A Zone Zero Zero and a Peoplecare design.
Contents
1. Introduction (background to this design)
2. Observation 3. Boundaries 4. Resources 5. Analysis |
6. Design
7. Implement 8. Maintain 9. Evaluate and Reflect 10. Tweak |
The framework for this design will be: OBRADIMET
(with Analysis instead of Evaluation see Contents above)
1. Introduction - Background to this design
Why this topic
In 2012, went to a talk at the London Buddhist Centre about engaged Buddhism and heard about the Shambala Mind Trainings. (See supplementary evidence for all of the Shambala Mind Trainings).
The fourth one is ' Simplify. Clear away the dead wood in your life. Look for the heartwood and give it the first call on your time, the best of your energy'. This idea attracted me as I had been thinking about how busy I was and how I wanted to live a really simple but abundant life. I wanted to slow down and inhabit time differently .
I wanted to design a shift in my attitude towards time and behaviour. Can Permaculture help me do this?
Aim of design: Learn to see time differently, as an abundant resource.
In 2012, went to a talk at the London Buddhist Centre about engaged Buddhism and heard about the Shambala Mind Trainings. (See supplementary evidence for all of the Shambala Mind Trainings).
The fourth one is ' Simplify. Clear away the dead wood in your life. Look for the heartwood and give it the first call on your time, the best of your energy'. This idea attracted me as I had been thinking about how busy I was and how I wanted to live a really simple but abundant life. I wanted to slow down and inhabit time differently .
I wanted to design a shift in my attitude towards time and behaviour. Can Permaculture help me do this?
Aim of design: Learn to see time differently, as an abundant resource.
2. Observation
What’s the problem?
Busy! Grumpy!
I was finding that as a single mum, self-employed gardener, Permaculture Diploma student and Buddhist, I was quite busy, so it was hard to even see the dead wood, let alone cut it out! Everything I did seemed to have value of some sorts, (lucky me!) but sometimes the days felt really relentless, with another task to do before a certain cut off point or deadline. Was this the ‘laziness of busyness’? Could I be more contented and effective if I did less?
Busy! Grumpy!
I was finding that as a single mum, self-employed gardener, Permaculture Diploma student and Buddhist, I was quite busy, so it was hard to even see the dead wood, let alone cut it out! Everything I did seemed to have value of some sorts, (lucky me!) but sometimes the days felt really relentless, with another task to do before a certain cut off point or deadline. Was this the ‘laziness of busyness’? Could I be more contented and effective if I did less?
Fear!
I read the above article in Permaculture Magazine some time ago, regarding the uncertainty of our times. (I had also read 'Hell and High Water' by Alastair McIntosh who calls these times ‘dying times’ – though not necessarily The End). I didn't want to bury my head in the sand and distract myself from feeling fearful with lots of activities. I wanted to apply Permaculture thinking to a very 'soft' and complex problem ('See solutions not problems' advises Bill Mollison).
Decision-making! Choices!
When I did get free time, there was a pull towards going to Sangha events (Sangha is a community of people practising Buddhism that come together at a centre) so that I could reconnect with my practice. There was also another pull towards staying local (events at Nature Reserves, community gardens, reading my local landscape, etc) Both felt really important though they were quite separate at the time.
Vision?
Integration: a wise friend suggested bringing the Dharma into Permaculture (seeing as it might take a bit longer to bring Permaculture to the Dharma) which is a fantastic idea (could that it be an Edge?). I’m not going to try and convert anyone of course - just try to synthesise the two practices so that I can live in a more uncomplicated way. This is an application of Mollison’s ’Every element has multiple functions’ and Holmgrem's Integrate not Segregate principles. Could I practise Permaculture but also rely on the Dharma to support me and inform it?
I read the above article in Permaculture Magazine some time ago, regarding the uncertainty of our times. (I had also read 'Hell and High Water' by Alastair McIntosh who calls these times ‘dying times’ – though not necessarily The End). I didn't want to bury my head in the sand and distract myself from feeling fearful with lots of activities. I wanted to apply Permaculture thinking to a very 'soft' and complex problem ('See solutions not problems' advises Bill Mollison).
Decision-making! Choices!
When I did get free time, there was a pull towards going to Sangha events (Sangha is a community of people practising Buddhism that come together at a centre) so that I could reconnect with my practice. There was also another pull towards staying local (events at Nature Reserves, community gardens, reading my local landscape, etc) Both felt really important though they were quite separate at the time.
Vision?
Integration: a wise friend suggested bringing the Dharma into Permaculture (seeing as it might take a bit longer to bring Permaculture to the Dharma) which is a fantastic idea (could that it be an Edge?). I’m not going to try and convert anyone of course - just try to synthesise the two practices so that I can live in a more uncomplicated way. This is an application of Mollison’s ’Every element has multiple functions’ and Holmgrem's Integrate not Segregate principles. Could I practise Permaculture but also rely on the Dharma to support me and inform it?
I first read as widely as I could on the subject, (a favourite approach of mine), so that I can get an overview of the situation and see it from various angles. (Applying Holmgrem's Design from patterns to details)
I made a few notes below on what other people have to say about the mystery of time.... and gained new perspectives (see Base Map in 5. Analysis and 6. Design below)
I made a few notes below on what other people have to say about the mystery of time.... and gained new perspectives (see Base Map in 5. Analysis and 6. Design below)
Research
1. I had read Jay Griffiths’ book Pip Pip which really analyses and documents how we’ve changed our attitudes to time. It seems we have moved towards a monocultural attitude towards time which is essentially linear. Nowadays it is common to think ‘Time is money’. We have ‘rush hour’ and we constantly move towards a future that is called ‘progress’ (and away from place). Clocks tell us when to sleep, eat and wake up. The destructiveness of speed is not acknowledged or even recognised. The pace of nature is ignored by the ‘heedless pace of man’ . (Rachel Carson, Silent Spring). Jay Griffiths says that Mythic and Dreamtime are lost to all but a handful of societies.
