12 Comments

1. 

   Kate on April 15, 2012 at 2:47 pm

   I am sticking with the traditional VPA format because I basically want the same things I want last week, only in a different way. Because I got what I wanted last week, but now I want more of these things.

   Thing 1

   {Silent Retreat}

   Here’s what I want:

   I want this experience to be amazing.

   Ways this could work:

   Trust. Flow. Ease. Play! Love.

   I’ll play with:

   Conscious entry. Releasing expectations. Sovereignty. Listening to and trusting Slightly Future Me.

   Thing 2

   {Silent Retreat}

   Here’s what I want:

   To receive what I need.

   Ways this could work:

   Harmonious timing. Trust.

   I’ll play with:

   Asking for what I want.

   Writing these VPAs just gave me a lot of clarity. Yay for that! Sparklepoints for me for writing them! And sparklepoints for anyone else who wants them!

   Reply
2. 

   Corie Weaver on April 15, 2012 at 2:49 pm

   How is it VPA time again?

   I do like the playing with it format! And now…

   Ten Tiny Things!

   1. To crappy-draft the schedule for the fundraiser day
   2. To survive the week, and the dreaded GALA (yes, really. There’s a dreaded Gala in my life. But not for much longer. And no, this isn’t tiny, but its freaking me out.)
   3. To make a list of one happy noticing a day
   4. To get the van and vouchers to Linzy – hooray for help!
   5. To play on Twitter more!
   6. To ask for help on the CE project!
   7. To arrange costumes to support me through the week!
   8. To hula hoop – and maybe tango!
   9. To crappy-draft outline the ecourse.
   10. To redo the WDG sales page, and talk with K about a non-icky sales person.

   Whee!! I like this!

   Reply
3. 

   Hannah Savannah on April 15, 2012 at 2:53 pm

   Ten Wishes! I love it !

   1. light at the end of the tunnel (as my dad said)(i know mostly what it means but also i’ll meditate on it)
   2. more gardening! (like last week) – little clews and little plants are fine!
   3. compassion – for me. and then for others.
   4. clarity. pure, gentle clarity about how i do and how i do not meet. and no discussion about it.
   5. calm – to feel it in my bones. to feel, much more, that this crisis is over.
   6. land of make believe! – playing there
   7. more painting – because it helps me reconnect to the beautiful
   8. dancing – the same
   9. congruence – a word that ripples like a small stone but also it can work for the work i am doing
   10. safety. because it is so necessary

   Reply
4. 

   seagirl on April 15, 2012 at 3:08 pm

   Hmm, I didn’t VPA last week but if I had, and I had asked for A Very Happy Birthday!, a terrible hangover, 24 hours of sleeping this weekend, a sleepy cat, a beautiful 24 mile bike ride and the perfect answer to “what to do with sauteed vegetables” (top them with poached eggs!) I would be back to report a rousing success!

   So, for this week I’d like:
   Easy Telephone Call to the Tax Peeps. So grateful for all I receive, so grateful that I am paying more taxes this year. So grateful for the people working their hearts out heading up to this busy time.

   Concentrated energy and focus on each thing: So when I’m working, I’m fully working. When I’m eating, I’m eating. When I’m cleaning, I’m cleaning. When I’m relaxing I’m relaxing. When I’m meditating, I’m meditating.

   Strength to stay away from bread and cheese this week, one day one meal at a time. Making sure to have lots of protein and veggies prepared and in the fridge to eat.

   Reply
5. 

   Cat on April 15, 2012 at 3:14 pm

   Wishes! I can do a few wishes for myself today! I think 5 is my number.

   1. Balance: find a way to strike balance and comfort into my new intense study schedule, even though it’s so very intense.

   2. Figuring out: whether I want to start seeing my super duper amazing therapist who helped me through a huge year of my life, and if I can give myself the permission to set aside the money I’d need for it.

   3. Care: how to start looking after my body again so I don’t face a relapse into the bed-rest year, even though I’m doing intense studying and sitting

   4. Care again: how to start eating better even though all the hard stuff recently has had me craving bakeries and crunchy salties

   5. Compassion: for my [silent retreat].

   Thanks for the space to share this Havi!

