Rituals

This year for me so far has been one of tremendous growth and yet I feel that I have barely scratched the surface. My knowledge regarding most of the topics I have journal about this year has been with me for quite some time, but this years journey has pulled that knowledge to the forefront. I find my awareness and mindfulness rapidly increasing and I can feel connections being made everywhere. There is still so much more to know, be and accomplish.

I am realising more and more how important it is to recognise everything that is good in my life and all that I am grateful for. I get caught up in the busyness and routine of life, and for chunks of time I forget to consciously have appreciation for everything and everyone in my life and the universe that we are fortunate to live in.

Let's face it, even if we downsize and reduce, we still have busy lives. When you factor in family, children, pets, work, kung fu, volunteering and unexpected events etc. our lives are full and extremely busy at times. All the more reason to incorporate some ritual into our every day lives in order to help us in our quest to be more aware, mindful and appreciative.

I've realised how important and lacking ritual is in my own life. I am now looking for ways to add ritual into my everyday routine. Something as small as starting the day with a thank you for the day ahead, and ending the day with a thank you for all that we were given. I also want to take some time throughout the day to add ritual into my routine. I just don't know what that's going to be yet.

Rituals, ceremony, traditions and customs; these are all extremely important. This is what keeps us grounded, mindful, aware, and creates order and balance. They help to give our life purpose and teaches us to respect the world around us and all living beings. They are the legacies that has been left to us by past generations, which we will continue to observe and expand on for future generations to come.

Michele Ward


Numbers

sit ups           915         (30,220
push ups       1085       (21,040
walking         28.49k   (874.23)
sparring         0            (156)
kempo           27          (183)
nunchuks       31          (407)
Aok's             36          (549)

Time flies!

Another summer is almost over. Where has the time gone? I'm always amazed at how quickly the  days go by. All the more reason to make the most of life and any opportunities that come our way. I think it is also important to sometimes create opportunity instead of just waiting for something to happen. For me it is important to incorporate rest and relaxation into my day, which normally isn't too hard as I do enjoy my down time. Sometimes too much. I look back over the summer and ask myself did I make the most of my time off work, what did I accomplish, did I get rest and relaxation, and did I enjoy those warm summer days? Am I happy with the results? When I think about the answer to that question, it is not a simple yes or no. I would have liked to accomplish a whole lot more as I have not worked since June 10th, but I need to remind myself that rest and relaxation were a necessity. My numbers for the I Ho Chuan requirements are not where they need to be and I know that I can do better, so I need to fix that. I also wanted to get more projects done around the house. If I take a look at what I did accomplish then I would answer yes. I also know that I can't go back and change anything. 

My summer months were spent dealing with the complaint process that is still ongoing with the Alberta Human Rights Commission. I also made some big decisions in regards to work (as of August 17th I am no longer employed) and I have decided to go back to school as a full time student. On September 1st I will start the on- line travel certificate program which will take the better part of a year to complete. Logan and I have been able to get some camping in and had a wonderful vacation in BC with extended family. I've also been able to get together with friends on numerous occasions and Logan has had lots of fun volunteering with the Town of Stony Plain for most of the summer. 

I finally had my thyroid biopsy on August 4th and received results last week. I'm happy to report that there were no cancer cells present. I can finally clear that worry from my mind. 

As a team we have had the opportunity to be a part of some amazing demos, which I have been able to participate in 3 of the 4 events over the summer months. I have also been fortunate to be able to attend all the monthly meetings (one on face time) and most of the Friday classes. The shaolin fitness class has been very enjoyable and I would have participated in more classes if I had been feeling up to them. Thank you again Sifu Brinker for making these classes available to the I Ho Chuan team members and thank you to Sifu Masterson for your amazing instruction.  I have really enjoyed these classes even if it has been hard on the body.

So even though the summer goes way too quickly, all in all if I focus on what was accomplished and everything I was able to do and experience, again the answer would be a resounding yes! I am happy with the results! Reality is that every day, week, month, and year can become a blur. There is a balance between doing to much and spending too much time doing nothing. (relaxation or lazy time) The key is to have balance and remember to stay positive and focus on the successes. At the same time identify what needs to be changed and fix what you have power to,  and let go of what you don't.