2. I listened to a talk on Freebuddhistaudio by Guyapati ‘Dancing in the Ruins of Time’ - very dramatic sounding but an accurate description of we are at. Time now feels compressed, we have less of it than we used to! He talks about Peak oil, unpredictable weather and what an appropriate response might be. He talked about different modes of time which we can inhabit according to the situation. So as well as linear time, we have Deep time, Cyclical time and intriguingly, Being time. (See Base Map, again in 5. Analysis below)
3. I read Akuppa’s essay online called ‘5 ways to Stay Sane and true and survive global meltdown’... This was particularly interesting and useful to me because he uses the 5 ethical precepts by which many Buddhists live their lives, but adapts them to make them more applicable now. See Reading and References for where to find these.
4. I attended a Deep Ecology workshop at the London Permaculture Festival in July 2012. It led us through the stages of despair, grief, then hope and the bigger picture. By looking to our planet’s future and past we created a deeper sense of time than our own life spans, that felt very sane!
5. I read an article on Dogen by Danin Katagiri Roshi which said there are 6,400 ,099, 180 moments in a day, which helps us get our heads round the length of a day. ‘Moments appear and disappear and every moment is separated by impermanence. To make time meaningful, be present from moment to moment’. Very wise advice, that became another design opportunity! See Everyday Mindfulness design
6. Eckhart Tolle in ‘The Power of Now’ echos the above when he says, ‘time is presence’. He advises us to use clock time for practical aspects of life but ‘once dealt with, return to present moment’. Clock time includes learning from past mistakes and setting goals. Clock time can turn into something called ‘psychological time’, which is unhelpful as it takes us away from the present. Living in the future, for example ‘the end justifying the means’, he warns, can result in violence.
7. Chogyam Trungpa wrote about wanting to be somewhere else other than where we are and called it ‘Spiritual materialism’...a kind of non-acceptance of the present and only seeing what we want to see rather than what is. He suggest taking the path as the goal.
3. Boundaries
As well as casting net wide with research, I also used a variety of tools and methods to survey what was happening closer to home. I used the sphere of influence versus sphere of concern method of working out which bits of activity were ‘dead wood’ and probably leaking energy, helping me to see where the boundaries are too.
I realised I could notice the areas outside my sphere of influence- and in NVC style, notice which of my needs are not being met, rather than judging and blaming. Ie, instead of a powerless, 'those companies are destroying our rainforest' - I can connect with my need for beauty and healthy environment, common to all of us, and work from there. Then I can identify things I can do to get this need met. (Cutting out the dead wood and The problem is the solution).
The areas of influence above could all be designs in themselves but I decided for this design to focus on 'learning to see time abundantly' - the rest may follow!...
The areas of influence above could all be designs in themselves but I decided for this design to focus on 'learning to see time abundantly' - the rest may follow!...
So once I knew the boundaries, I needed to look at the what I wanted to keep inside them. I listed my ‘vital few’ activities (from a book whose name I don’t remember!) to identify heartwood (see Shambala mind trainings). I came up with 8 ‘heartwood’ activities that could be arranged in a web and do interact with each other (see Resources or Limiting factors below)
'Vital few' activities
- parenting tasks, making sure all ok, listening
- household tasks, food on table sort of thing
- earning money by gardening and workshops and all that it entails
- working on self, towards calm and confidence
- keeping touch with Buddhist practice and friends
- Permaculture Diploma documenting and practice
- exercise
- fun and relaxation (called 'nurturing actions' according to 'The Artists Way')
- being in nature
The above activities would be part of my everyday life ideally. As there were quite a few, I drew some links between the tasks that could be multifunctional such as exercise, being in nature and parenting. That way I could Produce no waste too.
However some activities such as documenting the Diploma need more single -minded focus.
Other observation tools I used: I found an old sketch I’d done from a parenting course of Inputs and Outputs which was quite useful. (In supplementary evidence). It shows what I need to ‘fill my cup’ (inputs) and where my energy and attention was going at the time (outputs). The inputs overlap with what are called ‘nurturing actions’ in The Artists’ Way and helped me identify more heartwood. See Reading and References for books I read.
I also drew up a weekly timetable but didn’t find it very helpful except in locating the spare chunks of time where I could have breathing spaces or free time. (In supplementary evidence)
I also drew up a weekly timetable but didn’t find it very helpful except in locating the spare chunks of time where I could have breathing spaces or free time. (In supplementary evidence)
4. Resources
From doing the above and reflecting on abundance, I found that I had (at the time of documenting) more unstructured time in winter because of the nature of my work as well as the things below:
- long lunch breaks
- fairly flexible working hours if client's agreeable
- travelling time (to pick up my daughter or accompany her somewhere)
- unexpected free time, rainy days, Plan B
- my diary - I can designate free time in advance
- wrist watch/timer - I can prevent energy leak by putting a limit on time I spend on a particular activity
Another Help?
Below is a poster that I saw on facebook with many suggestions for short pauses during the day. Building in the pauses between activities can help slow down the speedy experience I mentiioned in 2. Observation.
Below is a poster that I saw on facebook with many suggestions for short pauses during the day. Building in the pauses between activities can help slow down the speedy experience I mentiioned in 2. Observation.
5. Analysis
I used Zones and Sectors to analyse from a 'flat' perspective where I am spending time and to integrate my resources and boundaries into that.
NB I know it's debatable whether 'responsibilities' are a wild energy/sector but it can feel like that to someone who has need of time management skills!
I see the way these impact on each other, ie, the more initiative I take, the more money I'll have, or energy, or free time and possibly imagination.
I see the way these impact on each other, ie, the more initiative I take, the more money I'll have, or energy, or free time and possibly imagination.
Observations:
1. Because of work and other committments I don't seem to have much free time (as I remarked in 1. Introduction and 2. Observation).
