Hello! Hello! Welcome to this FREE sample lesson from The Beautiful BEing Program, happening live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and also online at OrangeSpiralArts.com in a private online classroom.
LET'S BEGIN!
I will start out each session with a RITUAL to help ground you, center you, and bring you into the present moment.
RITUAL:
Standing (or sitting) with your feet flat on the floor
Repeat after me:
There is BEAUTY before me (hands in front of you with palms to the sky)
There is BEAUTY below me (gesture toward the ground)
There is BEAUTY above me (reach hands to the sky)
There is BEAUTY beside me (open palms, one hand on each side of you)
There is BEAUTY behind me (gesture behind you, near your hips or by shoulders)
There is BEAUTY inside me (place on hand over your heart and one hand on your belly)
(Take a deep breath or two)
For ALL of this, I am grateful (bow with head as a gesture of grace and gratitude)
Adapted and modified from a traditional Navajo ritual, more information here
I first experienced the words above, and a similar ritual, during a Women's Ritual Circle in which I used to participate. I found this to be very moving and powerful. I like how it integrates the mind, body, and the spirit. It calms you, centers you, gets you to be present, and in a grateful state of mind. This ritual also gently reminds you to notice that BEAUTY abounds, around you, and within you. Namaste (click to read the definitions from Urban Dictionary).
ENCOURAGING WORDS
Image Credit: Unknown
Today I would like to encourage you to LOVE YOURSELF!
You are not too fat, too thin, too weak, too (fill in the blank). YOU are radiant! Inside of you, you are glowing with love, vibrant health, inner joy, and peace. What you may perceive from the outside, from your physical form, is not who you are. Unkind words said to you, from others, or from the negative voices in your head, are NOT who you are. YOU GLOW. YOU RADIATE BEAUTY. You ARE radiant beauty. Go ahead, say it aloud to yourself. In the mirror is even better, "I am radiant beauty."
Believe this about yourself, for it is the truth.
Image Credit: WordsYard.com
WRITING SESSION
Suggestions for your writing time:
- set a timer for 10 minutes
- consider playing some Baroque music (it does something good to your brain while you write)
- write in a place that does not distract you
- keep your hand moving (even if words are not coming, repeat what you last wrote until something new comes) This tip comes from Natalie Goldberg.
- do not worry about spelling, punctuation, or grammar
- try not to over think anything; just listen, and write what you hear, as fast as you can
- writing with a pen and paper is preferred over using a computer, as you brain is engaged in a different way
- When you are done, you might consider reading aloud to a safe person or small group of people. There is no judgement; just attentive listening. You may request positive feedback at the end, i.e. "The part where you wrote . . . that was very powerful." Or simply request attentive listening only.
- If something you wrote stands out to you, and you want to investigate it more, start a new prompt that looks like this: "What did I mean by . . . .(insert word or phrase you are curious about)?" Set the timer again for 5-10 minutes and go for it!
WRITING PROMPTS TO EXPLORE
- What does "self-love" mean to me?
- How do I currently practice self-love?
- In what ways might I improve my practice of self-love?
- What messages do I say to myself that sound like self-love? What messages do I say to myself that do NOT sound like self-love?
- Try rewriting an unkind message you say to yourself, so that it sounds like self-love.
- Am I afraid to love myself? Why or why not?
It is said that love and fear can not happen in the same moment. Are you coming from a place of fear or a place of love?
Image credit: extraordinarywoman.com.au
Image Source: SlideShare
PAINTING
SUPPLIES:
- 18x24 Watercolor (cold press) or Bristol Vellum Paper (smooth) pad of paper (spiral works best for this process)
- Paint-acrylic, tempera, washable children's paint (anything water soluble and opaque)
- 2 long-handled brushes (a big filbert, and a small flat brush) (Go to Michaels or an art supply store, if you can. The wooden cheap ones from Michaels do NOT work well or last long. Try Simply Simmons, Princeton, Catalyst brushes, etc.)
- Water in a recycled yogurt tub
- Paper towels or a rag
- An Art Journal of your choice -one that can take wet media. (Strathmore is superior to Canson. Daler-Rowney might also be good).
PAINTING PROMPT
Paint how you feel inside.
Depending on the day, the time of the month, or your current emotional state, this may change, often. : )
Be honest with yourself, right now, in this moment. Paint how you feel inside.
Let it rip! Be free!! Allow your brush movements and color choices to fully express your current state of BEing.
AS YOU PAINT
Use your art journal to gather random brush strokes, prints of excess paint, etc.
Test out your brush after you rinse it. Is it clean yet? Swipe it on a journal page to see!
Keep painting.
Are there any thoughts or ideas you want to catch before they vanish? These might come at the beginning, middle or end of your painting session, so be prepared! Keep that pen and journal nearby.
TIP: As you paint, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!! I know this is difficult to do in our product-focused society. However, the point of your painting time is ALL ABOUT THE PROCESS!
It's OKAY to do a few touch ups or to add a thing or two that makes you feel good about your painting. Just try to remember, "process over product". "This is about the process, not the product." "The process of painting is waaay more rich than trying to make a pretty picture." You get the idea.
TIP: It's also OKAY TO MAKE A DISASTER OF A PAINTING! It's all part of the process, the learning, the growing, the digging deep, and the diving in.
Remember, you are amazing, radiant, and beautiful. You are loved and worthy of love. You ARE a Beautiful BEing!
CLOSING RITUAL
"How it begins is how it ends." -Yiddish wisdom
RITUAL:
Standing (or sitting) with your feet flat on the floor
Repeat after me:
There is BEAUTY before me (hands in front of you with palms to the sky)
There is BEAUTY below me (gesture toward the ground)
There is BEAUTY above me (reach hands to the sky)
There is BEAUTY beside me (open palms, one hand on each side of you)
There is BEAUTY behind me (gesture behind you, near your hips or by shoulders)
There is BEAUTY inside me (place on hand over your heart and one hand on your belly)
(Take a deep breath or two)
For ALL of this, I am grateful (bow with head as a gesture of grace and gratitude)
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading through and working through this sample lesson for the Beautiful BEing Program. This lesson is the tip of the iceberg. There's so much more I will be sharing, and the LIVE workshop is going to be the bomb diggity! If you are local to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area of Minnesota, I do hope you will join this rich and soul nurturing experience. For those of you states or oceans away, I will be sharing at least one video each month, along with the writing + painting lessons. There will be some surprise posts in between, too.
To sign up for the LIVE Beautiful BEing Program in Minneapolis at courageous heARTS, click here.
To sign up for the ONLINE Beautiful BEing Program, click here. (Early bird pricing is good until January 15th, 2016!!!)
