A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit the University of Michigan anatomy lab to see a dissected human heart. As I studied the intricacy of the heart, a flood of emotions hit me that was so intense I had to sit down quickly or I would have fainted.
Mindfulness
A psychotherapist’s “bag of tricks”/toolbox/medicine bag consists of various modalities and techniques that we’ve learned over the years. After years of formal training and countless workshops, one tool/way/concept has infiltrated everything I do as a therapist, and shapes and informs how I work and live — mindfulness.
Simple Pleasures
One of my practices as an elder-in-training is choosing how I focus my attention. As the saying goes, "What we give attention to, we give life to." Since I tend toward a "glass-half-empty" view of life, I like to remind myself now and then of what gives me pleasure. So here they are — a few of my favorite things, in no particular order . . .
Exploring Kirtan Chanting
I’ve never really considered myself a musician or a singer. I even got kicked out my seventh grade choir for swaying in the front row. I also think the music teacher, who was a very stern guy, thought I smiled too much. He gave me a B+ in the class, saying I had a nice voice but that my behavior was dreadful.
Michigan Ends Monopolistic Dietitians Licensure Law
Picture this: Your nutrition practitioner can be criminally prosecuted for offering their services, just because they aren’t licensed by the state. This situation was nearly a reality in Michigan. In a historic vote (July 1, 2014), the Michigan legislature repealed the Dietitians Licensure Law, and is the only state ever to have done so. Registered Dietitians (RD) would have had automatic licensure as Dietitians/Nutritionists. The licensure law would have prohibited non-RD nutrition practitioners from providing dietary and nutritional counseling.
Attention to Personal Wellness Prevents Burnout in Students and Others
Burnout is a popular topic of discussion among healthcare professionals, but preventing it often eludes us. While burnout is common in many professions, it is particularly present in healthcare. Some estimates put the rates of burnout as high as 75-80 percent among physicians-in-training. Even after a potential grueling training is done, burnout rates remain high. This burnout is associated with detachment from those around them and feelings of isolation.
Process Painting and Mindfulness
Instead of sitting, we paint; instead of coming back to the breath, we come back to what our hands want to do from moment to moment. The nature of the mind doesn't change with the activity itself; we still get hijacked by thoughts of the past or future, or are influenced by critical inner voices, such as, It’s supposed to look like something by now, or What everyone else is doing is so much cooler, or I can’t really change it in the last week …
Art, Health, and Wellbeing — Unintended Consequences of a Self-portrait
Have you ever attempted to create a self-portrait? I was required to do just this in a number of fine art college classes, from figure drawing to figure sculpting. I recall it being an uncomfortable experience to spend that much time looking at myself in the mirror. The point of the assignment was to learn to draw or sculpt using the available model — myself. The unexpected benefit was that, in addition to improving my skills as an artist, it led me to a new level of self-acceptance.
Daybook of a Modern Zen Priest
The compelling sound of the wooden mok’tak pierces the early morning silence as the wake-up person heartily chants the “Great Compassion Dharani” to the drumbeat of this traditional wooden instrument. She makes slow rounds of our Temple building and even crosses the back garden to the Hermitage, to rouse residents there. Each one of us washes up, then joins with others in rooms next to our seonbang (meditation hall) to stretch a little - some with yoga, some with tai chi.
The Creativity Within
One cannot compare or try to match some other creative work with one’s own work; one needs to allow creative energy to blossom from within. I did not know how to do this. I had not been to art school nor studied art history. But I loved art: in museums, in nature’s unique and unsurpassable expression . . . in all manifestations.
Seven Simple Ways to Boost Motivation
Change in every moment is a given. It is empowering to set conscious intentions around what changes will support your growth, health, and long-term goals. However, knowing what you’d like to have in place “someday” is very different from the day-to-day process of making that happen. The latter is usually much harder! Using an alphabet analogy, it can feel overwhelming to set an intention to change at point “A” knowing that all the steps between “B” and “Y” are needed to finally have the new change at point “Z” fully integrated in our lives. The brain gets exhausted just imagining all those steps that might be needed -- and the initial spark from the intention quickly burns out if motivation is missing to start the action steps.