2. From the above map, it seems the higher the zone number, the more money required!
3. The things I love doing are in Zone 3, which seems a bit far from zone zero where I am most of the time.
4. Will have to do something about Lidl being in Zone 2!
5. Perhaps, the thing called Deep Time, explained 1. Observation/Research, is potentially available at any time
1. Because of work and other committments I don't seem to have much free time (as I remarked in 1. Introduction and 2. Observation).
2. From the above map, it seems the higher the zone number, the more money required!
3. The things I love doing are in Zone 3, which seems a bit far from zone zero where I am most of the time.
4. Will have to do something about Lidl being in Zone 2!
5. Perhaps, the thing called Deep Time, explained 1. Observation/Research, is potentially available at any time
I found 6 sectors: money, responsibility, energy, imagination, initiative and free time. However energy, imagination and initiative tend to be internally generated 'sectors' and the others I have less control over. Hence I wondered if the sectors could be seen as limiting factors or resources and began to see them as a web.
Limiting factors or more resources?
Patterns
To link hte above info with the ideas I had come accross in research, I wondered if I could map the various ways of looking at how I experience time using Patterns. See Base map below.
Explanation of Base Map
Clock time or linear time I represented by a straight line or Honeycomb pattern. The Honeycomb is a sort of Lobe pattern however as it interlocks with other people's time, such as start of school or working day.
Cyclical time, I drew as a wave (so cyclical) but also called it Wonder time as it can occur as a Pulse pattern too. I connected this to Body Time and activities such as eating, exercise and sleep.
Deep time it not really mentioned on this base map but could be aligned with Spiral Pattern or Wave.
Being time, I linked with the Spiral initially (later realised it was more like Cloud or Scatter pattern) and associated it with activities such as meditation, catching up with friends, playing an instrument, Chi Gung, where there isn't really a goal or agenda.
The other Pattern is Dendritic and originally I linked it to action learning, visioning and reflection time. Also possibilities and choices.
I realised that the time modes didn't separate out neatly. Being and Together could both be Cloud patterns or Lobe. Wonder time could be Pulse or Scatter pattern. Oh well, it was fun to try!
The real function of different time modes is to hopefully avoid the 'losing touch' feeling that arises when we focus on clock time or goals too tightly.
I also identified a handful of activities, then loosely linked them with the time modes., which I've used in 5. Design.
Clock time or linear time I represented by a straight line or Honeycomb pattern. The Honeycomb is a sort of Lobe pattern however as it interlocks with other people's time, such as start of school or working day.
Cyclical time, I drew as a wave (so cyclical) but also called it Wonder time as it can occur as a Pulse pattern too. I connected this to Body Time and activities such as eating, exercise and sleep.
Deep time it not really mentioned on this base map but could be aligned with Spiral Pattern or Wave.
Being time, I linked with the Spiral initially (later realised it was more like Cloud or Scatter pattern) and associated it with activities such as meditation, catching up with friends, playing an instrument, Chi Gung, where there isn't really a goal or agenda.
The other Pattern is Dendritic and originally I linked it to action learning, visioning and reflection time. Also possibilities and choices.
I realised that the time modes didn't separate out neatly. Being and Together could both be Cloud patterns or Lobe. Wonder time could be Pulse or Scatter pattern. Oh well, it was fun to try!
The real function of different time modes is to hopefully avoid the 'losing touch' feeling that arises when we focus on clock time or goals too tightly.
I also identified a handful of activities, then loosely linked them with the time modes., which I've used in 5. Design.
Supplementary aims of this design
Before designing, I decided to specify the aims in a bit more detail. What did I actually want to achieve with this design?
As already stated in 1. Introduction, to change my attitude towards time and see it abundantly. However what did that mean in more practical terms?
As already stated in 1. Introduction, to change my attitude towards time and see it abundantly. However what did that mean in more practical terms?
I drew this diagram and stuck it in the kitchen by the cooker, where I could see it frequently and be reminded to reflect on it.
I identified 6 main supplementary aims in green and blue and suggestions in yellow as to how I can do that (started designing a bit early, ooops). I also included the Holmgrem principles I thought would be useful to apply, such as Obtain a Yield next to Relax and Enjoy Life.
I identified 6 main supplementary aims in green and blue and suggestions in yellow as to how I can do that (started designing a bit early, ooops). I also included the Holmgrem principles I thought would be useful to apply, such as Obtain a Yield next to Relax and Enjoy Life.
Going into further detail
To go into further detail and identify the needs and yields of this design I used a kind of Inputs/outputs tree. The ingredients I need to fulfill the aims of the design (inputs roots) included elements such as 'checking in', 'closing eyes', ' planning for day' and the desired outcomes (outputs via leaves) such as 'bliss', 'stillness', 'space' and 'wonder'. The outputs settle as mulch and the cycle starts again as the nutrients break down and feed the tree.
6. Design
integrated with aims and patterns
Aims of design
Stay connected with how I am Follow my own rhythms Remembering purpose What is the work of today? Use time fruitfully contribute to life/help others get needs met Value what I have Relax and enjoy Change in attitude Time as a helpful friend |
Specific ways to achieve them
Checking in with self and friends Morning pages (see The Artist's Way ) Taking pauses to check in (see 50 Ways to take a break below). Not feeling guilty about resting! Day trajectory map Identify positive actions for own sake Help others (again, positive actions for own sake) Spend time in beauty/nature Meet up with a friends Do something with no agenda, play music, go for a walk, sketch Evaluations (Action learning), reflections, gratitude diary |
Time mode (and pattern)
Being (Cloud ) Being/Body (Cloud/Wave) Deep time (Wave) (the long term legacy of my actions) Being/Together (Web) Wonder (Pulse/cloud) Being (Cloud ) Together (Lobe, Web) Being /Deep time (Cloud/Spiral) |
Resources used
initiative, watch or timer! diary, journal, travelling time 5o ways to take a break, timer or phone reminders, long lunch breaks, action learning journal, initiative, imagination free time, diary, initiative, money? energy flexible working hours, free time, initiative imagination, initiative, rainy days, plan B |
Observation; I haven't inlcuded activity for dendritic pattern of time in the implementation. I would like to reserve that for reflections and evaluation and tweak, as it seems to be more about alternatives to me and I don't want to lose focus by having too many choices!
