Monday Monday

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and get ready for a week of fun activities with my grandsons.

Agenda this week:

1. Gratitude meditation

2. Read "The Spirited Walker"

3. Clearing and Home projects

4. Grandson fun

1. Gratitude meditation:

Every month after the full moon, in the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon, I practice a love meditation that progresses from receptivity, to gratitude, to generosity:

Day 2: Practice a love meditation, and end by feeling and expressing gratitude - send a prayer to the universe of thanksgiving for all I have in my life. 

During this month when my theme is joy, I take some time to thank the earth for the daily comfort she brings me.

2. Read "The Spirited Walker":

I'm reading this little book by Carolyn Scott Kortge (1998), with the subtitle, Fitness walking for clarity, balance, and spiritual connection. She equates walking to a regular meditation or mindfulness practice. " ... walking has many parallels to life. Walkers move forward, take steps, go toward something. ...the action changes your perspective. It offers a fresh point of view."

I'm in Chapter 5, Breathwork for Walkers. She goes on at length about how deep breathing helps our bodies, and keeps our lungs functioning properly. She also says, "The symbolism of the breath establishes the flow of give and take as the essence of life ... think about breathing out tired thoughts, old frustrations, worn out patterns..." And when I give attention to the quality of my breathing while walking I help myself be present-centered. "Each breath renews a whole-body commitment to the present, to being fully alive and aware of the moment."

3. Clearing and Home projects:

In April I plan to do basic housework with integrity, keeping the house clean, and give greater attention to clearing things out of the house. I'm focusing on the studio space, which is so packed as to be almost unusable - I can't easily put things away again, so they just stack up. I re-organized most of the bins last week; next I will work on the cabinet, then the table, and then the old shelves and my paintings.

I'm also doing the work to finish our home projects, because creating our home sanctuary is a priority, and finishing projects (one by one) satisfies my need for completion, integrity, and order. 

My goals:

1. Seal fence
2. Paint last post
3. Call an electrician about grounded outlet
4. Plan steppers and plantings! 
5. Reclaim fence wood
6. Make sand pit
7. Sew canvas roof 
8. Dig up drain field

4. Grandson fun:

Monday is also my day to prepare for fun kid activities throughout the week. I'm going to prepare some bird and nest projects, and Easter projects, plus edit and add to our choice cards:

• Birds and nests
• Hunt for litter outside
• Plant sunflowers and peas
• Feed squirrels
• Painting
• AC car
• Ride bicycles
• Playground