   Reply
6. 

   Paula on April 15, 2012 at 4:46 pm

   Yea! Thank you for the inspiration… my first VPA and its mix and match:

   1. Attuning to the super power of CONNECTION (which shh… is really the most important thing to me.)

   2. Attuning to the super power of DIGNITY (ways this could happen: I could remember to see myself and others with soft eyes.)

   3. Attuning to the super power of SPACIOUSNESS (what I’ll play with: big breaths and slow walking)

   4. Attuning to the super power of FREEDOM (which for me is a train, or perhaps having the choice which train to be on.)

   5. Attuning to the super power of FUN (ways this could happen: Danny Kaye, Samba, Sunshine)

   Reply
7. 

   Loon on April 15, 2012 at 5:05 pm

   Hmm… I’m tempted to play with the new format, but I think I might do the ten wishes in my head a bit later. For now I might just go with one, and practice answering the questions too (hello, taking-up-too-much-space monster!). Here we go!

   1. What do I want?
   I want to get my schoolwork done, but I also want there to be a place for all the grief, and some room for being a supportive friend too. What I want is to be able to put these things together like a magic jig-saw puzzle, so I guess what I want are magic jig-saw puzzle solving skills. And spaciousness for all the pieces and roles I’ll play with each.

   2. What do I know about why I want this?
   I want this because not having space for all of these things is causing me a lot of pain. I want a place for the grief because it most often goes neglected until it’s too big, and then spills over into everything else. I guess, having puzzle-pieces also means having clear boundaries around all three things, so that no spilling-over-into or knocking-off-schedule happens.

   3. What do I know about why I don’t want this, or about the resistance?

   I don’t want this because I am afraid the grief will take up too much space – this fear is legitimate because so far I have only experienced overwhelming grief.
   I am afraid that saying ‘no’ sometimes and setting boundaries with friends might be understood as lack of care or concern or love – this is legitimate because of so many years of being taught not to say ‘no’ and having my boundaries forcibly violated even when I did set them.
   I am afraid that putting limits on how much time I spend on school stuff will mean that it doesn’t get done – this is legitimate because it is a logical consequence of the first two.
   I am also afraid that having too rigid a structure will result in a loss of some sort… a loss of openness? and flow and ease? – this fear is about separateness. I think it is related to the fear around boundaries. It, too, is legitimate for the same reasons.

   4. If I had someone who could help me do this, what would I ask for?

   Crafting small, timed rituals. Like maybe have a soft bell go off every hour to keep track of the time and to ground me.
   Playing with endings and limits, like logging off facebook and gmail, instead of minimizing the browser.
   Coming up with a schedule for the day that doesn’t feel too rigid.

   —
   Hmm.. this way of doing VPAs is quite interesting. The questions are really helpful, especially the one that identifies and names resistance. I find that at times my VPAs aren’t really about doing X or having Y, but about a particular thing *about* doing X or Y and stuff around that particular thing. I suppose this is what is at work behind the VPAs. I shall be playing with this some more offline 🙂 I think I might add the resistance question to my regular weekly VPA too.

   Love to all VPAers and lurkers <3

   Reply
8. 

   Mechaieh on April 16, 2012 at 1:48 am

   Hello, superpowers. Calling especially on the powers to

   1. swallow rivers (whisper: to speed meds through my bloodstream)

   2. command vehicles (whisper: for smooth travel to, from, and around various things, especially a conference)

   3. stop missiles in mid-air (whisper: until I’m ready for them)

   4. bring far-flung-apart items together (whisper: by completing pieces for G1 and G2)

   5. free trapped demons (whisper: thrashy toxins under my teeth = owwwww)

   6. create feasts (with what I have, sans fuss)

   7. create ease (with what I know or can find out, sans fuss or stress)

   8. wield brushes (I’d like to polish my toenails without the lacquer splooging all over creation…)

   9. tea-leaf literacy (which visions to trust)

   10. breathing through smoke (there being fires to put out)

   11. inhabit a routine that provides safety/space/stage for a willing and preternaturally able sidekick (think Barrington. think Bunter…).

   Sending everyone good wishes and high hopes for a wonderful week.

   Reply
9. 