7. Implementation
Loosely planning each day with a trajectory map or line that allows for other things to happen spontaneously (or not) provides a bit of focus and resolve to spend at least part of the day outside of clock time.
Doing the above (2012/13) is still a novelty for me and is actually much more fun that just lists or paragraphs. I can also step back from the day when I see it represented like this and get an overview of busy times, how chores fit in, spaces I can benefit from, anticipate good bits, identify bits that can be put off. So am happy to keep experimenting with this. (At the end of the day it also shows me what I haven't done and can carry over to next day, if important !)
8. Maintain
I used Rosemary Morrow’s template for how to Maintain. I liked the questions as they were nice and specific and I hadn’t used them before so would give me a fresh perspective.
1. Start small and get it right.
So changing one thing at a time.... such as setting an alarm to go off after 2 hours on computer in order not to lose contact with time... if I do this for a month, it'll feel natural to come away after that length of time. (maybe should make that 90 mins!)
2. Make incremental changes to existing system.
Breathing spaces, slowing down, giving my whole attention. I need to post this somewhere to remember to do it! Assimilating it as a habit (see Ways to take a break poster in 4. Resources above). Also changing habits consciously by using 10 tiny changes from the Artist's Way and regularly updating.
3. Keep measuring
So returning to the aims of the design..... am I valuing time I have, remembering purpose? giving myself opportunity to relax? benefiting others? keep the aims of design displayed in loo or somewhere.
4. Move to greater and greater sustainability
In this design that would mean keeping the momentum going by regularly reviewing whether I am obtaining a yield and tweaking - finding heartwood and cutting out more deadwood. Perhaps that is something I can suggest as part of Peer Support Meetings.
5. Work to a time, budget and plan
This could be interpreted as setting little limits (as above, restrict computer time because it does result in a loss of connection between self and real world). Or it could be interpreted as having a cut off point for this design!
6. Set measurable objectives and monitor them
How do I measure whether I have slowed down enough to savour time? Perhaps this could be measured by how in touch I am with breath and how much I can remember of an experience. How quickly or slowly time feels like it is going. How vivid an experience is. How little I've done in a day!?
7. Change objectives if something better or unexpected with favourable outcomes arises
Maybe if as Eckhart Tolle says 'time is presence', then I could make the aim of the design to be more present! (See Everyday Mindfulness design)
(Alternative shorter) Maintenance plan
At the end of each day, answer a variation on 4 Action Learning Questions
What felt spacious and rich? What did I appreciate today?
When did I lose sense of time/awareness and regain it? When was a bit of a rush or a bit flat?
Ideas for improvement /cutting out dead wood
Next Achievable steps (tweak)
At the end of each day, answer a variation on 4 Action Learning Questions
What felt spacious and rich? What did I appreciate today?
When did I lose sense of time/awareness and regain it? When was a bit of a rush or a bit flat?
Ideas for improvement /cutting out dead wood
Next Achievable steps (tweak)
9a) Evaluation
(2012/2013/again in 2015)
Yields
1. How has this design been helpful to me (the client)?
I've identified patterns and details. I’m quite a visual person so a pictorial overview of what I’m doing with my days has brought some awareness and clarity. I now sometimes draw my to do list using pictures and time modes I wish to inhabit (see 6. implement).
I have discovered or rediscovered certain activities lead to calmer states of mind: walking, pausing for breathing spaces, Chi Gung, playing a musical instrument. If the mind is calmer, the experience of time feels fuller. So am resolving to 'ringfence' (excuse the businessy language) those and not let them get swept aside by demands of paid work.
As I get more and more in touch with ways I’m spending time /the effects they have on me, I can decide which ones are ‘dead wood’ and which ones help me to stay in the present. I do think my atttitude towards time is changing and defintely my behaviour....
Doing this design has helped me:
· Prioritise what I need to do at the current time. For example, go on long holidays/retreats in winter and short trips and weekends in summer. Also know that being close to nature is an essential part of my life.
· Get my head around ‘Being time’- that if I’m fully present, time can go at a slow and dignified pace! Also that ‘Being time’ has a value regardless of goals – just being receptive to situations without always having agenda, this often results in insights or at least helpful ideas coming forth.
· Plan my day as a ‘trajectory’ and imagine myself moving through it at a dignified pace! and how I would like to experience certain parts of it. (including vital parts and setting small achievable goals) which feels more flowing than a diary (though I do have a diary too).
· Make choices: ‘no’ to activities I think will be a waste of time and energy (ie, spending a day in a shopping centre!) and yes to outdoor, low impact, sociable activities. ('Being' and 'together' time) (Earthcare)
· Remember impermanence – everything changes all the time, even our long-term routines. I think I’m practising gratitude more often than I used to now. (Creatively use and respond to change)
2. Have I cut out any dead wood? Stopped frittering?
At the moment I think it’s not that I need to jettison activities so much as change my attitude towards them. For example, going for a coffee the other day with a friend, I was partly aware that I wasn’t getting on with something that needed to be done at home, but at the same time I could see the value for both of us to spend time with each other, it actually gave me more energy to then go and ‘get on with stuff’. I can cut out any dead wood incrementally, when I notice the frittering taking place (often as result of not saying 'no' or 'not at the moment, thanks'!).
3. Do I feel I know how to respond to climate change ? Do I value the time I have? Am I remembering 'my purpose'?
This design doesn't overtly address the huge question of climate change and fear arising from uncertainty about the present time and near future. That could be a reason to engage in the Work that Reconnects (Joanna Macy). It's an enormous issue and I think by focusing on my sphere of influence and prioritizing being in beauty via the Dharma and Permaculture I’m doing as much as one individual can. If fear arises, I can try and stay grounded (grounding activities such as mindful walking, barefoot walking if possible, repetitive activities like drumming). Climate change for me really brings home impermanence which is why I found it so important to have a go at this design.
