This week’s newsletter ends with a peaceful new offering! It will be available to everyone this week and going forward it will be available to paying subscribers. Thank you so much for your support of my teeny tiny business.
I am in constant practice in connection with the world around me: practicing the craft of clay; practicing patience and devotion with the beings sharing my home; practicing supportive friendship with my community here in Brooklyn; practicing long-distance love with my family on the opposite coast. My shared practices of connection are crucial to my well-being and ground me in my life and journey.
I am also in constant practice in my personal growth and contentment: the practice of steeping in deep appreciation for feeling each moment fully, working to trust the imperfect and difficult waves as much as the joyful. It’s in those moments of joy that gratitude plays a pivotal role in my experience of connection and the pleasures of living.
‘In the midst of joy, there’s often a quiver, a shudder of vulnerability. Rather than using it as a warning sign to practice imagining the worst-case scenario, the people who lean into joy use the quiver as a reminder to practice gratitude,” writes Brené Brown.
Learning to lean into gratitude instead of foreboding feels like my sweet little secret to soaking up as much joy as my life can offer. My personal practices of mindfulness and gratitude melt into one another and lead to feeling all the feelings: joy and boredom and wonder and worry and sadness and hope.
In all of this, I falter. I abandon my practices and lose touch. And then, I muster the strength to forgive myself and to start again. It’s always hard and it’s always worth it.
May we all be in mindful practice and come back to that practice when we falter.
May we all learn to move through the vulnerability and lean into joy with gratitude.
The feeling feelings mug went dark, and I’m loving it (you can find it here).
I’m hosting a vase making workshop in the garden later today and I can’t wait to connect with others while we make something beautiful. I have a few more workshop dates this fall here, if you’re in NYC and would like to join.
This week’s messy studio photo is glaze mixing in the early morning (in sweatpants because nyc is cooling down!)
and now I’m thrilled to introduce a new weekly digital offering:
In my social work practice, I would introduce mindfulness techniques to my patients and their caregivers, helping them build up a toolkit they could reach into when they felt overwhelmed or anxious or like everything was just too much to bear. Mostly they were exhausted, feeling like they didn’t even have five minutes for themselves. So I would bring them shorter exercises they could practice in line at the bodega or with their children as they tucked them in at night; little practices to incorporate into busy days, bringing slivers of peace to hectic lives.
These little practices stayed with me and bring me so much calm every day. Now I’ll share them with you: three new mindfulness techniques for paid subscribers each week. I’ll help you build your own personal peace toolkit to reach into when you need it, for however long you have - whether it’s a quick thirty seconds, a solid five minutes or a luxurious thirty minutes.
Here are this weeks tools -
If you have thirty seconds: try box breathing.
I use this technique all the time when I need to take a beat. Sometimes I’ll even do it on the bike ride to the studio in the morning.
Here’s how it works: breathe in for four seconds, hold breath for four seconds, breathe out for for seconds, hold empty for four seconds - repeat as many times as you’d like. (Most of the guided techniques are around 5-10 minutes, but once you know how to do it, even thirty seconds can bring you some peace.)If you have five minutes: try a self-trust exercise.
This is a short exercise helps you recognize how it physically and emotionally feels when you are and aren’t being truthful with yourself so you can building up your self-trust.
Here’s how it works: Close your eyes and imagine something you really really love (I’m picturing my pup) Now say aloud to yourself, ‘I really love you ____.’ Pay attention to how your body and mind and spirit feel. Maybe you’re warm and glowy, your lips are soft and gently smiling. Just take a moment to notice. Now, imagine something you really really don’t like (I’m picturing a particular selfish politican) and say aloud to yourself, ‘I really love you ____.’ Notice how your body and mind and spirit feel when you are lying to it. Maybe squirmy and tense and cold. Now that you know what this feels like, you can recognize these feelings and build up trust with yourself. <3If you have thirty minutes: try a mindful stroll.
Having a pup in New York City forces me to take about four walks per day, which never fail to clear my head and boost my mood. Next time you’re walking around your block or in the park, try a mindful walk.Here’s how it works: Put away any distractions (this is not a podcast walk, though I love those too!) and begin to notice how your body feels. How does the air, breeze or sun feel on your face? If you are able bodied and are walking, notice how your feet make contact with the ground. What surface are you on? Does your heel touch the ground first or does the ball of your foot? Scan your body as it moves, how do your arms and hands feel? What about your chest and head? Give attention to your surroundings. Are there buildings around you? What colors are the leaves on the trees, if there are any? How is your environment shifting as you continue on your stroll? Once you finish your walk, take note of how your body and mind feel.
I hope you connected with one (or all!) of these mindfulness tools. To continue building your toolkit each week (and receive a bespoke piece of pottery!), please consider becoming a paid subscriber.