July, 2013

I’d like to share with you a personal story that touches on the themes of the season and the Hebrew month. The story begins with me sitting down to write this newsletter and reflecting on how we might use the energy of Summer and the month of Tammuz to enhance our lives. 
 
Seeking the best way to approach this subject, I drafted a number of versions. When none resonated for me as the “right” one, I decided to do some Focusing. 
 
What’s happening here?” I asked myself. The response came from within: “There’s a heartfelt wanting to write something that will contribute to my readers’ well-being. That will enhance awareness, deepen their sense of meaning and bring more joy to their lives.” 
 
“OK,” I said to myself, “so how to best do this?” I felt as though I had all the ingredients for the article– i.e. what I wanted to highlight regarding this time of year– and yet I felt bogged down. 
 
It took some time for me to realize what was in the way of my writing in as fluid a way as I’d have liked. 
 
Here’s what I learned.
 
Something in me so wanted to create a polished piece of writing, that the wanting itself was getting in the way of my writing! Suddenly I was reminded, with relief, of the truism that I’d forgotten, at least with respect to myself, which is that we humans are always in the process of becoming. There is no such thing as perfection. We are here in order to heal and learn and grow. This realization brought a renewed sense of peace.
 
How does all of this relate to the current season? According to Chinese Medicine, summer is a time of expansion. Ruled by the fire element, one of the ways we can take advantage of the energy of this season is by nurturing our creativity and intuition, and also by allowing ourselves to welcome more joy and fun into our lives. This of course includes allowing ourselves – and what we create– to be less than perfect. To be “works in progress.” 
 
This also ties in with the opportunity for healing offered by the Hebrew month of Tammuz– the rectification of our sense of sight. While we usually think of seeing as something directed outside ourselves, we are not often aware of the powerful role that inner seeing can play in our lives. 
 
Like the iceberg that has about 90% of its mass hidden under the surface of the water, so too does much of how we view ourselves and the world live beneath the surface of our conscious awareness. Despite being outside our awareness, these perceptions can significantly affect us by having an impact on our sense of who we are, how we feel about ourselves, and even how we are in the world. 
 
What can we do  to begin to develop and enhance our capacity to see within, and then to shift our inner vision? Luckily, we don’t need special equipment. One key step is to become more aware of how we “see” our world. For me, Focusing has been a major tool in seeing more clearly within, as well as in helping to “correct” my inner vision.
 
An important component of Focusing is listening.  (You might like to have a look at The Healing Power of Listening, the subject of a prior newsletter.) Regardless of how much Focusing one knows, there are also times, such as when sitting with something that is more emotionally charged, or stuck, that it is useful to seek support from a skilled Listener-Guide. You’ll find information about one-one sessions here.
 
Want to learn more? I’m currently organizing in person and teleconference opportunities for learning skills necessary to see more clearly within. Keeping with the energy of the season, these classes will offer an opportunity to grow and learn in a safe space while at the same time exploring how to allow your creativity and intuition to flourish. 
 
May you be blessed with deepening awareness, meaning, and much joy in your life!

Here’s one comment received after the last newsletter:

Shalom Ruth and thank you for this loving, tender invitation. I’m grateful for how you sort of ‘gestured’ towards Receiving—as if it was waiting calmly just to the side. Thank you for bringing this awareness into me. 

Kol tuv,  Lynn Rosen,  More Body in Focusing