I do value the time I have increasingly. I have more of an attitude of Obtain a Yield towards the day, ie, intend to carry out at least one or two positvie actions (see Shambala Mind Trainings again in 4a. Supplementary Evidence)
It's hard to put into words what 'my purpose' is. Becoming more open, present, sensitive and clear might be one way to put it. (See Everyday Mindfulness).
4. Am I still over committing? Am I following my own rhythms?
Yes I still overcommit, there are so many things to get interested in. My body give me feedback about that in the form of colds and migraines!. It’s a learning curve and an ongoing process. I can always reshedule or ask for help. I am learning to finish what I started (ie, this diploma!) before taking on any new projects, although it is difficult to apply self-regulation sometimes!
5. How do I want to ‘garden the rest of my life’? Use time fruitfully?
Beauty, friendship, community, simplicity, quiet times, planning for fun, re-connecting with purpose on a regular basis! (in a nutshell - Balance). Doing this design has really underlined for me importance of being present throughout the day and I will be thinking on about ways I can do that.
The Chapter on Beauty in Akuppa’s Book ‘Touching the Earth’ reminds me that time spent in nature, with awareness, is never a waste of time. I have established this as one of my needs (and probably a basic human need) so I can quite easily check I'm balancing that need with others.
6. Does this design help other people? I don’t know, I'd be interested to hear how they feel about this, perhaps there’ll be some helpful comments on the blog! If people tend to be ‘ busy’ types, like me, and have difficulty seeing wood for trees, this design might help. I have a peer review in Supplementary Evidence that is quite positive though he would like to know more about the implementation phase (which I have since re-written).
7. Have I realised my vision of wanting to synthesise Sangha and Permaculture activities a bit?
Not at the time of writing this design but in 2014 I was able to give a little 'Intro to Permaculture' at my local centre for Buddhist Action Month. 7 supportive friends attended and said they liked the ideas of Permaculture very much (especially Sepp Holzer's Permaculture). When I wrote to KS, an ordained member of the Triratna movement to which I belong, he suggested getting more involved in Buddhafield, where Permaculture is embraced. I guess I'll just have to dust off my tent!
1. How has this design been helpful to me (the client)?
I've identified patterns and details. I’m quite a visual person so a pictorial overview of what I’m doing with my days has brought some awareness and clarity. I now sometimes draw my to do list using pictures and time modes I wish to inhabit (see 6. implement).
I have discovered or rediscovered certain activities lead to calmer states of mind: walking, pausing for breathing spaces, Chi Gung, playing a musical instrument. If the mind is calmer, the experience of time feels fuller. So am resolving to 'ringfence' (excuse the businessy language) those and not let them get swept aside by demands of paid work.
As I get more and more in touch with ways I’m spending time /the effects they have on me, I can decide which ones are ‘dead wood’ and which ones help me to stay in the present. I do think my atttitude towards time is changing and defintely my behaviour....
Doing this design has helped me:
· Prioritise what I need to do at the current time. For example, go on long holidays/retreats in winter and short trips and weekends in summer. Also know that being close to nature is an essential part of my life.
· Get my head around ‘Being time’- that if I’m fully present, time can go at a slow and dignified pace! Also that ‘Being time’ has a value regardless of goals – just being receptive to situations without always having agenda, this often results in insights or at least helpful ideas coming forth.
· Plan my day as a ‘trajectory’ and imagine myself moving through it at a dignified pace! and how I would like to experience certain parts of it. (including vital parts and setting small achievable goals) which feels more flowing than a diary (though I do have a diary too).
· Make choices: ‘no’ to activities I think will be a waste of time and energy (ie, spending a day in a shopping centre!) and yes to outdoor, low impact, sociable activities. ('Being' and 'together' time) (Earthcare)
· Remember impermanence – everything changes all the time, even our long-term routines. I think I’m practising gratitude more often than I used to now. (Creatively use and respond to change)
2. Have I cut out any dead wood? Stopped frittering?
At the moment I think it’s not that I need to jettison activities so much as change my attitude towards them. For example, going for a coffee the other day with a friend, I was partly aware that I wasn’t getting on with something that needed to be done at home, but at the same time I could see the value for both of us to spend time with each other, it actually gave me more energy to then go and ‘get on with stuff’. I can cut out any dead wood incrementally, when I notice the frittering taking place (often as result of not saying 'no' or 'not at the moment, thanks'!).
3. Do I feel I know how to respond to climate change ? Do I value the time I have? Am I remembering 'my purpose'?
This design doesn't overtly address the huge question of climate change and fear arising from uncertainty about the present time and near future. That could be a reason to engage in the Work that Reconnects (Joanna Macy). It's an enormous issue and I think by focusing on my sphere of influence and prioritizing being in beauty via the Dharma and Permaculture I’m doing as much as one individual can. If fear arises, I can try and stay grounded (grounding activities such as mindful walking, barefoot walking if possible, repetitive activities like drumming). Climate change for me really brings home impermanence which is why I found it so important to have a go at this design.
I do value the time I have increasingly. I have more of an attitude of Obtain a Yield towards the day, ie, intend to carry out at least one or two positvie actions (see Shambala Mind Trainings again in 4a. Supplementary Evidence)
It's hard to put into words what 'my purpose' is. Becoming more open, present, sensitive and clear might be one way to put it. (See Everyday Mindfulness).
4. Am I still over committing? Am I following my own rhythms?
Yes I still overcommit, there are so many things to get interested in. My body give me feedback about that in the form of colds and migraines!. It’s a learning curve and an ongoing process. I can always reshedule or ask for help. I am learning to finish what I started (ie, this diploma!) before taking on any new projects, although it is difficult to apply self-regulation sometimes!
