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I hope this Care-note finds you well within the swirls, bumps, challenges, and beauties of this life we share. The audio for today is a short spoken-word meditation to help us fall into a tender rest. Below is a little update from the place I call home—my tiny nook I borrow from earth to create, connect, and rest.
Creating these offerings is a strange thing, in that I birth them to send off into a void of cyberspace. After years of teaching in-person, this absence of reading what you may need is odd territory indeed. However, I’m immensely enjoying the new terrain.
This past week I struggled with malaise. This type of unease visits us occasionally, and often wears a crown of sadness. But malaise also offers a gift of sorts. She does so by slowing us down, giving us an opportunity to create and discover things otherwise hidden from non-stop doing this or doing that, running from one task to another in frantic swirls. She is the relief of an exhale from a prolonged inhale.
As I age, I become more skilled at knowing how to dance with malaise—to sit with the fear of her, so I can accept the pause she offers. For me, art is the way I subdue the fear of malaise and transform her into something healthy and life-affirming. This is a dance of active self-compassion. It teaches me how to allow what is, and to discover how to pivot with what is. And if I dance skillfully, there is an unveiling of a blessing. Sometimes I dance well, other times I trip and fall a hundred times. But, because I’ve tasted the unveiling of blessings that occur through difficulties, I have developed confidence to be steadfast in my efforts to always dance.
I invite you to consider what could be expressions of self-compassion able to hold you when you need tenderness, when sadness or fear visits.
*The watercolor above was born this week from my slow waltz with malaise.
If you would like to share:
What form(s) can self-compassion take for you?
Are you comfortable giving to yourself, so you can practice self-compassion?
If you are comfortable, I’d love for you to introduce yourself by hitting the comment button. We are a virtual community, but we can still create meaningful connections.
Thank you for helping hold this compass of compassion. Your presence here matters more than you may know. What a wondrous community we are growing! Each of you holds a unique expression of the compass, allowing you to touch people’s lives in ways no one else can. Let us continue to hold our compasses high and be a light for ourselves and for each other. And please share this publication with anyone who you believe may benefit from our community of compass-holders.
With much love,
Renee
PS: If there is any topic you would like me to dive into, or a guided-word meditation you are craving, you can leave a comment or send me an email by replying to this publication.
Care-note #3