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The Art of Simplicity

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As I sit in meditation in the morning I look out my window which captures a panorama of the heart of the community: the central garden, the community building, the chicken coops, the bathhouse and a cascade of to do’s and anxieties often floods me.  There’s just so much to do and think about!  I close my eyes and come back to just this moment: my breath, the sound of a vehicle, the mild ache in my back and I can rest in the simplicity of what’s just actually happening right here and now.  I’ve come to realizing that I need to rest in that simplicity otherwise I go crazy with the never ending lists of projects that come with being land steward, a husband, a human being. I originally thought that moving out to the country and starting an intentional community would be a simple life, living in harmony with natural cycles and deep in a supportive web of like minded companions.  I can now see that to truly experience simplicity requires a deliberate cultivation of perception    It doesn’t just come about with circumstances (human beings have the magical powers to turn any situation into a circus of craziness).  It requires the deliberate cultivation of perception, the refinement of how I choose to perceive myself, others and the things of the world.  Becoming mindful of the story I am telling myself and choosing to tell a story that is coherent, inspiring and not too complex (e.g. simple). For example:  I could sit here on this beautiful morning on the farm and let my mind go wild painting a chaotic picture of all the things I “should do” or that could go wrong and that go out the door putting out fires and generally running around like a chicken with its head cut off.  Or I could choose to take some time to really get in touch with the elements of my life that are truly most important to me, that I can be pretty sure will make fill my heart with the good stuff (satisfaction, joy, connection, pride) then proceed to craft a day or week that reflects that orientation. My sincere wish for Full Bloom is that it becomes ever more supportive for individuals to stay connected with the peace and inspiration that comes from living as an artist, an intentional story teller. “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” ― Joan Didion, The White Album

A reflection on our New Vision Statement: Recovering from a Culture of Separation…..

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“Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed down-stairs one step at a time.”
― Mark Twain

Last Week the four land partners of Full Bloom:  Myself, my wife Eden, Jo Ferneau and Rosie Demmin collaborated on a new vision statement with the intention of having the statement be something we could read at the beginning of any meeting or gathering to remind us why we do what we do, to awaken our deeper purpose behind all the myriad things we do to keep Full Bloom growing.   I’m finding that one of the lines has been really working on me ever since we nailed it down:  “We are recovering from a culture of separation and disembodiment, rediscovering what it means to have a sacred relationship with the mundane”.

I find that uttering that line leaves me with a sense of relief.  I believe it has something to do with the admittance that I am in the process of recovering from certain patterns and conditioning that have led me to feel separate and either ambivalent towards our downright disrespectful of my body and the earth body.  This shows up in pushing my body to just do one more thing regardless of what its telling me through back pain or fatigue, or buying the new shiny thing rather than repurposing what I already have.  These habits disturb me, or not in alignment with the kind of person I want to be.

But rather than expecting myself to not feel separate, to feel deeply connected to my body, to always be a model eco-citizen this statement allows me to say: “I’m working on it, I’m doing my best to remember that this earth, this body, this food is sacred and not separate from me and to relate with it accordingly.”

Over the years I’ve frequently fallen into a state of guilt or shame around the habits I have that place my needs above the earth, other people.  Habits of mind that turn me into an island to defend and bolster rather than a node in a web of relationships to enjoy and honor.   Bit by bit I’m intentionally shifting those Habits and giving up the tendency to try to “fling them out the window”.  Patience, acceptance, self-compassion are virtues that are becoming my refuge as I mature.

All I know is it is of utmost importance to me to have companions to explore these difficult issues.  Friends in recovery from patterns that don’t support life of deep connection to the earth and all living beings.  Friends who can offer that gentle reminder of why I’m here and what really matters.

Below is the Vision Statement in its entirety:

We are a community weaving a web of heart intelligence so that every being we interact with is inspired to thrive.

We are in recovery from a culture of separation and disembodiment, rediscovering what it means to be in sacred relationship with the mundane.

We are committed to deep connection and radical care with ourselves, each other and the earth.

Thank you all for reading and please post any feedback and/or thoughts about this post.

Ryan