5. How do I want to ‘garden the rest of my life’? Use time fruitfully?
Beauty, friendship, community, simplicity, quiet times, planning for fun, re-connecting with purpose on a regular basis! (in a nutshell - Balance). Doing this design has really underlined for me importance of being present throughout the day and I will be thinking on about ways I can do that.
The Chapter on Beauty in Akuppa’s Book ‘Touching the Earth’ reminds me that time spent in nature, with awareness, is never a waste of time. I have established this as one of my needs (and probably a basic human need) so I can quite easily check I'm balancing that need with others.
6. Does this design help other people? I don’t know, I'd be interested to hear how they feel about this, perhaps there’ll be some helpful comments on the blog! If people tend to be ‘ busy’ types, like me, and have difficulty seeing wood for trees, this design might help. I have a peer review in Supplementary Evidence that is quite positive though he would like to know more about the implementation phase (which I have since re-written).
7. Have I realised my vision of wanting to synthesise Sangha and Permaculture activities a bit?
Not at the time of writing this design but in 2014 I was able to give a little 'Intro to Permaculture' at my local centre for Buddhist Action Month. 7 supportive friends attended and said they liked the ideas of Permaculture very much (especially Sepp Holzer's Permaculture). When I wrote to KS, an ordained member of the Triratna movement to which I belong, he suggested getting more involved in Buddhafield, where Permaculture is embraced. I guess I'll just have to dust off my tent!
9b) Reflections on the design process
Tools
I used quite a lot of survey /analysis tools for this design:
Process
This is quite an ambitious design I think. It's about improving the quality of life. It has been a diffcult design to encapsulate into a framework as it was originally a collection of ideas and wants that I wished to integrate into a design. Doing the research led me to doing this design. Designing using a framework at the outset is definitely easier than applying the framework in retrospect, I have learnt!
I did notice this design was getting quite ‘slippery’ - hard to confine things to 'time' without crossing over into areas - activities, energy, and presence. I decided I didn't want to keep revamping the base maps/diagrams because of the difficulty in trying to pin these things down, so I left them in original state but I don't necessarily think they are accurate now.
I wrote quite alot for this design and ended up putting a lot in supplementary evidence. I could have used SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound) goals to keep the aims of design getting too vague and to help keep the documenting more concise.
I used OREDIMET as the basic framework with Analysis added in. Using OBredimet was tutor's idea as both remarked my original framework was not in logical design cycle order but it has elements of OBredimet in it. I substituted Evaluation for Analysis as I had used tools such as zones and sectors and base maps with patterns where I was sorting the info I had gathered into some kind of order.
I like researching before I design and often research will lead me to formulate the design I want to carry out. In this case, I had read a book 'Pip Pip' by Jay Griffiths, listened to a talk on freebuddhistaudio and also heard about the Shambala mind trainings mentioned in 1. Introduction. I decided that my experience of time was something I wished to make more positive. (Which has entailed looking more closely at the tension between being and doing).
I found the stage of Observation very long in this design, and lots of Analysis which I perhaps didn't need to do quite so much of. Alot of observation and survey material has been moved to the Supplementary Evidence. I think Looby's web would have been a good framework for this design, being loose and flexible enough to contain the subject I have been trying to look at, yet with many anchor points so I could differentiate the stages more clearly.
On reflection I would n't have used Rosemary Morrow's maintenance framework for this particular design. It doesn't seem organic enough and is more suitable for concrete quantifiable practical designs. However I did like the suggestions to ' change objectives if something better or more favourable comes along'. (Which led me to do the Everyday Mindfulness design).
This design is cross pollinated by the Working in the Gift design a little, with Charles Eisenstein's comment 'Time if life' see below in Principles.
I believe this design comes under Permaculture Research Institute category 'Personal development and inner transistion'. This is an area of research I find particularly interesting, having carried out alot of 'inner work' as a Buddhist and am pleased that Permaculture Research Institute has included it as a category. (See Accreditation criteria at foot of page). It's important 'balance outer activity with inner sustenance' (Shambala Mind Trainings) if we are engaging in bringing about change.
Theory and practice
· Fairshares –the aspect of this design that seeks to value what I have and sees time as a helpful friend hopefully means I’m impacting more positively on other people by being calm, accepting and contented. As well as not feeling the need to fill time with 'experiences' that often cost money. My surplus? energy that can be spent on attending to others.
· Earthcare –by prioritising spending time appreciating nature am less likely to take actions that undermine the health of the ecosystems that support us.
Prinicples
Observe and Interact, Creatively use and Respond to change – Using the variety of Observation and Analysis methods, I have observed which activities felt spacious and When is ‘enough’. Then I could adapt my behaviours accordingly.
Catch and store energy- I can’t control time but do now plan for spaces! I realised that weekends that are very full are ideally followed by an 'empty' Monday or else I start to feel too compressed again. When unscheduled time arises, I use it to do stuff that I've been putting off (keep a list of small jobs that can be done at any time). I think this principle applies to those unplanned moments of free time. Also, it applies to doing nothing and absorbing whatever we 've been doing and experiencing.
Obtain a Yield, Produce no waste Applying 'abundance thinking' in Looby's book, '7 Ways to think differently' has helped. THere is a richness to my experience if only I can see it. Also if there really is no 'yield' (as in 'do I realy want that thing I 'm in a long queue for'?) then I won't do it! (Cutting out the dead wood).
Am more likely to plan some spare time, leave gaps in diary as well recognise importance of Being (together) Time and plan for that to happen too. s
I'm finding wearing a watch and setting time limits to activities (especially time on computer) really helpful. I am often surprised by how much time I have left and how quickly some activities can be finished.
Charles Eisenstein says in Sacred Economics: Time is life. To be truly rich is to have sovereignty over our own time. (What bliss!)