   Jane on April 16, 2012 at 3:41 am

   Oooo! Ten wishes. I am intrigued, and so:

   1. Letter writing (sending out my very first Postcard from Ardis)

   2. Exploration and adventure in London tomorrow

   3. Playing in the flames (meditating with Queen Brigid)

   4. Creating the invitation (so people can come in)

   5. Meeting markers (slinky support)

   6. Exploring doorways (self-portraiture)

   7. Movement! (of moneys, of my body)

   8. Allowing more turquoise in (alignment)

   9. Clearing the books (making space!)

   10. Blossoming

   Mmmmmmmm…

   Reply
10. 

    Leni on April 17, 2012 at 7:39 am

    I like this.

    1. more progress on book (work + time)
    2. Treehouse time every week (play!)
    3. more yoga and Flailing
    4. more sleep
    5. proper containment for Scary Project, because for real it’s starting to leak all over. this includes seeting better boundaries with the WP
    6. more painting
    7. more sitting, thinking, pondering
    8. I have a bunch a puzzle pieces that are not connecting yet. i know i’m not seeing the conenctions
    9. engagement and better chocies (sobriety)
    10.more play

    There’s more joy in the hosue, and there was far les yelling andmore letting go. The Elegant leadership ask and More Joy in thehouse ask, seem to be leading to a common root.

    More Joy and Deeper Morning Practice seem to be linked as well. There’s a piece in here about Will that juist makes me tired. See: sobriety.

    You know, even the list of ten wishes is pretty rpactical and lacks adventure. I’m not doing things in a Grand fashion, althop I want to, and despite lopts of promptings and desire and even astrologival omens and support, I’m just not dipping into the pools of fantasy and play imagination that I used to have access to. Not ready to make this request but I can feel it starting to gel.

    Reply
11. 

    Kathleen Avins on April 17, 2012 at 8:34 am

    Since you’re playing with a different form this week, it feels like a good time for me to play with something that’s been on my mind lately. Here, then, are seven things that I frequently, passionately, achingly gwish for, that I already possess:

    1. A handmade life.
    2. A close and loving relationship with my daughter.
    3. Romantic, intimate, loyal and loving partnership.
    4. Creative outlets.
    5. Work that lights me up.
    6. A beautiful, comfortable home.
    7. People who love me, truly love me, just as I am.

    The fact that I feel such longing for these things that are right there, within my reach, all the time…it’s fascinating. Mysterious. Something, perhaps, to explore.

    Reply
12. 

    Claire P on April 17, 2012 at 6:43 pm

    Another of my great teachers defines yoga through seven qualities, and seeing as EVERYTHING IS YOGA I’m going to meditate on these qualities and see where they take me today….

    Dear Universe/Me, this week I would like to explore….

    Play: (ssshhhh it’s really about PRESENCE, experiencing all the good and beautiful and delightful, adding levity to my experience, remembering that everything is okay, really it is.)

    Grounding: (ssshhhh it’s really about COURAGE to stay connected to the support systems in my life, especially the ones that scare me a bit, in particular money and negotiations with [person] to ensure we’re both getting what we need. Life works better with a stringly grounded connection to these support systems).

    Alignment: (ssshhhh it’s really about SOVEREIGNTY. Remaining gently, calmly, sturdily within my sovereignty to ensure the clearest and most efficient lines of energy in how I do what I do).

    Breathing: (ssshhhh it’s really about HUMILITY/INFINITY. ‘Why me?’ asks ego, ‘Why not?’ asks the humble soul. Ha-saa.

    Movement: (ssshhhh it’s really about ACTION even if it’s teeny tiny steps towards (or around) where I want to go. Also: BODY, get into it girly!!).

    Resistance: (ssshhhh it’s really about FORCEFIELDS which is really about SAFETY. Alignment will be key here.)

    Surrender: (ssshhhh it’s really about JOY. Joy like Brene Brown defines i:, not happy-joy which is the opposite of sadness, but [this-quality] of joy which is the opposite of fear. ‘Grace’ maybe. Shanti. That quality. To seek it, no, to ALLOW it. Yes, that. The Practice!!)

    Om babies!!! Xxxxx

    Reply