everything that has a home, and gather everything with no home in one spot. 
2. Decide what to do with each of the unhoused items: Trash or find them a permanent home.  

This week I plan to:

• Clear the kitchen table and counters and only return what is essential. Find a new home for everything else. 
  
• Clear the refrigerator: Remove all the food from one shelf, and clean with a mild detergent.
• Rehouse the craft table into the living room, and rebuild the table fort.

4. Choose a month theme:

Today I choose a theme for the month, and begin to give attention to it. My theme this month is balance - the balance of concentration and mindfulness, action and study, social and alone time, yearning and resistance.

In feng shui, the center of the home is the area of Tai Chi, the great ultimate. The image is of the celestial ridgepole, the line that connects two sides; it's the circle around and the point between yin and yang energies.

 

The center is the place where my soul lives; it touches all other areas of my life. My life flows around the solid base of my center. Goals for balance at the center might have to do with grounded-ness, finding clarity in chaos, embracing paradox, or allowing myself to flow with life’s changes. Remind myself to look at change as an adventure not a disruption. Also, this is the place of connection to Spirit - I might seek a closer relationship with the Spirit outside myself. 

4. Set intentions:

Last week I brainstormed some wild and crazy ideas for June, and today it's time to narrow it down a little, to the priority items that I could possibly focus on this next month. This isn't a list of the practical things I need to do this month; rather it's my top actions, studies, and growth goals that fit with the "taste" of this month of my life.

After I list my top 10-20 goals for the next 30 days, I'm ready to set some intentions for action. This is a time-consuming but important process. I'm going to choose a few to write today - those I might act on today - then work on a few more each day this week.

I intend to improve my personal leadership skills by building self-awareness (review my strengths and excesses); defining achievable, meaningful goals; seeking accountability for progress toward those goals (with my creativity buddy and others); doing First Things First; handling challenges and conflict with equanimity; and setting appropriate boundaries on my time and energy to prevent burnout, because these steps will improve the underlying system of my life which will aid me in transforming my life towards hope, resiliency, and flow.

 

I intend also to practice active equanimity and daily flow: Go with the flow of the day, at peace – slow down and just BE; Be ready to pivot, to adjust plans and priorities as needed; Use anchors or habit cues to build structure; Honor my breaks- every two hours step out of the flow; Observe my thoughts: When I'm hooked by a thought that is affecting my equanimity, pause and invite skepticism, because this is the shift I need to become my Highest Self: Healthy, fulfilled, full of energy, and happy.