Apply self regulation and accept feedback – am more likely to recognise when I have done too much - unsatisfactory experiences can be a wake up call to do something differently, or simply slow down.
Use and value renewable resources and services
Time is extremely renewable, as it presence. There is an abundance of it! There is always right now. When I take an inbreath I can remember this. Additionally, I have repetitive actions such as playing a musical instrument can induce a slight trance like state that involves my experience of time patterns changing.
Produce no waste- I like to be prepared! I can waste time by not being 'with it' - in some cases it is better to leave until in better frame of mind.
Design from patterns to details
I came up with a base map of the modes of time, using my own words so I could easily identify them. I tried to group modes of time by their patterns – for example cloud/scatter, lobe, net, pulse, spiral, dendritic and linear and the activities that might match them. This is helpful though, as with a lot of things, not really possible to clearly dissect, as no clear edges!
Integrate rather than segregate
With stuff I have to do but don’t really enjoy...say .hoovering... I could do it as a mindfulness practice. A tutor at the Permaculture Diploma weekend in Birmingham 2012 mentioned washing up Chi Gung style... I could potentially be aware of body more during routine tasks.
I like to see time as a helpful friend. A process of evolution and healing is possible with the passing of time.
Use small and slow solutions
Using 'ten tiny changes ' from 'the Artists Way' I have found easy ways to change the quality of time might be: insert a breathing space in to the day, (see poster above in 4. Resources), go for mindful walk, look someone in the eye and smile. Remember to 'see' my daughter when she talks to me.
Use and value diversity – by exploring different modes of time: doing nothing, go somewhere really old (I love going to Canterbury Cathedral), share time with others, ie, meditating together, 5 Rhythms, just be without having a’ goal’. As Eckhart Tolle, says having 'goals' separates us from the present, though I do realise from a permaculture design perspective goals are hopes, dreams and aims.
Use edges and value the marginal
As suggested in '50 Ways to take a break' in 4. Resources above, I can have transitions between activities, little relaxing spaces of Being Time.
Creatively use and respond to change
As routines change, daughter’s activities can produce more free time or a different quality of time experience. Remembering impermanence every day (using the 4 Reminders, see Supplementary Evidence)
I used quite a lot of survey /analysis tools for this design:
- vital few activities, helped me identify the heartwood, the bare necessities.
- sphere of influence/concern, again - what can one person realistically do?
- zones and sectors, - I could see which activities I didn't want engage in so often such as going to Lidl (it was in zone 2!) and that some activities needed to come in from the cold, such as being with sangha and drumming. Sectors I identified as imagination, initiative, suprlus money, responsibility, free time which are really 'wild' but, without a plan, can feel like they are. I also drew 'deep time' running through all the zones as it it available to us at any time. I could also have drawn on 'being time ' in this way as wel as the other modes I came across.
- base mapping - helped see the patterns I was trying to identify and get into. I could connect these to my own interpretations of time 'modes' and the activities I would employ to implement the design
Input outputs tree - this helped me get more detailed in my analysis of elements required to produce the desired results.
Four action learning questions - have used these to maintain (and keep tweaking) the design and keep it developing in right direction (rolling permaculture).
Process
This is quite an ambitious design I think. It's about improving the quality of life. It has been a diffcult design to encapsulate into a framework as it was originally a collection of ideas and wants that I wished to integrate into a design. Doing the research led me to doing this design. Designing using a framework at the outset is definitely easier than applying the framework in retrospect, I have learnt!
I did notice this design was getting quite ‘slippery’ - hard to confine things to 'time' without crossing over into areas - activities, energy, and presence. I decided I didn't want to keep revamping the base maps/diagrams because of the difficulty in trying to pin these things down, so I left them in original state but I don't necessarily think they are accurate now.
I wrote quite alot for this design and ended up putting a lot in supplementary evidence. I could have used SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound) goals to keep the aims of design getting too vague and to help keep the documenting more concise.
I used OREDIMET as the basic framework with Analysis added in. Using OBredimet was tutor's idea as both remarked my original framework was not in logical design cycle order but it has elements of OBredimet in it. I substituted Evaluation for Analysis as I had used tools such as zones and sectors and base maps with patterns where I was sorting the info I had gathered into some kind of order.
I like researching before I design and often research will lead me to formulate the design I want to carry out. In this case, I had read a book 'Pip Pip' by Jay Griffiths, listened to a talk on freebuddhistaudio and also heard about the Shambala mind trainings mentioned in 1. Introduction. I decided that my experience of time was something I wished to make more positive. (Which has entailed looking more closely at the tension between being and doing).
I found the stage of Observation very long in this design, and lots of Analysis which I perhaps didn't need to do quite so much of. Alot of observation and survey material has been moved to the Supplementary Evidence. I think Looby's web would have been a good framework for this design, being loose and flexible enough to contain the subject I have been trying to look at, yet with many anchor points so I could differentiate the stages more clearly.
On reflection I would n't have used Rosemary Morrow's maintenance framework for this particular design. It doesn't seem organic enough and is more suitable for concrete quantifiable practical designs. However I did like the suggestions to ' change objectives if something better or more favourable comes along'. (Which led me to do the Everyday Mindfulness design).
This design is cross pollinated by the Working in the Gift design a little, with Charles Eisenstein's comment 'Time if life' see below in Principles.
I believe this design comes under Permaculture Research Institute category 'Personal development and inner transistion'. This is an area of research I find particularly interesting, having carried out alot of 'inner work' as a Buddhist and am pleased that Permaculture Research Institute has included it as a category. (See Accreditation criteria at foot of page). It's important 'balance outer activity with inner sustenance' (Shambala Mind Trainings) if we are engaging in bringing about change.
Theory and practice
- People care. This is explicitly a peoplecare design, and a zone zero zero design, it focuses more on the peoplecare ethic as it has as one of its aims to relax and enjoy life (by working with my unhelpful attitude of 'lack of time') as well as following our own rhythms. I think this design does have an overlap with the Work that Reconnects as it addresses our response to uncertainty and possible loss in a positive way.
