Happy Birthday! There's lots of little gems in this writing.
I am just getting ready to post about seasonal and spiritual observances as a parent. Although it is very different than your piece, there's some little alignments that brought me smiles.
Great essay, Rayann - and happy birthday! 🥳 Lots of tidbits resonate with me here:
“A Seidr (Norse spirit work) colleague once told me that when we take one step toward our spirit guides, they take 100 steps toward us.” Lately I find that I make an offering and then there’s a call and response of “your move”. It often shows up in synchronicities, or, as I call it, my “inside joke” with the universe.
Also loved the reminder to orient to pleasure and joy. This is literally a core practice in trauma recovery work. I’m getting ready to launch an expressive arts group for complex trauma and it’s all about this very thing! It’s joy that emerges out of the darkness rather than a Pollyanna-ish toxic positivity kind of thing that has run roughshod over our culture and has proved to be unsustainable, IMHO.
I love hearing it worded as a call and response that you are feeling after offerings! I thought a lot about the counter vortex in somatic experiencing and trauma in general when I was writing this. I didn't go there, but thought about at what point the system goes from regulating to feeling pleasure... So curious what you would say about that! Also an expressive arts group for complex trauma sounds wonderful. I'm happy to share the link if it is open to the public.
Oh interesting that that piece about the counter-vortex was implicitly in there! Your point about "going from regulating to feeling pleasure"...that's what we hope to explore in this group! It's a research study, a pilot study, for me to beta-test some of these ideas. With the hopes and assumptions it goes well, I hope to open it up to a bigger audience sometime next year. This has been about 5 years in the making so I'm excited :)
All solar return blessings your way dearest. How beautifully you weave your worlds for us, how inspiring the way you walk them. Such grace and openness and authenticity.
Happy Birthday! I love the way you weave simple pleasures into simple actions, like walking around the car. Beautiful! I also love the reminder that we really are here to experience what lights us up, even if it’s fleeting.
Beautiful: thank you! And thank you for sharing your birthday!
Happy Birthday! There's lots of little gems in this writing.
I am just getting ready to post about seasonal and spiritual observances as a parent. Although it is very different than your piece, there's some little alignments that brought me smiles.
I loved reading about your kiddo coming in for meditation.
Ha! Yes I enjoyed included that funny little bit.
Great essay, Rayann - and happy birthday! 🥳 Lots of tidbits resonate with me here:
“A Seidr (Norse spirit work) colleague once told me that when we take one step toward our spirit guides, they take 100 steps toward us.” Lately I find that I make an offering and then there’s a call and response of “your move”. It often shows up in synchronicities, or, as I call it, my “inside joke” with the universe.
Also loved the reminder to orient to pleasure and joy. This is literally a core practice in trauma recovery work. I’m getting ready to launch an expressive arts group for complex trauma and it’s all about this very thing! It’s joy that emerges out of the darkness rather than a Pollyanna-ish toxic positivity kind of thing that has run roughshod over our culture and has proved to be unsustainable, IMHO.
I love hearing it worded as a call and response that you are feeling after offerings! I thought a lot about the counter vortex in somatic experiencing and trauma in general when I was writing this. I didn't go there, but thought about at what point the system goes from regulating to feeling pleasure... So curious what you would say about that! Also an expressive arts group for complex trauma sounds wonderful. I'm happy to share the link if it is open to the public.
Oh interesting that that piece about the counter-vortex was implicitly in there! Your point about "going from regulating to feeling pleasure"...that's what we hope to explore in this group! It's a research study, a pilot study, for me to beta-test some of these ideas. With the hopes and assumptions it goes well, I hope to open it up to a bigger audience sometime next year. This has been about 5 years in the making so I'm excited :)
THIS really is it..!
All solar return blessings your way dearest. How beautifully you weave your worlds for us, how inspiring the way you walk them. Such grace and openness and authenticity.
Treasures be here ✨🩵
Happy Birthday! I love the way you weave simple pleasures into simple actions, like walking around the car. Beautiful! I also love the reminder that we really are here to experience what lights us up, even if it’s fleeting.
YES, even if it's fleeting!