Sept2008

September 2008

Lawn mowing as meditation; visionaries thrive in all times; begin pre-paving a happy holiday season now.

Hello and welcome to the September 2008 edition of Horizons Magazine. I can't believe it's already September, the weather has been so mild this year. We needed the rains and the rains came! The afternoon storms keep the heat and humidity at bay. I love sitting inside the office here, looking out my big picture window as I work, watching the storms pass through. It's been such an easy summer that I bought a lawnmower and have been mowing my own yard. Ok, granted I don't have much lawn. The front yard is an oak and palm hammock with exactly 6 square feet of grass growing; everything else is under the deep shade of the high oaks. The back yard, however, has a nice little expanse of grass that takes me about 20 minutes to mow. And those 20 minutes quickly became a moving meditation for me.

I'd make sure to have gas before each run. I'd mow around the perimeter first, then up and back, up and back. As in walking meditation, I'd keep my eyes immediately in front of where I was mowing, this time on the watch for pinecones or large sticks. It's a mulching mower, so I'm pretty fearless, but cautious. I'd make sure to cut right alongside the next row: not so close as to overlap, but not so far away that I miss a strip and have to redo it. I'd curve around the gardens, becoming more aware of their shapes and forms. I'd bend low to go under the sprawling mulberry and that giant yellow flowering bush I never can recall the name of. While I was bent almost waist level, I'd peer deep into the undergrowth and see the whole little world inside there.

Sometimes I'd hear my neighbor behind me starting up his mower, and I'd smile to think I might have been an inspiration. It was, in fact, the neighbor in front of me who initially inspired me. I'd see him mowing several times a week, and he just seemed so happy and peaceful doing it. I wanted to feel happy and peaceful like that, and I wanted to walk behind a mower like that. So it's the ripple effect! One inspires another, inspires another, inspires another, and everyone wins.

Speaking of inspiration, Abraham-Hicks talks about using visualization to achieve a vibrational match with what you want to attract. They note that mere 'observers thrive in good times but suffer in bad times, because whatever you're observing is reflected in your vibration. But if you are a visionary, you thrive in all times because, as a visionary, you have learned to hold your vibration in the place that matches your desire.” Basically we have two jobs: Line up our Energy. And realign it if it gets out of alignment. “That's really all there is to it.”

I find that mowing my own lawn is an effective re-aligner for me. If it's been a long and hectic day, it's the perfect unwind workout that helps bring me back to center. And when I've brought myself back to center, that's when I am relaxed enough and in the state of mind needed for successful creative visualization. That is when I bring out my list of projects I am actively doing creative viz work on, and go down the list, giving every item a few moments of prepaving thought power.

Alberto Villoldo says “We are all dreaming the world into being. What we're engaging in is the waking dream we craft with our eyes open.” He talks about ending our personal nightmares, and reclaiming our power of crafting a better reality. “Recognize your ability to write a better story. The nature of the cosmos is such that whatever dream you have about yourself and the world will become reality. Let go of all the stories that keep you feeling trapped and unhappy, and venting in your therapist's office. Begin to practice dreaming the world into being, and everything will change. Make a conscious decision to dream a sacred dream.”

This month, in honor of the Autumn Equinox, is a good time to script out your own visualization scripts, and schedule time every day to spend a few minutes going over the list, after you've brought yourself to a good state of mind. One script might be about how well the holidays with the family will go this year. Another might be about how quick and easy it will be to go thru the closets and get rid of the clutter before Thanksgiving. Another script might be about how you are getting appreciated at work and how your job has take an interesting turn that gives you more satisfaction. Another script might be how well you and your partner are getting along, finding fun things to do together, feeling renewed in your love for each other. Another might be about how you are becoming attracted to healthier foods and more physical activity.

Isn't it reassuring to know we are as powerful as we choose to be?

Enjoy our offering this month. Hari Om.