Hello Dear Kin  –

How are you? Really, how are you…your body, mind, heart, soul? I think about you daily…wondering how you are coping with the inundation of information, the collapse of so many systems, the heartbreak. I know that each of you are not only navigating this wild ride of shifting sands of external and communal life but also dealing with whatever  is on your plate in your personal sphere. It’s a lot…a whole lot to hold. And we are not really designed to be in this kind of demand for this length of time. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed  and collapse under the weight.

We are all living with so much…there doesn’t seem to be a lot of steady ground. This is where routines and rituals can do us a lot of good. The simple act of brewing a cup of tea and stepping out the front door to say hello to the sun, the trees and the robins first thing each morning helps me anchor each day and stitch me into a larger web. Taking a walk and sharing my sorrows with the river, checking in with friends whom I know are dealing with personal challenges, eating well, hosting a monthly Village Hang, where friends and family can come and rest and visit in a non-digital space for communal nourishment, are just some of the ways I am steadying myself. How about you? What are you doing or not doing to find a semblance rhythm and steadiness?

I love this practice that came from Nadia Bolz-Weber…making the inquiry of “what’s still happening?” beyond the ruckus of news and social media, etc. The daffodils blooming, the finches looking for a place to build their nest, laughter, hugs, singing, walks, cardamom are all still happening. And it can be a beautiful and profound practice to NOTICE what is still happening that can fall by the way side with worry and anxiety and overwhelm. Our systems need both novelty (life seems to be dolling that out in spades!) and familiarity, which we can build in and cultivate.

And this is not a practice of denial or dismissing the challenges or difficulties but a way of broadening our scope and not getting as fixated on certain things. It is the practice of shifting from either/or to both/and. This precipitates a shift in nervous system states and can help us take a deeper breath and find some more capacity for life in its vast spectrum of experiences. And for me, when I notice these things that bring me a smile or joy it is a ballast to the next challenging piece of information or interaction. And it seems ballast is just what we need.

May we take the time to notice what is still happening all around us that we may have missed

May we find simple routines and rituals to anchor us into the present moment

May we seek out ways to broaden our senses to take in more of life

May we bring wild blessings and fierce love to all we encounter

Practice Prompts:

• Re-commit to soothing, settling and grounding routines and rituals. Nothing fancy, simply regular and timely moments of touching in and familiarity.
• Practice “______ is still happening” and see if it supports you in widening your awareness and taking in more and possibly finding more ballast and capacity of all of life’s ups and downs.
• Take some time to consider the balance of familiarity and novelty that is in your life and see what needs adjusting to help you find more life force and ease. Explore whether you need more routine or more fresh novelty. And perhaps both at the same time?!?
• I offer one to one sessions, in-person in Bend, Oregon, and virtually all over the world. These sessions are centered on supporting you find nervous system capacity and resiliency through various practices including but not limited to Somatic Experiencing®, Continuum Inquiry, Safe and Sound Protocol and various emboding practices.  Please email me or schedule a free 20 minute Exploratory Session.

Practice Opportunities:

• Yoga for Resilience, Mondays, 9:30-11am PT, livestream through Body of Insight (no class April 14 & 28)
• All Levels Yoga, Sundays… April 6, May 11, June 22, July 20, 9:30-11am PT, livestream through Two Dog Yoga
• On Demand Yoga Practices…All Levels… through Two Dog Yoga
• Embodied Presence; Continuum Inquiry and Deep Perceiving Retreat…May 16-18, 2025, in person at Breitenbush Hot Springs, Oregon

Inspirational Wisdom:

“Truth and love have been smacked down, so many more times in history before today. Truth, because it’s often inconvenient, and love because it is vulnerable. But truth is like gravity, and carbon, and the sun behind an eclipse: it’s still there. And love stays alive if you tend it like a flame. If you feel crushed by unkindness today, it’s a time for grieving, reaching out to loved ones, noticing one bright color somewhere in the day. Remembering what there is to love. Starting with the immediate, the place and people we can tend ourselves, and make safe. We can’t save everything all at once, but it’s still worth saving something. Because there are so many of us to do it. And we are all still here today, exactly as we were yesterday. Like gravity, and carbon, and the sun behind an eclipse.”

~ Barbara Kingsolver