i was randomly inspired to start a "30 days of shiva nata" practice. i've done the 30 days of (something) before - not very successfully, i might add - and it seemed like a good time to start again.
as it happens, shiva nata is a good (read, easy) thing to start with because my practice is reasonably consistent. i don't practice every day, but i usually practice 4-5 times a week. the trouble, and the real reason i want to do this, is that i am not very good at setting an intention for practice and i am not very good at journaling after practice. i really want to do both. ever since i got level 4, i have been having crazy big epiphanies all. the. time. (that's a lot of epiphanies. my inner world is constantly in turmoil.) i think the intention setting and journaling would help me process and integrate things better.
so, my intention for the entire month of june is permission. yay!
(my intention for the month was going to be letting go, but then i started thinking about what letting go meant to me. letting go meant things like letting go of extra weight, letting go of worry about atlas, letting go of fears, letting go of old unhealthy beliefs .. sounds like fun, right? because who wouldn't want to work on their hardest patterns all at once. ha. hence the reason my new intention is permission.)
anyway, that's the plan - 30 days of practice, starting june 1.
anyone want to join me? i could use the company. and it could be fun! there are so many ideas: 30 days of shiva nata, 30 days of yoga, 30 days of writing in a journal, 30 days of drinking more water, 30 days of random acts of kindness, 30 days of smiling at a stranger, 30 days of eating dessert, 30 days of telling yourself you love you .. you could even just set an intention for the month and see what happens.
i'll plan to check in on mondays in case you decide to join me and want to share how it's going.
let the month of june begin!
(truth be told, i started earlier this month after my sister left, but my real plan was to practice every day in june so i was just getting a head start.)
Elizabeth, count me in... I've been known to be a lot of talk( when I make these declarations on my own) but now I have company. Thank you for this offer. I will be starting today, as that was the plan, and creating something with my hands artistically daily. yay!
Posted by: Sandy | 05/31/2011 at 04:41 AM
I'd love to. Was doing Rhiannon's course earlier in the spring, and loving it, but it bumped into the end of my teacher training and I got off course. I'm working on some new stuff and taking tiny (big for me) steps and I think the info & perspective shifting is needed... Maybe just a few minutes of Shiva Nata added to my daily yoga-stuff? Hup, hup!
Posted by: Mel | 05/31/2011 at 05:38 AM
oh my. i am so bad at this. so so bad.
but i am going to mull it over today.
i need to get my mala. not that it has
to be around for this,but i have such
a pull to have her.
and i just want to say...this, post
is why i love you so.
Posted by: kelly barton | 05/31/2011 at 06:18 AM
count me in. i love it!!! and it may just save my life. just came from the cardiologist. trying to eat vegan...for the last 7 months...to avoid open heart knife stuff. my triglycerides count was 1059 (supposed to be 100) now it's down to 212. BUT i had been slipping a lot lately, cheese (a major nono), pizza, all the wunerful stuff i'm not supposed to have. so... with you guys doing your thing, maybe i can get back on my thing. already doing yoga daily. just love that cheese. damn ,
darn it. it will be fun. how kind of you to not mention that tammy's gig could be "shorter comments!" thank you.
Posted by: tammy | 05/31/2011 at 11:02 AM
Elizabeth~ Count me in too! I was just fretting the past two days about how I have let so much time pass without developing a consistent routine. Part of that routine is supposed to be moving my body daily. I cannot wait to start. Thank you for this!!
Posted by: Stephanie | 05/31/2011 at 11:27 AM
I believe i joined you last time.. for a while :P just got back to the forum and such so count me in.
This month is a massive transition and I'm hoping shivanata can be my weapon as I finish my degree on friday [final exam] and embrace the "im a grown up now" world..
I seem to have skipped level 3 so i'm aiming to get somewhere with that between 1 and 30 june :)
Posted by: Wingsofflight.wordpress.com | 05/31/2011 at 12:26 PM
You know I'm in :)
Posted by: Briana | 05/31/2011 at 05:02 PM
YES! i'm so in.