Teaching the Paradigm of Integrative Medicine to Medical Students
Part of the curriculum in Integrative Medicine at the University of Michigan is to get students to think beyond the paradigm of making a diagnosis and then matching the right drug or surgery to the problem. Unfortunately, many physicians, as well as many medical consumers, have fallen into this trap. With medical visits crunched by time and society trained to look for the quick fix, using pharmaceuticals is often the go-to treatment for a particular condition.
Temple Gardening
There is an important lesson in these lyrics that goes beyond growing healthy veggies. It also applies to our spiritual growth. In Buddhism we believe that each person is a piece of fertile ground that can be cultivated to produce the fruits of joy, equanimity, love, and compassion.
New Moon Ritual – New Life
By Nancy Ogilvie
In my article in the Jan-April issue of the Journal, I talked about the practice of “apprenticing” yourself to a particular Goddess or God as a tool for personal and spiritual development. And since we are fast approaching the March new moon, a time of new beginnings, it seems appropriate to offer a ritual of initiation that you might use to dedicate yourself to a God/dess you are working with.
As with any New Moon, the one in March is a fresh start, the beginning of a new cycle of waxing and waning. The date is March 20 – the same day as the Spring Equinox, which makes it an especially powerful one as the energies of the moon and the sun are combined on this day. The moon is invisible (from Earth) on this night, so it is often called the Dark Moon. Emptiness, receptivity, and potential are the qualities of this part of the cycle, so it is an ideal time to make new commitments or to plant seeds of intentions for what you wish to manifest in your life.
It is this connection with new beginnings and fresh starts that makes the New or Dark Moon an appropriate time for dedicating yourself to a particular god/dess, marking the beginnings of a new relationship and new growth in your own life. My original article includes several suggestions for discerning which god/dess might be calling you. Another approach to is reflect on the qualities you want to cultivate in your life, and to find a goddess who embodies those characteristics who is willing to support you.
As an aside, as a lesbian, I have always chosen to work with a goddess – and that is an individual preference based on my personal story and needs. There is no rule that says a woman must work with a goddess and a man with a god. So don't limit yourself in this way – if you are a woman wanting more assertiveness in your life, there are many gods and goddesses who could support you with this intent, and vice versa.
A word of caution: dedicating yourself to a particular deity is extending an invitation to him/her to change your life in the ways you say you want! Do not make this commitment lightly – you can negotiate what it is you want in your relationship with your deity (see ritual outline below) and you need to be prepared for two things:
- To spend regular time with him/her – as close to daily as possible – in meditation, ritual, journaling, creative expression, trance journeys, or whatever your preferred form is.
- To be surprised! Your deity will likely show up with guidance, ideas, or desires at times when you're least expecting him/her, and least open to his/her suggestions.
In short, be careful what you ask for – be sure your intent is clear and that you really do want to change your life!
There are untold forms that a dedication ritual might take... so feel free to modify the following outline as your intuition and god/dess suggest. This ritual is written for a group to perform together, and it can also be modified as a solo dedication. Because I am writing to fpr more experienced practitioners, I have omitted detailed instructions on how to purify, ground, cast the circle, etc. – if you need more support on these aspects of ritual, a plethora of resources are available online and in book form. Two of my favorite books are Starhawk's The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess and Diane Stein's Casting the Circle: A Women's Book of Ritual.
Supplies
- Purification supplies (e.g., water in a bowl, incense or sage and lighter, rattle or bell)
- Circle members bring an image of the god/dess they are dedicating to – this could be a physical statue, a photo, an image they have created, etc.
