Holy Time, Whole Me TIme

This is a post from a year ago on the Circle of Self Muse Blog  It is even more relevant, more true, more important to have these holy times--the Whole Me times as I intentionally spend these last few days in the Thank Truth cycle reviewing what I have come to know of my life.

My early mornings are Holy Time.

Actually, all time is Holy Time,

And I am so distracted

 I don’t recognize the holy minutes and holy seconds

as they flow in and out of me.

But if I practice experiencing my early mornings as Holy Time,

Perhaps it will seep more and more into my days as a WHOLE.

And perhaps my nights will become incubation for Holy Time,

So my dreams will carry more and more a holy message for my life.

And then perhaps my life will have enough holiness

My breath can be a holy mist out to the lives of others.

My early mornings are Holy Time.

Self Reflection: Take time during these last few days of the cycle of Thank Truth to hold sacred and abundant gratitude for your Self and your self.

What Live Truth Means to Each of Us in Our Lives is Different

Truth, Lived through me, will be uniquely my truth,
Different from everyone else,
Yet, each living ou rown path of Truth,
We create a path for Peace.

Carolyn writes: This little poem is one of the conclusions about the meaning of 'Live Truth' as it is in my life. I came to this awareness during the time I spent with Lee and Bob Nitsch.
I saw that each person has their own gifts and a unique vision for their life, different from all others. To Live Truth, for me, means to Embody Truth as I currently understand Truth, then to express this Truth in all my thoughts, words, deeds.

Self Reflection:  In this waning moon phase, I have the possibility--and the ability-- to Live Truth in my actions and interactions with all of life.  My commitment to daily contemplation and reflection (daily review) ensures Truth lives in and through me as fully as I am currently able to allow. Contemplation and Review are preparation for my next action or my next letting go.

Contemplation as an Act of Reviewing and Releasing

We bring our experiences, our efforts and intentions from our day into a few moments of just sitting in silence and letting them pass through our mind and our feeling—a review of who, how and what we were in our day.  This act of quiet sitting at the end of the day is the way to release what is not working in our life. In contemplation, Creator becomes the listening partner and adviser in the beauty of the setting of the sun.  How different it is to release our difficulties and struggles, to let go of what is not working, to be consciously in communication with the source of our being, rather than to escape or numb out to our life.

We learn the Truth of our life through contemplation. Through contemplation we learn to release what no longer serves us, without escaping, without numbing out through our habits and addictions. Through contemplation, we are given the gift to live life with intention.

Self Reflection: Do I have a daily practice of reviewing and reflecting on my day?  If I do, how might I further strengthen my practice?  If I don't, am I willing to embrace this practice to support my life?

September Full Moon, Contemplating Twilight

All spiritual traditions, from all over the world, and throughout history, hold a time for sacred connection at close of day. In our modern, secular world, the end of day ceremony is likely to be ‘rush hour’ or ‘happy hour’.  

The most mystical and sacred times of day are in those moments when the sun sets and the sun rises.  These are two short periods of time in the twenty-four hours of each day where there seems to be a thinning of the veil between the material and the ethereal—our physical being and our spiritual being. 

What would happen if we consciously entered this the time between Evening and Morning? 

What is required?  

Merely begin a practice of contemplation.  

Merely!  This is such an act of conscious commitment.   

It is how we begin to express the Truth of our Self; how we Live Truth.

Self Reflection: My readiness and willingness to self-reflect leads me deeper into contemplation. I can rest in the natural growing of this practice, this gift. I can be grateful--and patient.

New Moon for September; The Joyous Cycle of Live Truth:

Joyous Cycle, Live Truth!
Life is Truth
     when lived with open eyes
           and open ears
                  and open hands.
Then, heart can open, does open.
Live Truth (with a short 'i' vowel)
Live Truth (with a long 'i' vowel)

Self Reflection:  I am able to live truth everyday, in all my being and doing.  I am able to live Truth in my intention and my trying again. I live Truth and Truth lives me, lives in me.  Just by my being alive I live in Truth.  By my being aware of how I am choosing to live in my life, Truth becomes alive in me.  A joyous life awaits me on this path.  It does. It does!

