In honor of the full moon this weekend, I decided it was time for a sort of ritual, symbolic action, to release some things that no longer serve me. This “karma-cleaning” brings consciousness to your past, allowing you to step consciously into the next phase of life. I read an article at Yoganonymous about full moon rituals as a formal way to “celebrate your emergence by stepping out of an old skin, identity, behavior, attitude, relationship.” I selected the element of fire for my ritual, which involved casting what I don’t want into the flames. I chose to let go of fear, past regrets and self-judgment, and wrongs that others have done to me, so that I can move forward in my life with a heart full of love for myself, forgiveness, peace and courage - unburdened by my past. It’s worth noting that the piece of paper on which I wrote FEAR took the longest to burn – I suppose that is a difficult habit to kick!
I did the ritual, so now what? How will I ensure that my time of renewal doesn’t find me sinking back into the same habits that resulted in the need for my full moon ritual? Habits and memories become embedded in our body, and when charged emotions and thoughts are buried, they can sabotage our best intentions. Fortunately, the timing coincides with the days leading up to the Summer Solstice, a time of fullness of life and raised energy to regenerate abundance and manifest our dreams; a time for purification and healing of the self and soul; a time to release sadness, fear and pain. Perfect!
Now I just had to decide what would I do to honor this time and the spiritual fire within me. I’m at my best when I am healthy, and doing those things that contribute to my overall wellbeing, such as being physically active, nourishing my body with good food and limiting the not so good stuff (i.e. alcohol, caffeine, sugar), and focusing my energy on positive actions and people.
The plan I have outlined for myself for the remainder of June addresses all of these and includes the following:
Do the equivalent of an Ironman Triathlon over the 16 day period (swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles)
Eat clean, by mostly following the Conscious Cleanse, with a couple of minor adjustments (i.e. I am going to eat tomatoes and corn)
Continue RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) and maintain a positive attitude/outlook on life
Be ok with avoiding people who have negative energy
While my intention is to do all of these things through the remainder of June, my hope is that these two weeks will set the stage for this new chapter in my life. Follow my progress at Twitter #solsticechallenge. If you don’t use Twitter, my posts will also appear on my Facebook page.