Numbers

sit ups           1080 (29,305)

push ups        855 (19,955)

walking         33.24 (874.23)

sparring         45 (156)

kempo            0 (156)

nunchuks       4 (376)

Aok's             39 (513)

Michele Ward

 

Vacation

Logan and I returned home late Sunday night after spending almost 2 weeks in BC. Vacation time is a wonderful break from my regular routine and a great way to recharge the batteries. Our extended family is quite small but with out a doubt we are truly blessed to have the ones that we do. My cousin Brian and his wife, Louise always open up their house to us for as long as we want to stay and you could not find better hosts anywhere. Their home is right on Little Nuttal Bay and is surrounded by nature. Brian is a great role model for my son Logan and is a big kid at heart.When they.re not engaging in serious or silly conversation they go kayaking together, workout and just have fun and hang out together.  At the same time that Logan and I are visiting, Louise's brother and his 3 kids are also there from Kelowna for part of the time. Even with such a full house there is lots of time for fun, games, excursions and time to relax.

My cousin Brian is a pilot with his own plane that he regularly flies out of the Qualicum Beach Airport. He needed to go to the Victoria Airport to pick up a parcel and offered to take Logan and I with him. I'm getting better at doing things that I am not completely comfortable with and took him up on his offer. The scenery is beautiful on the way to Victoria. You get to see the many of the islands off the coast of Vancouver island. I never realised there were so many and I am glad that I went. I am still nervous in that size of air plane, but not enough to not enjoy the experience. On the way back, Brian handed me the controls and I flew the air plane for a few minutes. Lets just say that keeping the plane flying straight is not as easy as one would think. The key is to relax, have control and all that's needed are small adjustments when making corrections, all while being totally aware and in the moment. I only lasted a few minutes as I was very nervous and found it hard to relax so I gladly handed the controls back over to Brian.

Something that we do when staying with my cousin and his wife is say grace before every meal. Even though Logan and I don't practise any particular religion at home, I find that saying grace is beneficial in many ways. It really does get you to stop and be in the moment, it creates space for family, friends, nature, and the world around us, and reminds us to be appreciative of everything. It's a great way to slow down and ground yourself. Some thing that I love, is that as I type this I am seeing all these connections between everything that we constantly talk about and I think wow, that is so cool! I don't know if I'm explaining this clearly, so I hope you know what I mean and what I'm talking about.

After our visit was done we took the ferry over to the mainland and stayed with some more family. Again great hosts and fun times for all. Our last day was spent at the Capilano suspension bridge. Along with small planes, heights are also not high on my list of things to do. Either the pictures in the brochure look a lot scarier or I'm getting slightly better at the whole height issue because I didn't find it to be to bad and we all completed every area of the park and survived. 

All in all, our vacation was a good balance of everything (family, friends, nature, great food and fun). I definitely see the value in surrounding ourselves with people, places and things that support our spiritual, emotional and physical well being. I just need to figure out how to enhance what I have here at home to continue with those feelings of peace, contentment and connection to everyone and everything.

Number for the Week               Michele ward

Sit ups               770

Push ups            715

walking             30.56

Aok's                 35             

Loving - Kindness

Sifu Brinker and I recently had a conversation and one of the things that we spoke about was meditation. I am wanting to add some regular meditation to my life to help with some depression, anxiety, and stress. While meditation is beneficial on many levels, Sifu Brinker pointed out that it can also bring unpleasant stuff to the surface that needs to be addressed. He then also talked about learning to let go. Being able to let go is just not something that I am able to do easily. I am very good at pushing problems and emotions to the back of my mind, but they have a nasty habit of resurfacing again and again.

I had been thinking of a book that I had originally bought and read while in India many years ago. I have been thinking about taking this book to Sifu M. Beckett, but wanted to read it again first. I think that she may find it helpful and it also perfectly ties in with where I am at and what I need to work on in my own life. It is a wonderful little book titled: "The Wisdom of No Escape and the Path of Loving - Kindness" by Pema Chodron.


