Sabbath for Vision

Sunday is my day to be quiet (at least for a while), with the spirit, in contemplation and prayer, and in community with nature and other bipeds.

Today I will be on the road most of the day, so I will have time for contemplation and not much action. The sabbath is a celebration, a holiday - As I sit in the car, I will keep it holy with my attitude: no complaining, or worrying.

We are in the Waxing Gibbous moon phase, when I can settle again into the yin of Beingness. Now is a time to reconsider my intentions and make adjustments. I will consider the big picture of my life as I practice mindfulness, self-care and trust.

Agenda:

1. Read "Your Heart Was Made for This"

2. Creative visualization

3. Expressing Needs in the World

1. Read "Your Heart Was Made for This":

I just began this book by Oren Jay Sofer (2023), with the subtitle, "Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love". It has 26 short chapters on innate qualities we each have, that we can cultivate and develop as inner and external expression, meant to be read and practiced in order, one each every 1-2 weeks.

Part One explores six core qualities, and the second is Aspiration, a verb meaning to connect to the spirit energy that animates my life. "Every day, every moment can bring new possibilities--if we are open to them. Aspiration connects us with a sense of what is possible. It's a key that opens the door to healing, spiritual cultivation, and social transformation."

We can connect to aspiration by asking, what is most important? How do we want to spend our time on this earth? How do we long to change things? It begins with the trust that actions have effects, that love is more powerful than hate, and a faith in your own experiences; but a strong aspiration - a single speech or mantra - can become a collective aspiration for a whole generation, and a call to action. "In the face of despair and hopelessness, if we take one step at a time and remain open to life, we will hear the call of our aspirations."

Aspirations, then, are my deepest goals, and my most stirring feelings of possibility for the future. It's a practical kind of hope, grounded in realism. I can lean on my aspirations as I walk into the unknown. 

Reflection: Take time weekly or monthly to meditate about what most uplifts me and gives me that sense of possibility - songs, writings, being in nature. Reflect on being alive. Meditate on my own aspirations for the future, and choose one or two to hold and nurture this week.

Actions: Nourish my aspirations by holding them in my heart and mind; choose an object to symbolize this week's aspiration and put it where I can see it.

2. Creative Visualization:

It's true we've still got a lot of uncertainty in our lives right now, but that is true at the best of times. Every month, at the waxing gibbous moon, I call on the practice of visualization to help me to see the next steps towards bringing my goals to fruition.

Today I shine a light on my aspirations for being the support my family needs.

Creative visualization is a technique that uses my imagination to create change. (Because of my visual and auditory sensitivity, this is the best process for knowing what I'm feeling.) It has these steps:

• First, set an intention: Say, "Today I call on the Spirit of Love to bring me clarity and open my eyes to how best to support my family." 

• Center and relax each part of my body: With each breath, allow my awareness to deepen and become softer. No stress. No rush. I walk or float in an imaginary void. Open a connection to Spirit. Feel a soft warmth begin to grow and spread through me, until I am radiating quiet energy.

• Create a clear, detailed picture in my mind, as though the objective has been reached. Paint a vivid mental image of all the chaos and disorder of this week taking shape into opportunity for connection, teamwork, and right sharing of the burden. Put as much positive energy into the images as possible. 

• Lastly, affirm that this is what I want with a short positive phrase in the present tense: "Today I will take the next step towards opening doors for partnership."

• Give thanks and return: Saying thanks out loud is how I acknowledge the reality of the gift of my vision.

The thought-image is like a signal-flare that guides the physical thing or deed to manifest in my life (and it's a good way to keep my intentions in my mind). I will carry the vision of the completed goal with me, and focus on it often during the day, in a gentle manner.

3. Expressing Needs in the World:

On Sundays I often go through this Ongo practice to define the Needs I want to express: 

1. Sit for a couple minutes and then invite in three questions, and write the answers in my journal:

• "If I knew this was the last week of my life, what is one Need or quality of life I'd like to be or express more fully?" 
• "What's one quality of life I'd like to contribute more to one of my relationships?"
• "Whats one quality of life I'd like to contribute more to my community?" 

2. Consider each of these Needs, one at a time, and feel the surge of this energy in my body. 

3. Invite myself to take one action each day this week to express the energy of one of these Needs, or bring it alive in my relationships. Be sure it's done in the spirit of invitation, not demand, and that it is specific and doable.

4. After doing the action, be sure to take a minute to visualize the happiness or fulfillment I experience, and extend it out to all beings.

The Needs that come to me today are self-expression, reassurance, and aspiration. After sitting with the energy of these, I've listed some ideas for action:

• Self-Expression: Write a fair evaluation; Research and write some expectations for improvement; Write and post an inspiring article.  
• Reassurance: Share my love and assurances, and a practical and measured hope for the future.
• Aspiration: Make a plan for community education and involvement.