Posted by: soren | 05/31/2011 at 06:06 PM
I'm in, too, Elizabeth. What a wonderful idea! My focus is "just one thing". I have several very long to-do lists and I just get so overwhelmed with all there is to do...that I just don't. For whatever reason, the notion of breaking it down into baby steps just kinda makes me angry. But I do love Havi's take on it: just do one thing. And then it might lead to another thing and another thing. Or, it might not. But even if it doesn't, you did one thing. Score!
Posted by: Sherron | 05/31/2011 at 08:32 PM
@sherron: yay! so glad you're joining in! and your focus. i love her "just do one thing" too.
@soren: yay!!!
@briana: yay!!!
@rose: i think you did too. so glad you're joining in again! (also, eeeeeeeek! you're almost done! good luck on your final exam!)
@stephanie: yay! and what a lovely focus - moving your body. i might have to try that one myself some month. thank you for the inspiration!
@tammy: cheering you on!!!
@kelly: i hope you get her! it sounds like she is really calling you right now. (will be curious which one you decide on.)
@mel: yay! sounds like a great idea to me!
@sandy: yay! i might have to borrow your practice some month too - i like the sound of "creating something with your hands". it's so expansive.
Posted by: elizabeth @ retinal perspectives | 05/31/2011 at 09:44 PM
Hi Elizabeth--this sounds great, I totally want to join in!
Posted by: Dave Rowley | 06/01/2011 at 02:55 PM
oh well this works out perfectly! Because I was planning on doing 30 days of love and kindness starting June 1 too! Love and kindness can mean so many things..but to me, well, I know what I mean...what my intention is. So I am going to focus on that. We'll be in touch! :)
Posted by: Kate D | 06/01/2011 at 03:31 PM
@kate: fabulous! and i love your practice.
@dave: yay!!!
Posted by: elizabeth @ retinal perspectives | 06/01/2011 at 05:48 PM
Yes, I'd love to! Thank you so much for the kind invitation. I'm setting the intention to do 30 days of sitting meditation.
And I actually just went and sat for 15 minutes before I posted this comment, even. ("Do it when I think it" works so well for me so much of the time!)
Posted by: steph | 06/01/2011 at 06:09 PM
Just checking in! I did 25 minutes of walking this morning on the treadmill and 20 minutes this evening through the woods outdoors. I thought about you ALL throughout the day too. You helped me remain accountable to this committment and I felt like we were in this together. :) We shall see what movement tomorrow brings.
Posted by: Stephanie | 06/01/2011 at 08:21 PM
"Because who wouldn't want to work on their hardest patterns all at once." Yeah, that's pretty much me!
Also I am starting a day late to balance out your starting early, ha ha.
29 days of taking a walk and writing down a secret and a gratitude.
Just for me.
Posted by: Kris | 06/02/2011 at 11:23 AM
@kris: hahaha. i love your practice! so glad you are joining in!
@stephanie: woo-hoo! go, you!
@steph: if i did things when i thought of them, i would get so much more done. it's usually my intuition talking .. but then i ignore it. love your intention (i am sitting too - we shall sit together). so glad you're joining in!
Posted by: elizabeth @ retinal perspectives | 06/02/2011 at 07:37 PM
I'm in too -- late but in. I just got a bike and I will ride every day for 30 days. Thanks for the inspiration.
Posted by: lori | 06/05/2011 at 07:13 PM
@lori: you're welcome. so glad you're joining in!
Posted by: elizabeth @ retinal perspectives | 06/05/2011 at 07:58 PM
This is such a wonderful idea. I am in..... Just not sure what my intention will be. I am taking the day to think about it and I will get back to you. I am pretty sure It needs to be something gentle.... for my heart and soul.
Thank you so much for this inspiration. ox
Posted by: patrice | 06/06/2011 at 08:17 AM
Am I too late??? could my 30days go throught July in order to catch up???
Posted by: [email protected] | 06/06/2011 at 08:35 PM