· Fairshares –the aspect of this design that seeks to value what I have and sees time as a helpful friend hopefully means I’m impacting more positively on other people by being calm, accepting and contented. As well as not feeling the need to fill time with 'experiences' that often cost money. My surplus? energy that can be spent on attending to others.
· Earthcare –by prioritising spending time appreciating nature am less likely to take actions that undermine the health of the ecosystems that support us.
Prinicples
Observe and Interact, Creatively use and Respond to change – Using the variety of Observation and Analysis methods, I have observed which activities felt spacious and When is ‘enough’. Then I could adapt my behaviours accordingly.
Catch and store energy- I can’t control time but do now plan for spaces! I realised that weekends that are very full are ideally followed by an 'empty' Monday or else I start to feel too compressed again. When unscheduled time arises, I use it to do stuff that I've been putting off (keep a list of small jobs that can be done at any time). I think this principle applies to those unplanned moments of free time. Also, it applies to doing nothing and absorbing whatever we 've been doing and experiencing.
Obtain a Yield, Produce no waste Applying 'abundance thinking' in Looby's book, '7 Ways to think differently' has helped. THere is a richness to my experience if only I can see it. Also if there really is no 'yield' (as in 'do I realy want that thing I 'm in a long queue for'?) then I won't do it! (Cutting out the dead wood).
Am more likely to plan some spare time, leave gaps in diary as well recognise importance of Being (together) Time and plan for that to happen too. s
I'm finding wearing a watch and setting time limits to activities (especially time on computer) really helpful. I am often surprised by how much time I have left and how quickly some activities can be finished.
Charles Eisenstein says in Sacred Economics: Time is life. To be truly rich is to have sovereignty over our own time. (What bliss!)
Apply self regulation and accept feedback – am more likely to recognise when I have done too much - unsatisfactory experiences can be a wake up call to do something differently, or simply slow down.
Use and value renewable resources and services
Time is extremely renewable, as it presence. There is an abundance of it! There is always right now. When I take an inbreath I can remember this. Additionally, I have repetitive actions such as playing a musical instrument can induce a slight trance like state that involves my experience of time patterns changing.
Produce no waste- I like to be prepared! I can waste time by not being 'with it' - in some cases it is better to leave until in better frame of mind.
Design from patterns to details
I came up with a base map of the modes of time, using my own words so I could easily identify them. I tried to group modes of time by their patterns – for example cloud/scatter, lobe, net, pulse, spiral, dendritic and linear and the activities that might match them. This is helpful though, as with a lot of things, not really possible to clearly dissect, as no clear edges!
Integrate rather than segregate
With stuff I have to do but don’t really enjoy...say .hoovering... I could do it as a mindfulness practice. A tutor at the Permaculture Diploma weekend in Birmingham 2012 mentioned washing up Chi Gung style... I could potentially be aware of body more during routine tasks.
I like to see time as a helpful friend. A process of evolution and healing is possible with the passing of time.
Use small and slow solutions
Using 'ten tiny changes ' from 'the Artists Way' I have found easy ways to change the quality of time might be: insert a breathing space in to the day, (see poster above in 4. Resources), go for mindful walk, look someone in the eye and smile. Remember to 'see' my daughter when she talks to me.
Use and value diversity – by exploring different modes of time: doing nothing, go somewhere really old (I love going to Canterbury Cathedral), share time with others, ie, meditating together, 5 Rhythms, just be without having a’ goal’. As Eckhart Tolle, says having 'goals' separates us from the present, though I do realise from a permaculture design perspective goals are hopes, dreams and aims.
Use edges and value the marginal
As suggested in '50 Ways to take a break' in 4. Resources above, I can have transitions between activities, little relaxing spaces of Being Time.
Creatively use and respond to change
As routines change, daughter’s activities can produce more free time or a different quality of time experience. Remembering impermanence every day (using the 4 Reminders, see Supplementary Evidence)
10. Tweak
Other methods I could use to analyse and implement best use of time are:
a) Keeping a Bio diary, mentioned in Looby's book 'People and Permaculture'. Quite detailed but worth the effort as the yield is self-knowledge, without which we are much less effective.
b) Upping my mindfulness practice! (see ‘Life with Full Attention’ by Dh Maitreyabandhu and my design on mindfulness ).
c) Use Looby's web and update regularly as my circumstances evolve and my experience becomes more refined (!)
d) remember TS Eliot says in his epic poem, 'to be conscious is not to be in time' so I could just stop thinking about it, a least for a while!
To be conscious in a calm concentrated way I am absorbed in whatever I am doing without the judgments and stories. Just doing.
a) Keeping a Bio diary, mentioned in Looby's book 'People and Permaculture'. Quite detailed but worth the effort as the yield is self-knowledge, without which we are much less effective.
b) Upping my mindfulness practice! (see ‘Life with Full Attention’ by Dh Maitreyabandhu and my design on mindfulness ).
c) Use Looby's web and update regularly as my circumstances evolve and my experience becomes more refined (!)
d) remember TS Eliot says in his epic poem, 'to be conscious is not to be in time' so I could just stop thinking about it, a least for a while!
To be conscious in a calm concentrated way I am absorbed in whatever I am doing without the judgments and stories. Just doing.
Overall I think there are many design opportunities within this design such ‘following own rhythms’ or ‘being present’ but I’m going to shelve them for another time! (See Everyday Mindfulness for design on being in the present)
Accreditation criteria met:
2. Applying permaculture for at least 2 years: Research category: Personal development and the Inner Transistion
3. Demonstrating design skills
4. Applying Permaculture in my own life
5. Developing my Permaculture practice (evaluation and reflection)
2. Applying permaculture for at least 2 years: Research category: Personal development and the Inner Transistion
3. Demonstrating design skills
4. Applying Permaculture in my own life
5. Developing my Permaculture practice (evaluation and reflection)