Category Archives: simple living

Autumn

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Autumn is my favorite season.  I love the cool mornings, the sun with a lower intensity, and the energy as the season shifts.  Even though people consider spring to be a season of beginnings, my experience is that autumn is truly a time of beginning in my life.  After being cooped up all summer the energy begins to expand outward, but more importantly there is an inward expansion of energy.  As we move into September and October we find that the veil between the realms begins to thin and this is a perfect time to cultivate our inner space, clear out the old and begin to plant the seeds that will bring us fruition in the next spring and summer.

In the Five Element System, the fall is ruled by the metal element.  It is characterized by yin energy.  And what I am calling an inward expansion is usually referred to as contraction.  The wheel of the year passes from the summer where we have full-on vibrant yang energy to a transitional period of balanced yin and yang into a rising yin energy.  Right now we are in the balanced period, but I am anticipating the deepening of yin.  Autumn begins to see an increase in this yin energy: receptive, quiet, dark.

From autumn the yin increases until in the depths of winter we find us in full-on yin energy. While yin itself is contracting and stilling, the overall process of increasing yin is an expansion of yin. Hence I experience expansion within what would be overall considered a darkening, drying and withering phase.

When I am living in harmony with the seasons I find that fall is time for nesting and preparing for increased internal activities.  It is a time for coming home.  We are collecting our energy that was loosed during the year.  It is a good time for personal reflection – especially on the gains and loses of the year.  As we move deeper into the fall and the winter we will have ample opportunity to process the past year.  Emotions may arise from our deep inner pool as we emotionally experience at a greater depth the recent changes in our relationships.

Find below the Metal Element from my recently painted series:  Mandalas of the Five Element System.

Mandala for the Metal Element.

Mandala for the Metal Element.

This Morning’s Harvest

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A good day already.

I picked up my broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower seedlings yesterday from the Cactus Farmer’s Market. Planted most of the seedlings this morning. The weather is perfect!

cabbage, cauliflower, kale, arugula

Kale in rear of bed (left). Cauliflower and Cabbage to the front (right). That big plant near the bottom left is a volunteer arugula.

I harvested mint, portulaca, and kale from the garden for salads this week. Portulaca (aka purslane) is a fantastic weed in this area. It is a little crunchy and somewhat salty. Good in salads and in smoothies.

Mint, Purslane and Kale from the garden. Phoenix 24 Aug 2014

Mint, Purslane and Kale from the garden. 24 Aug

Purslane

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a common weed and tasty snack

Purslane at a more mature stage. This variety has little pink flowers

Purslane at a more mature stage. This variety has little pink flowers

Results

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Yesterday I wrote about striving and how “proper” striving is an appropriate practice for spiritual development.  This morning I was acutely aware of the how my striving reaped awards.

I started out the day with an hour of meditation.  Initially I noticed that I was drifting a lot.  I also had an negative attitude and could feel my resistance which tends to be tinged with a little hate.  I was open to what was, but tested to see if I could not keep focused better and shift my attitude.

Neither of these worked.  I expressed my willingness for change by praying for assistance. I relaxed into my faith, knowing that this state was only temporary.  A while later, I found that while my focus had not improved, but I was experiencing more joy and openness.  While this pleasantness was also transient, I was pleased to have my belief in the transient nature of the unpleasant state affirmed.

Typically the second part of my morning practice involves chi gung.  Ideally this occurs outside.  In fact, spending a little time outside in my yard in the morning has a beneficial affect on me.  However, when it is hot and muggy I am inclined to stay inside.  If meditating for an hour involves great effort, getting myself outside to do chi gung in the heat and sun even more.

I used a two step approach this morning.  I didn’t require myself to “go out and do chi gung”.  Instead I told myself to go out and feed the rabbits.  Once outside, I always notice chores that need to be done.  This morning I decided to clean the carpet in the rabbit pen.  This lead to me weeding a patch of young amaranth and purslane.  I told myself I only needed to do a section, but quickly found I cleared the whole patch.

After all this activity it was easier to convince myself that chi gung would be okay outside.  Despite the sweat seeping from my pores, it was delightful.  My striving lead to the unexpected benefit of seeing a hawk fly overhead and to hearing my neighbors breaking up and throwing away furniture.  This was a boon for me because I scored four chairs and three picture frames.

The chairs were actually answered pray.  Earlier in the week I scheduled two classes.  One on the Principal Teaching of Buddhism and the other on Developing you Business using On-line Resources.  After I made my plans I sent out a request to the universe for more chairs.  Wow!  Pretty quick turn around.