Tools to Serve Truth, Part Three: Contemplation

Support tools for letting go what no longer serves us AND for learning to serve in Truth:

1) Gathering with a few others to review the scene before any action (just be sure they aren’t enablers)

2) Praying (remember the running out the door prayer-that is enough )

3) Contemplating  (which means watching and listening and hearing)

4) Receiving help (as gracefully as currently possible)

5) Taking a ‘do-over’ and humbly beginning again (as many times as needed)

Carolyn writes: For me contemplation is the commitment and willingness to hear, experience, integrate, become aware and come to know the subtler, inter-connected elements of everything that makes me, me—and me part of everything.   I don’t have a clear understanding of the technical differences between meditation and contemplation.  My understanding of meditation is only of the beginning level of sitting and clearing my mind in an effort to empty it of thought.  After years of trying, it still feels like a struggle. 

Contemplation seems more forgiving of the constant movement of my body and my mind. Contemplation is more noticing and allowing and listening with my whole body.  When I sit in contemplation, a kind of knowing comes to me from a place where it seems all wisdom is held.  I see this place of wisdom as one of the infinite facets of GOD.  

Many years ago I took a series of meditation classes in an effort to calm and clear my mind.  I remember being told to keep imagining a blank white canvas on which GOD could reveal GOD to me.  My canvas was never white.  It always appeared thick with layers of paint in many colors, shapes and texture.   I finally stopped struggling and gave into my colored canvas.  This is how I came to embrace ‘my’ form of contemplation. 

Sitting with my multicolored, multi-textured, multi-layered canvas, became a way for Wisdom to make herself known to me.  I would be with what I saw on my inner canvas and ‘wonder’ about it. My ‘wondering’ became a way to loosen the grip of my fears, beliefs and perceptions.

Self-Reflection: I sit in contemplation and I wonder…about whatever becomes to my awareness; and then I listen with all of my senses, and then, I come to know with all my senses.  In sitting this way, I come to know at ever subtler levels what is more Truth.

Before the Clean Up, Be Willing to See the Truth of the Mess

Earlier contemplation posts suggested taking time for reviewing recent experiences and behaviors.  Patterns in my behavior appear when I practice this kind of review.

As I stand and look over what I have judged as a mess of my life, I CAN spot

-a few tiny but luminous victories 

-some positive results from modest efforts

-a couple of ideas worth sharing (like this post?)

-a certain memory I shall keep and hold dear

-and yes, a couple of behaviors where I’d like do-over

Thankfully, THE Service Master arrives bringing tools:

1) Gathering with a few others to review the scene before any action (just be sure they aren’t enablers)

2) Praying (remember the running out the door prayer-that is enough)

3) Contemplating  (which means watching and listening and hearing)

4) Receiving help (as gracefully as currently possible)

5) Taking a ‘do-over’ and humbly beginning again (as many times as needed)

Self Reflection: What are the tools I am needing/willing to use? Do I need outside help?

August Full Moon: An Invitation to Sit in Contemplation with (at least) One Other Person as a Precursor to Serve Truth

Archbishop Rowan Williams, former leader of the Anglican Church, told the Synod of Catholic Bishops in Rome "…contemplation is the only ultimate answer to the unreal and insane world that our financial systems and our advertising culture and our chaotic and unexamined emotions encourage us to inhabit. To learn contemplative practice is to learn what we need so as to live truthfully and honestly and lovingly." 

Carolyn's thoughts:  In many ways, when one commits to relationship with Truth, which is what this practice of living and working within these cycles is, is to be a contemplative OUT in the world, rather than inside of the walls of our room, church, institution, or other place where we can avoid the impact of other humans’ creative or destructive chaos!  What a commitment!  And to do this without burning out our lives, our inner flame, we MUST be in relationship with some others who have this same longing, this same intention, desire, vision. 

