The Morning Mile

Stacking the reasons . . . the WHY. I can just feel a shift in energy with this kind of foundation. Can’t wait to get started energy! Feels like a breadcrumb trail enticing me to begin .

One recent practice has been a daily 30 minute standing Qigong posture called The Dragon Stands Between Heaven and Earth. I just completed a gong, which is 100 days in a row. But I did it without stacking the reasons. I’m excited to see how my next gong (Sept. 22 equinox to Dec. 31) with a stack of reasons as the foundation, might be different.
Starting my stack:
cultivate Qi
enjoy the satisfaction of showing up for my practice
self nurture
download discoveries
building Qi for healing

Interesting that my practice is standing still vs walking. Eyes are closed. So all the visuals are imaginary. All the travel is in another dimension.

Another practice is my studio practice, painting. Going to create a stack for this practice next.

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Nice to see your post here Paula :heart:

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Once again :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: I want to establish the habit of walking for 20 minutes (even 10 minutes!) a day. At this point I don’t know if it’s too much for me to say every day but I’ll accept 3 times a week gladly! It matters to me because I, too want to be here and healthy for my kids, my grandsons and soon to be born great grandson! Another habit I really want to establish, like Paula (welcome!!) is my painting. In fact, I am in the process of creating a Spark Book with all the things that that I love in it so I will have my own personal resource to look back on when for example a limiting belief rears it’s ugly head.

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Yes! Happy to be here.

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Spark Book! Now that would add sparkle to my painting practice. Norene, is it a regular practice for you? Are you doing the program with Nick Wilton? I’d love to hear more about your experience. Sounds like something I’d like to try. And thanks for the welcomes, Jean and Norene)

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Yes, Paula I’m taking part in Nick Wilton’s Spark program for the third time! I feel as drawn to Nick and his teachings as I do to Rick’s. The freedom to play, to explore and be curious without judgement has been wonderful! That being said, my inner critic still rears her ugly head at times with all kinds of “shoulds” but I do my best to recognize it and carry on. I think registration is still open if you’d like to try it otherwise the next time Spark is offered will be 2023. :heart::art:

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Norene what is the Spark program? I’d like to know more about it if you have time.

Norene, Spark sounds like a lot of fun. I’m scheduled up right now with classes etc so I’ll look for it next time around. I hope you’ll post a pic now and again for pages from your book. Actually, I’m looking here and trying to figure out how to post an image . . . . ???

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Hi Jean ~ Spark is a 3 week online workshop that is designed to ignite your creativity by focusing on freedom, fun, and curiosity! Each week there is a Module that opens with a live call (that is recorded in case you can’t attend live) and various art practices to do in your Spark book; there are also many Free pages where you can paint/collage/draw whatever you like. Though the course is 3 weeks, you have access to the Spark website for a full year (which I appreciate because life happens and I fall behind); there is also a private FB group filled with incredibly supportive members of Spark where we can post our efforts. I really like the sense of community in Spark and Art2Life. If you want to get more of an idea about Nicholas Wilton you can sign up at Art2Life.com for his weekly vlog on some aspect of art that he’s been thinking about; it’s free. I think that’s about it, let me know if you have any other questions.

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I totally “get it” about a full schedule! I, too have postponed my backyard project until after the holidays. I will be happy to share some of my Spark endeavors here!
To post a picture here, click on the upload arrow :arrow_up: up there and it will give you three choices…photo library, take a photo/video and choose files. Hope that helps!

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Got it, Norene. Thanks. Off to art class this morning after my teacher’s 4 month summer break. Figure Drawing. I’m tapping on this feeling that I’ve forgotten everything I learned last semester.

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Have fun getting back into your Figure Drawing! I used to go to the museum every week for live model sessions and loved it even though I had never drawn/sketched/painted the human figure before. I have subsequently used many of the sketches as resource for paintings!


It used to bother me that my proportions are off but now I could care less…I love the feeling I get when I smush paint around in response to a sketch I did. :relaxed:

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Is that watercolor?
I carry a little sketchbook and doodle away in waiting areas, like airports.

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Yes, I used watercolor. I love the idea of carrying a sketchbook with you. You captured the sitting man so well! I hope you felt good getting back into your life drawing class and thanks for posting your sketch!

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Today is Day 711 - Happy Thanksgiving!

So… 711 is a special number for me. It’s flowed in my life since the year I became a fulltime emotional freedom coach.

Today, Thanksgiving Day, is the 711th day of my morning mile. Yes, I missed a few days with Covid. And…

This is the kind of synchronicity that I choose to take as one of the ways the Divine smiles and giggles a bit. And, it was a day when Jem, Adira, and I could and did walk together in the sunshine.

There were times when I was “desperate” for a sign. I would, perhaps, stretch to make even the smallest, microscopic “coincidence” into a reminder that there is a playful intelligence with me, behind me, ahead of me, inspiring me.

That I woke from my nap at 11:07, and had this day as day 711… I am grateful that I have made myself “easy” to get through to. I no longer need Big Signs Even I Can’t Miss in order to know and adore the way God and Goddess dance in my life.

I so appreciate all of you, the Giving Thanks Circle we had last night really nourished my sense of Connection and Contribution. Step by Step. Step by Step. According to my phone, with all the steps taken these past 711 days – 1777 miles. Lots of Baby Steps, eh?

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Happy Day 711 and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I wish I had been with you all during the Giving Thanks Circle. I was giving thanks that I was Beach-hopping with my grandson, Cheyene who is visiting from AZ!

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Yes the Giving Thanks Circle nourished my soul. Hearing everyone talk about how grateful they are was uplifting. As I said on the call I am so grateful for that day when I was alone in my house and a male voice told me to find out about computers. I didn’t even know what a computer was. But I followed the guidance and here we are altogether sharing, tapping, loving and thriving.
Congratulations on your 711 days and all those baby steps.

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Today will be day 777 of my morning mile. Wow.

Step by Step.

I believe one of the core Knowings this type of experience has given me is that steps that can seem “too small” at first – yet are taken with consistency – yield such rewards and growth over the longer term.

Today I continue to explore fresh ways to add emotional richness and uplists to my walks. All these miles also activate within me a desire for even more sure-footedness, for example, which leads me to mobility exercises like those offered by Knees Over Toes to help my ankles, knees, and hips have more oomph (and resilience).

It’s akin to what I’m noticing with Eagerness as my Be What Matters focus. I don’t “stay” particularly “eager” for long. Yet, even small doses of that kind of emotional movement changes how I do… everything.

Same with something as “simple” as moving a bit more than I was. Some morning miles have been a quarter mile. Some have been 2 miles. What I can say and invite is confidence for you, too, that if there is something you want to experience, choose the smallest step that feels meaningful to you and start and track it daily until you’re rocking it as part of Who You Are.

Love to you, and thanks for your encouragement!

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Day 800 was yesterday. Wow. Got a chance to walk the trail with Jem and feel the impact of Being in all the reasons why I listed up at the top here.

My Whys not only boosted my energy. They were essential to making this core to who I am… an exploring and appreciator who moves his Being each day…

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Day 1000! A walk with Adira at the WNC Nature Center…

Part of this ritual being grounded in Freedom is that I took a few sacred days of rest along the way. No “forcing myself” to walk when my inner guidance said no.

And… movement is core to our vitality and thriving as humans. I’m grateful to have made this a devoted practice. Onwards!

Rick

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