Winter Words
Happy bleak midwinter! I don’t know about you all, but I can’t seem to get enough rest these days and getting items crossed off my to-do list has felt nearly impossible. In fact this lil newsletter nugget has been on my list for at least a month or two now. I do some regular spiritual practices that I’ve spoken about a bit at Sacred Space, the weekly meditation group that I co-facilitate at Pilgrim Chapel, here in KC. One is basically a cross between a two-way prayer and Morning Pages. During my writing time, I’ve gotten many reminders to take care of my body and to not overthink things. Some of the stuckness that we can feel in the winter can be the natural inclination to rest and recalibrate, but some of it could be internalized capitalism pushing us towards impossible goals like perfection. Meanwhile, an endless barrage of scary, terrible news isn’t doing our nervous systems any favors.
On that note, here are a few items in my late-stage capitalism/dystopia winter survival kit that I’ll share with you: lemon balm tea, Mary Oliver poems, soup, gathering with lovely people, lots of sleep, screen time limits, Epsom salt baths, exercise, but only the ones that make you smile (hikes, dancing, yoga, walks with the dog).
One unexpected perk of officing at the Pilgrim Center for Connection has been the opportunity to create programming that I want to participate in and also being able to benefit from the lovely offerings that the community wants to birth. The Art Centered Breakup Support Group is a perfect example of something that was born by people gathering, being vulnerable and sharing what they need. I could talk a long time about how wonderful process art is for exploring emotions and externalizing deep, stuck, complicated tangles, but if you really want to know what it’s like, you should join us on Monday nights. We’ve expanded the group to “Life Transitions” so that any kind of grief or big emotions are included.
If you’re feeling tender, tired, or like the world is crashing down on you, you don’t have to navigate it alone. I offer 1:1 Depth Hypnosis and spiritual counseling sessions for folks who want support getting unstuck in a gentle, embodied way. I also recently learned that: hypnosis sessions may be eligible for FSA/HSA reimbursement with a letter of medical necessity from a primary care provider, therapist, or psychiatrist. I am now officially set up to take cards.
