As we take tentative steps towards our new normal lives during the easing of lockdown measures many of us are taking lessons from this challenging experience. It’s a time of taking stock and giving greater thought to how we’ll live and work in tune with the natural world.
Lessons from farming
Biodynamics has interested me for some time now, since I was fortunate enough to attend a partner’s day with Honda Racing. During the event ex Formula 1 World Champion Jody Scheckter spoke about his Hampshire based organic and biodynamic farm, Laverstoke.
Biodynamic farming was founded in 1924 and was the forerunner to organic farming. Unlike organics it also incorporates certain astrological, metaphysical and spiritual principles and practices. Part of the appeal of biodynamics for me is the fact that it works with nature and with natural subtle energies, such as lunar cycles.
During the 2018 Christmas holidays I came across a blog post about running a business biodynamically, the author suggesting that we could work with the lunar cycles to structure our weeks, working with the moons energy and these natural rhythms.
So, with an open mind we decided to run Fusion Spaces biodynamically in January 2018 and we developed a simple way to work more mindfully, which we feel has been better for our business and for our personal wellbeing.
Here is our simple guide to a more mindful and human-focused life rhythm and our basic template to live and work with improved wellbeing with these four distinct weekly phases.
Phase 1: New moon and new beginnings. This is a time with increasing energy. It’s a creative and productive time and a time for natural networking, building new relationships and for bright ideas. This is also a great time to mind map new ideas and concepts, arranging new meetings and exploring new projects with your clients.
Phase 2: Second quarter energy is gathering momentum. As the phase after the new moon this is a time of increasing action and purpose. Think about what you want to achieve, allow yourself to focus and you’ll notice this is also a very dynamic time.
Phase 3: Full moon and the highest energy. This may be a very busy time and has the potential to be even more social. I find this is a good week to think about balance and not overfill our diaries by saying yes to everything. It can also be a time of heightened emotions so it’s wise to consider balance here.
Phase 4: Fourth quarter. This is a time to slow down, tie up loose ends, finish projects, de-clutter, and reflect on personal growth and the direction of our business and our personal development. Prepare for new opportunities and new beginnings. This is a good time to support one another in our businesses and to also take time to rest and restore.
I recently discussed my thoughts on the moon phases with a friend of ours, Mark Payne-Gill. Mark is a naturalist and wildlife filmmaker, so knows first-hand the influence the moon has on animal’s behaviour filmed under moonlight. Having seen rhythms in animal behaviour during different moon phases he confirmed his belief that the human animal is no different and equally affected by the moon.
As we look forward, biodynamics in business gives all of us an opportunity to find our rhythm and balance and to experiment with this natural four-week cycle. We have found that we are better able to plan our time over the course of these weeks, and it helps us to prevent being overwhelmed, with a natural rest and restore phase before each new moon.
If we work with other biodynamic businesses our cycles and energies will be similar, so we’ll be working in an even more collaborative way.
I also see this as a natural way of networking through a pure form of belonging – a movement for a new and more sustainable normal – with shared values, no club membership required just a positive template for working and life balance.
Simply put, a biodynamic business can grow naturally and allows good people to do good business together.
At the time of writing we are in the phase leading to the new moon, so we’ve taken our foot off the gas and taken a little time out. Feel free to join us and see how you and your business feels running in tune with the moon’s rhythm.
Do look out for Mark Payne-Gill’s guest blog on our website next Wednesday 1 July. The beautiful moon image is also courtesy of Mark.
