Self Questions for the East

What is my highest vision for my life?

Do I see myself in relation to my family?

My ancestors?

My community?

What stories were told regarding my birth and early beginnings?

What color would I give my life?

What colors make me feel most confident and positive about new beginnings?

Your Words 

Materials Journal and Pen

Time: As long as it takes

 EXERCISE 1 : Relate freely to the idea of new beginnings, transitions. Let words, phrases ideas flow freely.  Do not hold back.  Breathe yourself into the words and then let them go.

Sample starters..

When I think of moving ......

What I like about getting up in the morning is....

When I greet the new day...

Your Movement

Time 5-10 minutes

EXERCISE 1 : Alternate nostril breathing.

The purpose of this exercise is to release tension and balance the breath and body, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. It also helps the interconnections of the right and left hemispheres, the sun and moon energies.

Sit comfortably upright in a chair with you feet firmly on the ground. Take a few deep gentle breaths, letting go for now, of all other concerns. Take your right hand and use your thumb to cover your right nostril.

   Breathe in slowly through your left nostril, bringing the breath all the way up from the sole of your left foot to the top of your head for a few seconds.   Then, cover your left nostril with your pointer  finger and middle finger from your right hand, holding your breath for a few seconds and allowing it to fill your entire head, release your thumb and exhale through your right nostril. Keeping your left nostril covered, repeat the process on your right side. Closing the left nostril with your thumb and  breathing in from the sole of your right foot all the way up to the top of your head. Pause, holding your breath for a few seconds , covering the left nostril and then release the breath through the left side. Continue in this alternate breathing pattern for 5- 10 minutes.  And always finish with and exhale from the left nostril.

                                                                                   Your art

Time :  20 minutes- at least 1 hour

Materials:

 Watercolors and watercolor paper.  If can treat yourself to watercolor paper of at least 140# weight, it will make a difference in what you can do with it.   I prefer cold pressed Arches paper for its weight and rough surface.  I usually choose 300# but it is definitely more expensive.  The weight of the paper indicates how much water it can absorb.   Watercolor blocks allow you to skip the taping time but you need to remove sheets and tape to work on more that one piece at a time

Paints : Windsor Newton’s Cotman Brand are an inexpensive but rich watercolor.  Paint goes up in price depending on the pigment used.  I prefer Windsor Newton professional grade or Holbein, if you are interested in archival colors and an investment.  For the purposes of this work you may choose to use Liquid Watercolors or inks available from art stores or Discount School Supply.

Brushes, sponges ,socks, eyedroppers, spray bottles. Any or all of these items.  Again, art materials vary in price due to quality and brand.  When picking a brush for watercolors most art stores will let you test it by dipping it in water and then flicking it with your finger.  I good brush will be flexible but retain its shape.  Hake brushes can provide an inexpensive and useful tool.

EXERCISE 1: A SPACE TO WORK  Make space in your home, office, and life to be messy and create art.   Too many creative urges get squashed by the messages like don’t make a mess or don’t get dirty.  The creative process requires a little dirt, mess, or chaos to emerge.  It is OK.  Have fun.  In a home or office, you can lay down a vinyl tablecloth or drop cloth.  A card table or TV table can also be an convenient art space.

EXERCISE 2: NEW BEGINNINGS

 Prepare  2-4 sheets of watercolor paper.  Tape all around the edges onto a flat surface or piece of foam core and experiment.  Use your brush or sponge or sock and wet the entire paper.  Mix your watercolors with a bit of water. Dip your brush into the colors and let the colors move and merge. Experiment with the colors of dawn, awakening and arising.  I encourage you to do more than one work.

A shorter, less expensive  and quite enjoyable VERSION of this exercise is to use round coffee filters and liquid watercolors or inks with eye droppers and let a rainbow of colors spread cross the papers like a rising sun.

Your Silence

Time 20-30 minutes a day 

Materials : a comfortable straight backed chair

Begin a meditative practice by setting aside 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening just to close your eyes, sit upright, relax and focus on your breath.  Try to allow your breath to be gentle and smooth.  If you have never meditated before, do not go too quickly or sit too long.   It is a releasing technique and we do not want to be flooded with long repressed emotions and sensation.  As with any exercise, if you push too fast too soon ,you will get sore and not want to continue.   If you overdo meditation, you may find yourself confused and unsettled.  This is not the goal for meditation.  If you are a seasoned meditation practitioner try to add a few minutes onto your morning and evening practices.  See if you can bring your meditative peace of mind into your daily life.