The following is a paragraph from the first chapter:

"But loving - kindness (maitri) towards ourselves doesn't mean getting rid of anything. Maitri means that we can still be crazy after all these years. We can still be angry after all these years. We can still be timid or jealous or full of feelings of unworthiness. The point is not to try to change ourselves. Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already. The ground of practice is you or me or whoever we are right now, just as we are. That's the ground, that's what we study, that's what we come to know with tremendous curiosity and interest."

The author talks a lot about curiosity, inquisitiveness, playfulness, openness, gentleness, and making friends with yourself. Think back and remember yourself as a very young child. Toddlers are inquisitive, they have a thirst for knowledge and a passion to explore the world around them. Their sense of wonder, playfulness and joyfulness is contagious. The whole range of emotions can be experienced all in one day and yet each new day brings about a fresh start. All you have to do is look at their sweet little faces as they sleep to see the peace and contentment that they feel. We all were those little children how ever long ago, but some where along the way we started to loose that curiosity and inquisitiveness and joyful approach to life.

It has always been my nature even as an adult to be inquisitive, curious, and cautious. I liked that I was curious and wanted to know things. As I got older I started to think and feel that I needed to grow up and act my age. I am realizing now that I can still be an adult and mature without denying my true nature and still incorporate curiosity and inquisitiveness into my life.

Another great paragraph from chapter 2:

"Our brilliance, our juiciness, our spiciness, is all mixed up with our craziness and our confusion, and therefore it doesn't do any good to try to get rid of our so-called negative aspects, because in that  process we also get rid of our basic wonderfulness. We can lead our life so as to become more awake to who we are and what we're doing rather than trying to improve or change or get rid of who we are or what we're doing. The key is to wake up, to become more alert, more inquisitive and curious about  ourselves."

My focus and intent for meditation has changed some what now. I am looking at meditation in a slightly different light. This in itself will be a difficult journey, and learning to let go and practicing  loving - kindness towards myself  will be a challenge. I'll keep you all updated.

Totals for the week

sit ups            1140
push ups          865
walking           30k
Aok's                36

Michele Ward

Necessities of Life

 2 months ago I filed a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission against my employer based on the protected ground of family status. My complaint was accepted and forwarded on to the employer for a response. I have received their response and was surprised and shocked by the comment that was included in their closing paragraph. The comment reads: " The Complainant's request for accommodation are for needs that extend beyond providing the necessities of life." This comment is made in regards to my son Logan and how I choose to parent..

 What exactly are the necessities of life? Many years ago the necessities of life were thought to be air, water, food, clothing and shelter. I believe that there is much more to parenting than just providing the basic necessities of life. I'd like to think that we have evolved as a society and I will not continue to work for a company that does not understand and undermines my role as a parent in contributing to my son's ability to continue growing and maturing as a healthy and contributing member of society.

Each one of us probably has a slightly different view of what we consider to be the necessities of life. I myself believe the term to be much more complex and yet simple at the same time. Unless you've inherited a substantial sum of money, we all need to work at a job at some point in time. Hopefully our job is something that we enjoy, but it also is what provides the money for a lot of the necessities like food, clothing and shelter. The simple comes in wanting and having less. Less clothing and accessories, smaller home, buying smarter and having less waste.

Family, friends and community should play a role also in determining the necessities of life. These are our roots and the legacy that we leave behind. It is also important to give of ourselves as long as we have some boundaries and are still taking care of us. If we don't take care of ourselves our health and spirit suffers and then we aren't good to anyone.

Spirituality can come in many different forms and from many different sources and is definitely a necessity in my opinion. It doesn't matter where it comes from. What matters is that it feeds our soul and helps to keep us grounded and connected to every living thing.

Our connection to the environment and nature is what breathes life into us and energises us. As long as we respect and treat it right, it will continue to provide food, clothing and shelter. How simple is that?

Balance is a difficult concept to achieve at times. Less wants, desires and stuff will create less need to work more to make money to pay for everything. This will in turn create more time for self, family, friends and community.

We are the role models for our children and the children of the world.


Michele Ward