Photo by Michael Hahn (tiny itty bitty grains of sand!)
Hello Beauteous Beings ~
So much of our world is being destroyed and torn down by various means. Some of which I have no doubt I am a party to. And perhaps some of this needs to be torn down and composted and offered up as fodder for another iteration of life. I don’t have the all-seeing capacity to that but it’s a hunch and a wish. So as I witness all the loss and pain and falling apart I, along with so many folks I know, wonder…what can I do? How should I be? What is worth my time, my attention, my love?
I imagine there are many answers to this quandary and I imagine we are not the first to ponder this dilemma of life. But what I have landed on at this time is create. We are beholden to life to keep creating…beauty, connection, sacred space, poetry, art, yummy meals. With so much being eroded and consumed how can we contribute to nourishing and building? Each of us has unique gifts we bring to the world and we are here at this moment, not any other, and so what is ours to let loose on the world and help it regenerate and shine. Even in our little neighborhoods and corners of influence. Especially there!
And sometimes we just need to make things without it being about production and offering. Recently, my dear friend, Beth, shared this article in her newsletter about the importance and nourishment of working with our hands… Jane Lindsey, a textile historian, natural dyer and maker based in the Scottish Highlands wrote a blog called, The Neuroscience of Making, Why Your Hands Matter More Than You Think. She says, When you make things with your hands, multiple processes work together: bilateral hand coordination engages both brain hemispheres, repetitive rhythms activate your calming parasympathetic nervous system, and tactile feedback from wool or thread or clay helps regulate your emotional state. I love this! So it’s not just what you create for the world but the simple act of creating itself that is also important and a gift to yourself.
I often hear folks not want to own their gifts and skills for fear of seeming egoistical and full of themselves. This makes me so sad as we have misunderstood this idea so deeply. We need so be able to stand in our truth and proclaim our gifts and offer them and say…I am good at this and so I will share this with you. This is fullness of Self. What would be egotistical would be to proclaim that whatever skills you may have are better than anyone else and the best in all time. I know that I have a gift in my speaking voice and so I will share here that I am endeavoring to offer that more to the world and as a result I have joined Insight Timer and am offering audio recordings of practices that can nourish and support you. I am nervous and excited about this and am still figuring out all the details. But if my voice and the ways you may have been guided by me have been helpful then perhaps having more access to this kind of resource will be beneficial. Here is LINK to a sample of a grounding meditation. If you like it and want more, then follow me on the app. My goal is to record and offer new support practices every week or so. You can let me know if there are particular practices you would like me to share.
How might you be leaning into creative acts with your hands, your heart, your wild imagination? I would love to hear about it.
May we seek to regenerate the world around us with our care and presence
May we offer our creative force in service to the greater unfolding of life
May we trust that our unique gifts are needed and wanted at this time and bring them forth
May we bring wild blessings and fierce love to all we encounter
Practice Prompts:
- Take some time to consider some of the things that you enjoying creating: meals, scarves, collages, classes, pots, poetry, mixed tapes/playlists, … whatever it is, lean into it and do more of it simply for the joy of it and perhaps share as you are inspired.
- As we move towards the autumn and hopefully some cooler weather look for a class or a gathering that invites your bodily participation…dancing, singing, pottery, cooking, etc. Consider doing something new and fresh and that you’re inexperienced in and have no agenda about being good at or producing something but just the delight of play and learning.
- Explore with me, in-person in Bend, Oregon, and virtually all over the world. These sessions are centered on supporting you finding nervous system capacity and resiliency through various practices including but not limited to Somatic Experiencing®, Continuum Inquiry and various embodying practices. Respond to this email or schedule a free 20 minute Exploratory Session.
Practice Opportunities:
In Person:
- Save the dates… Shantala in Bend, Oregon…October 9: Indian Classical Concert with Benjy Wertheimer & Steve Gorn, October 10: Kirtan with Shantala…tickets available soon.
Virtual:
- Yoga for Resilience, Mondays, 9:30-11am PT, livestream through Body of Insight (no class Aug 31, Oct 5 & 19)
- All Levels Yoga, Sundays…Aug 2 & 23, Sep 6, Oct 11 & 25, 9:30-11am PT, livestream through Two Dog Yoga
Inspirational Wisdom
Reasons to Live Through the Apocalypse
Sunrises. People you have still to meet and laugh with. Songs about love, peace, anger, and revolution. Walks in the woods. The smile you exchange with a stranger when you experience beauty accidentally together. Butterflies. Seeing your grandparents again. The moon in all her forms, whether half or full. Dogs. Birthdays and half-birthdays. That feeling of floating in love. Watching birds eat from bird feeders. The waves of happiness that follow the end of sadness. Brown eyes. Watching a boat cross an empty sea. Sunsets. Dipping your feet in the river. Balconies. Cake. The wind in your face when you roll the car window down on an open highway. Falling asleep to the sound of a steady heartbeat. Warm cups of tea on cold days. Hugs. Night skies. Art museums. Books filled with everything you do not yet know. Long conversations. Long-lost friends. Poetry.
