#Enso4You March Update

What is #Enso4You?

On January 1st of 2016 I set out to create an Enso-a-day for one year. Each Enso is meant to thank a person, place or thing that has inspired me creatively. Every month I check in on this blog to assess the difference this practice is making in my day to day life.

An Enso is a symbol created on an exhale of breath which represents a moment when the mind is free, to let the body create.

They are posted on Instagram, Twitter, and more rarely, Facebook.

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What was different this month? What was the same?

I got pretty close to making an enso every day this month, though I'm still not perfect. This month I noticed that I wanted to make ensos out of lots of different things. I kept fearing that I would run out of ideas of things to make ensos out of, but the next morning I would look around me and there was always something new to be found. We never run out of ideas!

What did you notice before, during and after each Enso was created?

The early ensos of this month were plagued by that same thought: What if it's not perfect and nice to look at? But as I continued to be more regular about my practice, this thought started letting go. I started getting excited by the ensos that turned out weird or lopsided.

When I finished the enso, I would look at it and try to see if I could glean anything about the state of my mind by how it formed. Sometimes I thought I could, sometimes I couldn't.

In making the "creative" ensos, ie, not with paint/my Sumi-e Board, I often forgot about the breath. I'd like to work on that. However, I did find that very frequently this month when I was traveling to or from a job, I would take conscious breaths to center myself. Or look for natural ensos formed in the world around me. This had a HUGE effect on the rapid state of my thoughts, and it reminded me to let go of my tight grip on a particular thought.

I'd say overall the month of March was a big step forward in terms of increasing my awareness of my surroundings and my state of mind.

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Follow us on Instagram to see what or who all these ensos are dedicated to! (it might be to YOU!)

CREATE YOUR OWN #ENSO4YOU JOURNEY:

If you would like to make one Enso, or even join me on this wild journey, here are the guidelines I'm following:

1. The Enso can be made out of anything, but it must be made out of things I already own.

2. I will post and update once a month on www.ensotheatre.com/blog.

3. The update will answer the questions: What did you notice before, during and after each Enso was created? What was different? What was the same?

Try to create your enso at around the same time each day. I've found that this makes it both easier and harder, but it creates a habit, which ultimately, is what I want to find. A different habit of mind.

Sometimes I use a Sumi-e Board to paint my ensos. All you need is water and a paintbrush, and as soon as you paint your enso, it starts to evaporate and you can paint again. The cheapest one I found is $15, you can get it online here.

Leave a comment and/or a picture if you make an enso! I'd love to chat with you about your experience.

As always, THANK YOU, for being on the path with me.
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With love,
Caitlin