Endings are Really Just New Beginnings

Photo and Creation Courtesy of Julia Siporin

And so, another journey ends. But really, as I’ve been reminded over the course of this past year, endings are really just new beginnings.

Throughout the year, I have taken you with me on this journey of my Morning Altars class, with updates on my progress. As I completed the final class, I shared my Reflections and Aha Moments. But it really all came together for me, as my study group of five amazing women from all over the world offered a live Zoom Morning Altars workshop. Because we wanted to keep it interactive, we kept the group small, and nine women answered our call to join us.

What came out of this experience for me is this: The Morning Altars practice is so much more than creating impermanent nature art. It is a practice that offers healing, and introspection, and paths to new beginnings.

Completing this final step of collaborating and creating a workshop, bringing participants together and then teaching the practice, is part of our certification process. I can now offer this practice, under the Morning Altars name, sharing with and teaching others.

For this article, I want to wrap up the Morning Altars practice in a nice little package for you. It of course is so much more. This list does not do it justice and is meant as a way for you to jump in to your own practice. So here it is the seven steps in the practice, taken directly from my teacher, Day Shildkret’s book, Morning Altars: A 7-Step Practice to Nourish Your Spirit through Nature, Art, and Ritual:

The Seven Movements for a Morning Altars Practice

1. 1. Wander and Wonder: This is a treasure hunt that transforms the mundane into the magical as you forage the treasures that will fill your altar.
   2. Place: Practice listening to the place that calls you. Sit on the earth and experience a “Place Meditation.” Connect more deeply to where you are and witness the place come alive as it might have never before.
   3. Clear: Use a brush or your hand to clear the space at your feet and reveal your blank canvas. It is an act that helps you clear space so that a new creative inspiration can flow in again.
   4. Create: It’s all play! Explore shapes and patterns as you learn the language of how to bring together many different pieces into one gorgeous work of art, which is what the universe is doing all the time.
   5. Gift: Practice generosity. Learn to set an intention for your Morning Altar. Devote it as an offering for your life, as a celebration of your family’s well-being, as a gift to your ancestors, or as a way to mark an occasion.
   6. Share: Photograph and share your beauty making and intentions with your friends, community or even with people you’ve never met.
   7. Let Go: Practice walking away. Bearing witness to the impermanence of the art is an exercise that will strengthen your capacity for unattachment, grace and change.

This seven step process is just a guide and in no way is to be construed as rules. The most important thing is that you give it a try, in order, out of order, just a few steps, it’s all good. The beautiful book I referred to is full of wisdom and beautiful photographs from Day, and is available on line where ever books are sold.

While this list of steps provides you a glimpse into the practice, there’s nothing like doing. So go out and create. Or gather some friends and let me guide you through it. Just drop me a line at mindfulcafe@yahoo.com and we’ll make it happen.

Thanks for joining me on this journey and I can not wait to see what new beginnings this ending leads to!