In today's Joy Work lesson we are going to listen to two lesson poems and write in response to each of them.
These poems hold within them a play on words.
They each give a lesson if we listen.
So before we begin let's take a moment to settle in for listening.
Take a deep breath in and listen to your breath as it goes in and out.
Expand your listening to the sounds around you.
And listen deep within.
The first poem is called Planet Lesson.
The fear you feel is a shadow that appears when the sun shines.
It is temporary,
An eclipse over the heart that says the world is about to end.
Do not believe it.
Do not throw your body into the river of despair.
There is a whole universe inside you and the nature of planets is to move,
Move,
Move,
Move until your face becomes the dawn.
We'll journal now in response to three questions for two minutes each.
The first question is what is your personal life asking you to move right now?
And begin.
You you you you Good.
Finish the phrase that you're writing and the next question is what in your creative life is ready to move?
What in your creative life is ready to move?
Begin.
You you you good and the last question is what in your spiritual life is poised to move?
You you you Good.
Finish the phrase that you're writing now.
Let's pause now to rest before listening to the next poem.
After movement we need rest in order to maintain balance and sometimes when we get focused on movement we can forget this.
So check in with your body.
You may want to stretch or move a bit and then let the tension and the muscles go.
The next poem is called Spirit Lesson.
There is spirit in everything and everything we do.
The teacher said yesterday at my first lesson.
I look at my shoe.
There is spirit in you,
Black shoe.
How you hold my foot without complaining.
How you keep out the cold.
There is spirit in my foot too.
Its many bones.
How they work together.
How they listen when I say to sit still.
We'll journal now for one minute each in response to the next three questions.
What in your mind is asking to be still?
You you you how you seem to say to be still Very good.
Change the phrase that you're writing.
Change the phrase that you're writing.
Excellent.
Finish the phrase that you're writing now.
And then put the journal to the side.
This is a good time to remember that when we write,
It's important not to read over,
Edit,
Cross out,
Or criticize.
This can make the creative part of our minds quite shy and doubtful.
And we need to take the time to let the wisdom grow in us so that we can understand what we have written later.
We'll end today with a breathing exercise so that we can feel the mix of movement and stillness that we have focused on today,
Beginning to create balance within ourselves.
So we'll simply inhale and pause,
Exhale and pause.
We'll continue this for one minute as I guide you and then for one minute silently as you breathe on your own.
Inhale,
Pause,
Exhale,
Pause.
Inhale,
Pause,
Exhale,
Pause.
Inhale,
Pause,
Exhale,
Pause.
Inhale,
Pause,
Exhale,
Pause.
Inhale,
Pause,
Exhale,
Pause.
And continue on your own.
Very good.
May the balance of movement and stillness in your mind,
Body and spirit,
Allow you to work with great joy.