THIS IS THE REASON to gather in small groups, holding each other in the same sacred way, supporting each other’s contemplation, willingness to share their insights, and supporting their actions in the world and their self-care.  In this way we are held in good stead to Serve Truth.

Self Reflection: Today I notice how I am already able to be contemplative AND be in the world, remembering this is a practice of awareness and of service to self, other, Truth.

Questions to Ask While Waxing Toward Fullness

The Full Moon for August is tomorrow.

Stop now and take a moment--  

Ask:

“What was happening in my life at the beginning of this moon cycle?

What has come in to make my life to make it fuller-whether good, bad, lovely or ugly?

What are my victories, no matter how tiny they might seem, that illuminate of my life?

What experiences and learning do I wish to keep?

What am I willing to share out in the world?

What would I rather not have added into my life and,if given the chance would take a 'do-over' (these are called regrets)?”

Self Reflection: These words rest with me and germinate as I live in these hours moving toward the full Moon of August. To have conscious awareness of the answers is a profound step toward Serving Truth.

Strengthening and Aligning Our Internal Flame, Part 5: Building a spiritual muscle memory

Sara writes:

Sometimes, our environment or situation can be incredibly challenging or draining.  When I am in the midst of such negative energy, I often become uncentered. Afterward, I recall the spiritual person I think I am during my morning contemplative time and wonder where she went!

Today, I am reminded that the challenging times are the reason a spiritual practice is exactly that; a practice.  During my contemplative time, I practice sensing and aligning with the pull of the Universe/Creator.  I become centered.  Frequently, I set reminders for myself throughout the day to do a mini-check-in with that same centering.  In this way, I build a kind of spiritual "muscle memory".

The more dedicated I am to this practice, the more likely I will remember to (and be able to) open to the Grace and Guidance needed.  Responding from a perspective that allows a positive outcome becomes more automatic.  When I neglect my practice, I become spiritually "out of shape" and revert to old, negative attitudes and reactions.

The words in the daily circles in the journal are practices of gratitude, opening to guidance, intention, and noticing alignment working in our life.  As Carolyn mentioned in yesterday's post, there is great value in just the practice, even when (or especially when) we aren't feeling particularly "spiritual"

Self Reflection:  How does my spiritual practice nourish and support me?

Strengthening and Aligning Our Internal Flame Part 1

By internal flame, is meant one's life force, which is the energy which we bring into the world with us when we are born.  Over time, our life experiences can be like a storm battering away at the flame of a lamp.  While we cannot control the metaphoric winds and storms that threaten our flame, we can strengthen the wick of the lamp which is our life.

Our intention for living our life and our commitment to live with integrity (Truth as best as we currently understand) weave together and become like a wick, drawing up energy from Creator's unlimited source. This energy, ignited by Grace, is an ever-flowing gift of love available to all of us. 

We receive this Grace through two actions: First, through a daily practice of expressing specific and sincere gratitude (thanksgiving) and second, by asking Source (by whatever name we have for Source) for help in living our life and are consciously willing to receive help.  In other words, we establish a morning practice of gratitude prayer and contemplative petition.

Self Reflection: I align MY internal flame with the Eternal Flame of Love.

It Takes Courage to Speak Truth

It Takes Courage to Speak Truth

Speaking Truth requires courage, sometimes immense courage.
In our daily life, this courage for speaking truth comes in the form of commitment to not consciously* lie. We pay attention to our feeling states and check our motives behind our words. In our commitment to speak truth we do this practice before we say something, or push the send button on a text or email. In this, we practice a continual self review of our intentions and motives. We stay in awareness that there is often a deeper meaning to our feelings than what we may be aware of. This is a Spiritual Practice.  It is a moment to moment continuation of a contemplation practice.  It takes courage to live in this way. 


consciously* Note from Carolyn: In my own life I have become aware of how I use 'consciousness' in my vocabulary. It is easy to say 'I wasn't conscious...'.  What I recognize is that I sometime choose not to let my conscience into my consciousness. Once I committed to a daily spiritual practice, more material that had previously resided in the realm of my subconscious and unconscious began to move into my consciousness. Sometimes I find myself not wanting to be conscious of what I know is a more complete 'truth' about my thoughts, feelings, actions.  But, my inner knowing no longer lets me live in this state of denial without great cost to myself. In my life I know this has happened when I feel resentful or am ruminating over something. This is always a clue I have drank from the river of denial. 