- Writing and/or art supplies (eg., paper, pens, crayons, colored pencils, paints, clay)
- White candles for each member of the circle
Process
- Prepare to enter sacred space by (1) purifying/cleansing and (2) grounding (connecting with the earth's energy field however your prefer)
- Cast the Circle, including invoking the directions/elements and the god/dess. If members of your group are dedicating to different deities, you might invoke one goddess as the primary deity for the ritual and then incorporate the individuals' deities in the body of your working. Any maiden goddess (because of the association between the new moon and beginnings) or any moon goddess would be appropriate (Wikipedia has an extensive list). Light the ritual candles here, but leave the white candles for each member unlit.
- Setting Intent for the Working – the priest/ess provides a brief overview of the ritual process, and each circle member shares the god/dess they've chosen and why. Each individual lights a white candle symbolizing the purity of his/her intent.
- Working (the core of your ritual work) – includes 4 parts:
- Individual meditation on the god/dess you are dedicating to – begin with a soft gaze on the image of your deity and allow the process to unfold. You may find a dialog ensues between you, or a strictly emotional/spiritual exchange without words. Ask questions of your deity, or describe what you want in your relationship and see how he/she responds. When the time for this part is almost up, the priest/ess may want to suggest that each circle member exchange gifts with his/her god/dess (in meditation, not physically) to bring a close to the dedication.
- In silence, each circle member writes or creates a representation of what unfolded in the meditation to serve as a tangible symbol of the commitments made.
- Circle members who wish share their symbol and/or what transpired during their meditation.
- Raise a cone of power to charge the symbols and the dedications with chanting or whatever form you choose.
5. Ground the energy by sharing food and drink.
6. Open the circle, including releasing the god/dess and the directions/elements.
Nancy L. Ogilvie is an initiated priestess who primarily practices Dianic Wicca (honoring all forms of the Divine Feminine). She is available to lead ritual/ceremony (including weddings, baby blessings, and any ritual of transition), to train or mentor budding priestesses, and to teach classes on Wiccan practice. You can reach her at nancylogilvie@gmail.com or (510) 825-3125.
Featured
Q&A with Author Penny Rosenwasser
On Wednesday, March 18 at 7 p.m., Crazy Wisdom is hosting an Interactive Book Reading and Conversation with Penny Rosenwasser, author of Hope into Practice: Jewish Women Choosing Justice Despite Our Fears. To learn more, visit PennyRosenwasser.com. Jeanne Mackey recently caught up with her long-time friend in Oakland, California, for a phone interview.
Creating the Vision of What You Want
As the inhabitants of this very special planet, we often ask ourselves where we are going and when will we get there. We are in such a rush to get there that we miss those present moments that fill our lives with joy. Maybe the question is not where are we going, but instead, where we are, and perhaps once we are aware and awake, we can see that we have already arrived.
Humoring Your Health
Q: Why did the cookie go to the doctor?
A: Because it was feeling crumby.
Maybe that cookie would be helped by humor! Having a good balance of humor provides a wonderful foundation that can tip the systems of the body towards greater wellness.
Art, Health, and Wellness
It’s time to wake up to the realization that artistic creativity promotes health and well-being at any age. As a lifelong learner and nascent artist, I've experienced some of the health benefits of artistic creativity since retiring from a 30-year career in university administration.
Fire Cider: A Warming Winter Companion
It's the middle of winter. It's dark. It's cold. It's gray. The holiday festivities are over for another year. No need to fear! Fire Cider is here!
Changing the World, One Scrap at a Time
One thing you quickly learn about Haju is that she loves walks. On many occasions, when we were having a check-in about practice or a conversation about temple business, Haju would suggest taking it on-the-go, and we would end up somewhere around town — the Arboretum, the law school quad, or the track down the street from the temple.
Mastered the basics of Wicca and wondering what’s next? Looking for something to support you as we move deeper into winter and the dark time of the year? You may want to begin working in depth with a particular god or goddess. This relationship can provide powerful guidance and support in your spiritual development, thereby helping you live a richer, more fulfilling life.