Midweek Pick-Me-Up

As you know from last week’s newsletter, I’ve been taking an inventory of the clutter in my life—physical clutter, but also emotional and mental clutter. It sounds like some of you are doing this, too. We start by noticing the clutter. Then, we begin clearing it, one object, habit, or stressor at a time. We replace what drains us with something more nourishing. Maybe you’ve decluttered a book shelf or taken a break from social media. Maybe you’re giving less time to the news and more time to a friend or a favorite houseplant. Here are a few of the things that have nourished me in the past week:

• Curling up in bed with a mug of herbal tea and a good book. My favorite reads in the past month or so have been The Body is Not an Apology, by Sonya Renee Taylor, and American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins.

• Sitting outside or going for slow walks, watching the change of leaves from green to gold and relishing the crisp cool of fall air.

• Playing piano and guitar. I haven’t completed any new songs lately, but I keep re-strumming this one, which I wrote in 2019 . . . and which fits my 2020 mood surprisingly well.

• Eating batch after batch of kale chips. Yes, kale chips. I know, I know, I’m a total cliché—the proverbial kale-eating yoga teacher! I like this recipe a lot, and 1/3 of my children don’t even gag when they eat them. I recommend cutting back on the seasoning a bit.

• Long phone calls with my amazing sister. I’d share her number with you, but that would leave her with less time to talk to me!

• Listening to podcasts. Two of the most resonant ones I’ve listened to lately have been Krista Tippet’s interview with author and meditation instructor Sharon Salzberg, and Brené Brown’s interview with author and activist Sonya Renee Taylor.

• Practicing yoga, of course! I’ve included another video for you below. FYI, there has been a lot less engagement with the yoga videos than with newsletters and other content, so I’m planning to slow them to a pace of two per month. If that makes you feel sad inside (or angry!), shoot me an email to let me know!

What feels nourishing to you nowadays? Share the goodness!