Self Reflection:  Just for this day, I will be conscious of what I know as a more complete 'truth' about my thoughts, feelings and actions. 

Contemplation Tunes our Ears to Truth

Sometimes we must listen for a long time to hear the Truth, as if we are listening to the din of a crowd, straining to hear one pure voice.  Through the practice of contemplation, we train our ears to hear the perfect pitch that is Truth. Like a piano tuner, a choir master or orchestra conductor we listen for the sound of resonance and to what is out of tune with Truth. We come to hear the difference.

Self Relfection: Contemplation helps me hear through the din when my own mind is cluttered, static, out of tune.

Inner Seeing in the Dark

The new moon time invites us to begin our choices, commitments, intentions, once again. That is the gift of each new moon, We have the opportunity to begin anew.

Practice inner seeing, being still and contemplate: "Who is this 'me', who is beginning anew?"

To sit in contemplation, prayer, or meditation with this question on our mind, in our heart, and perched on our lips is not an easy commitment.  But, it does seem easier to do in the darkness of the early days of the waxing moon.  Perhaps, this is because our physical eyes cannot see through the darkness clearly, and this gives a space for our inner eyes to reflect back to us what is Truth about who we are when look deeply within our being. We look through and past all our preconceived notions, ideas and prejudices about ourselves.

When we focus our inner seeing long enough, we will see the light that we are; the light that is our life. It has been said that the medicine bowl of the universe is filled with stars which represent light coming from the brilliance present in EVERY soul. That means us. That means, even if we do not look within, our light, our brilliance is still there. Waiting for us to see ourselves clearly.  During this Cycle of Truth,we are invited, encouraged, cajoled to a new way of seeing.

Self Reflection: I look far into my being to see the 'me' who is beginning anew.

Learning Truth Does Impact One's View of Self and Others

Carolyn Shares: Holding fast to my commitment to communicate with an intention to Learn Truth  has brought to light how much 'fear' influences my behavior, my reactions, my choices.  My desire and longing to have Truth direct my life makes it possible for me to have a Voice that is stronger than the voice of 'fear'.  What is this voice? For me Truth is a name for the expression of 'Great Mystery', 'God', 'The Divine One', 'Creator', 'Great Spirit', in me, in all of creation.  Working with these cycles of Truth for the past years has brought the gift of ongoing, though not quite yet, continual contact with this Divine Force.  The teachings of Truth from all the great spiritual traditions tell us that Truth is another name for 'God', another name for Love.
I feel it changing me and changing my way of being with others.  I can be softer, more receiving, more honoring; even if we don't see Truth in the same way.  Progress...

Self-Reflection:  How do I feel when I don't hold the same truths as others?

Consciousness and Conscience: The Way of Serving Truth

"At root one searches for God by only one way, i.e. in following the truth with all the sincerity of one's conscience."   (Thomas Merton, from The Courage for Truth, Letters to Writers pg 209- in a letter to Victoria Ocampo) 

We enter the 14 Days of the Waning Moon Phase

Stop now and take a moment to ask:

What was my starting point in this cycle?

What has been added to make my life full in this cycle?

What are my victories, my efforts, no matter how tiny they might seem, that add to the ultimate and 

       inevitable illumination of my life?

What would I wish to keep?

What would I to wish share?

What would I not have added, if given the chance for a do-over (these are called regrets)?

Let these words rest with you again. The wisdom you receive from this reflection will serve you to step out with consciousness (and conscience) in Service to Truth.