This week’s practice is a guided forest bathing mindfulness session. The term “Forest Bathing” is an english translation of Shinrin Yoku, which is the Japanese art of healing through nature. We are all earth dwellers. We evolved on the earth's surface. For centuries, we lived out in the elements. Only recently in our evolution did we retreat indoors. Come home to yourself by going outside. This guided forest bathing practice is 9 minutes long, and it’s a good start for connecting with the earth with all of your available senses. While my first recommendation would be to enjoy this recording outdoors, you can also choose to partner with an indoor plant friend or rock instead.
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This cold snap will will last for a few days and it just might take some sacrifices in the form of early blooms and delicate leaves. Those little squash babies I tended to that grew from the compost pile last week? They didn’t make it. Typical.
When I ask mother nature what we’re here to learn this spring season, this is the answer I’m receiving: Welcome all yourself into this spring. Knowing the hard truth of “conditions will never feel completely perfect”, what do you truly want to spend your time doing? How are you blooming, anyway? How does your ideal life feel? Can you tap into some less-than-perfect consistency and make small turns toward a more vibrant and honest existence? These were the questions I pondered while creating this here content, friends. This week's ritual is in allowing new pathways and creative solutions to surface in your mind. Ritual: Doodling Your Way Home I first learned this journaling technique from Maeve Hendrix. She has a beautiful newsletter and many more offerings you can check out here. Now, if you’re about to click away because “you’re not the artsy type”.. I’m going to go ahead and stop you right there. You don’t have to be a professional artist to benefit from this ritual. Nor do you have to be “good” at drawing or coloring to benefit. I would discourage critiques from journaling exercises in general.. As they aren’t meant to be beautiful. They are meant to help you see into a hidden aspect of yourself. They are meant to allow answers you already have within you, to surface into your consciousness. They are meant to show you something new. Give yourself permission to be messy and sloppy. The more unscripted you can go, the better. Ingredients: a pen, paper, & timer. Optional: crayons/ markers/ colored pencils Directions: Set your timer for 10 minutes and begin to draw. Go in without a plan and just see what happens. Keep going even when you run out of ideas. Just keep coloring/ drawing/ making shapes and squiggles. Go until the timer chimes. When you here the chime. Take a moment to look at what you drew. Take it in and turn it in different directions. Then write down what comes ot you. Answer these questions in your journal: How do you want to bloom? What do you truly want to do with your time? What is in your way? How does your ideal life feel? Write everything in your heart down on the page. Give yourself some space to feel into this ritual. When you’re complete, add some action steps into your routine & day. Let this ritual work for your own growth.
Have you ever had the experience of working through one of your own shadows or hardships, from which you expand into a new realm of yourself? Let me give an example from my own life.
For much of my time on earth, I worked hard to keep the peace and please people– at the expense of my own well-being and happiness. It worked really well for me in childhood and adolescence.. then it stopped working really well. I found I was not in nourishing relationships or existing in an authentic space within myself. Coming to this realization was in many ways, heartbreaking. I had to walk away from relationships that weren’t earnest. I had to set boundaries that hurt loved ones’ feelings. I had to come to terms with not being universally liked or loved. It was hard. Honestly, sometimes I didn’t really think it was worth it (thank-you universe for therapy, journaling, and Martha Beck). What came from this work was a new sense of myself. What came from this work was discovering more fun and joy in my life. What came from this work was FINALLY learning how to listen to my intuition and to really trust myself. Friends: it’s a big deal. I feel the need to also add a disclaimer here. I’m not saying everything happens for a reason. There’s senseless suffering in the world. There’s no reason for that, IMO. It just happens. Life can be brutal AND, I think it’s our job to do what we can do in creating the meaning that helps us to grow and exist in a way that creates joy and peace in our experience. This week’s ritual: Making Breakfast “How is she going to segue from compost pile to a challenging movement practice to a recipe for oatmeal?” you ask??! Easy. Life is hard. The most incredible bowl of oatmeal ever- helps. It’s that simple. This bowl of oatmeal is an amalgam (thank you Sonya Kurapatwa for teaching me a new word this week) of inspiration from my favorite cookbook authors and chef technique teachers through the years. In other words, thank you Andrea Liddon (from Oh She Glows), Dana Schultz (From Minimalist Baker), Mike Greenfield (from Pro Home Cooks) and Jules Blaine Davis (From The Kitchen Healer). Also, I’m not a professional recipe creator nor do I use measuring devices… so here’s the best I could do. My invitation to you is to make this oatmeal with your heart. Be present with the process of creating something delicious for yourself (and whomever you live with). Be with the experience of nourishment. Let it be a breakfast ritual. Recipe: OH my Oatmeal Begin with 1 cup water, ⅓ cup milk of choice – add to a pot over medium/high heat. Add a heaping cup sprouted thick rolled oats, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon hemp seeds, ½ tsp cinamon, ¼ tsp cardamom (optional to also add grated ginger and a spoonful of dried pineapple) Bring it to a simmer and cook until the liquid has absorbed. Optional: while it’s still hot, stir in an egg and some vanilla. It adds creaminess, protein, and flavor. Add to bowls and add toppings. My favorites are a spoonful of almond butter, greek yogurt, and a swirl of maple syrup. Add fresh fruit (whatever is in season) and dried coconut flakes. Be with yourself and whoever you’re enjoying this meal with. |
Paige DunfordPoetry. Blog Archive
March 2023
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