anything that's human is mentionable

Every day I'm so thankful for Fred Rogers and the way he taught me that talking about things is okay. And I'm so thankful for the ways I've learned to figure out who I can trust with those truths, even when the figuring out is bumpier than expected.

I posted the above words on my Facebook page last week. I'd stumbled across this quote and felt a surge of gratitude for Fred Rogers and all that he taught me. I used to watch him twice a day as a littlg girl. And one of the most important messages he gave me that I want to get out into the world is that we can talk about anything. That we need to talk about the things that overwhelm us and cause big feelings. That it is okay to talk about them. And that we can give ourselves the gift of seeking out the people who will help us learn how to share those feelings.

Over the last few days, I've been thinking about how important it is to create safe space so our loved ones can feel like they can share their feelings. When I write the words, "I really want you to know you aren't alone over there" in my newsletters and here at the top of my website, I deeply hope you feel that in your bones and you reach out to those who love you when you need them.

But I also want to admit that it can be hard to create this safe space sometimes, especially with those I love the most. My own feelings get messy and in the way and some days I'm just so tired. And it can be hard to ask for help, to risk the vulnerable feelings that come with saying, "Things don't feel okay right now."

This is why I turn to my practices in the midst of the messy that a day, a life, can bring.

I practice taking five deep breaths.

I practice feeling supported by the earth by standing outside barefoot, noticing my senses.

I practice connection by texting a trusted friend to say, "Today is really hard."

I practice releasing stories that no longer serve me to trees above me.

I practice feeling stronger than my mind tells me I am by standing in warrior pose with my feet firmly planted and my arms open wide to all that is to come.

I practice.

I practice.

I practice.

So that when someone I love needs that safe space, I have enough reserves to realize it and say, "Do you want to sit down for a minute?" or "What do you need today?" or "What can I catch for you?" or "Do you need a glass of water or maybe even a hug?"

I practice so that I can be supported by myself and realize when I need support too.

I practice so that I remember that it's okay to tell the true stories.

I practice.

And honey, if you find yourself not sure what to do as you read these words - maybe you feel alone or unsure of how to create that safe space or you feel overwhelmed at the thought of figuring out a practice - try bringing your hand to your heart and taking five deep breaths. 

Just start right there.

I'll be over here breathing too.

xoxo,
Liz 

i am whole

artwork by Lori Portka 

This postcard from Lori Portka hangs on my studio pinboard. It is from the "I Am" prayer flag set that we brainstormed one day last fall. That flag set makes me so happy.

These words watch over me as I hammer words into metal, dream up new offerings, practice yoga, dance to fun., chat over skype, paint, glue things, and sometimes rest in child's pose until the only thing I hear is my heartbeat.

These are three of the most important words that guide me every single day.

Sometimes I whisper them to myself in those moments when I'm not sure anyone else will get it.

Maybe you need these words today too.

xoxo,
Liz 

a question to ponder...

This is the question that was flowing through my mind as I prepared for this month's Hand to Heart practice of "Let It Go." Last week, I found myself face to face with it as I was in the midst of...I might as well be honest...a full-blown temper tantrum in my mind.

My to-do list felt extremely overwhelming. Work stuff. Home stuff. Paperwork. End of the school year stuff. Summer is coming stuff. Family is coming to visit stuff. Not enough stuff. I'm too much stuff.

It was stacking up inside me as I paused everything to take a quick shower. Scrubbing my body with sugar scrub, I tried to pull myself out of the "stuff" by brainstorming the stories and prompts I want to share with this "Let It Go" practice.

And I found myself focusing on the question "What story could you set down?" as a starting place for our practice.

I noticed the irony of my own stories swirling, but moved on to washing my hair and brainstorming some more.

But the question kept tapping on me.

Finally, I felt these words tumble through all those thoughts and feelings:

I could set down the story that I'm too much.
I could set down other people's expectations...and my own assumptions about those expectations.
I could set down the fear that no one will ever really get the me that lives in that most secret part of me.
I could set down the "all this shit that has to be cleaned in this house before family arrives next week" to-do list until the weekend.

And then I heard this truth, "I just want to be outside of this house."

Working from home can be awesome, but it can also mean that you never really leave your home or your office. And that longing to just be in nature can pull on me. Finally, I got quiet enough to hear that pull.

So I went to my favorite park and stood by Puget Sound and picked up a few rocks to represent these stories that I wanted to set down. And I threw them. Far. Into the water. Watching the ripples swirl and finding myself recentered and a bit lighter.

Your Soul Homework: Take out a piece of paper and answer this question, "What story could you set down today?" And then when you are done, breathe and notice what you might need. Maybe you need to put some stories onto the page and "set them down" by writing them out. Maybe get outside. Maybe ask someone for a hug. Listen. You will know what to do next.

*****

If you want to circle with a group of women who are exploring these kinds of questions, come along to Hand to Heart my free ongoing community of women. Each month I share different ideas to add to your current self-care practice and we're here to support you if you're just beginning the adventure of learning self-care.

Learn more and request to join right here.

get outside

These are a few of the things we found when we headed to Point Defiance Park on Saturday.

Really good stuff.

And one of the most accessible practices to help you get out of your head and back into your heart.

Try it for a few moments today. I dare you.

(And if you want to gather with a group of kindreds to practice this simple but profound act of getting outside for a few minutes every day, come along and join Hand to Heart this month.)

come along to hand to heart

Beautiful Soul,
This is your invitation to say:
Yes to seeing the beauty in the simple moments
Yes to kindreds circling
Yes to showing up as you
Yes to magic found in the stillness
Yes to dance parties + poetry + mugs of tea
Yes to feeling the joy and the grief
Yes to opening up to love again and again...
Yes to all of it

Hand to Heart is a soft space for you to land daily as you listen to the wisdom within you and practice what you know. When you join, you become a member of an ongoing community of kindred women who will be exploring a new soul care practice and theme each month. These practices will light the way as we find the YES in our beautiful, messy lives. 

Some of the themes and practices we'll explore over the next few months include:

• Creating space within through accessible being-present practices that will help you find your breath, sink into your body, and quiet your mind. 
 
• Creating sacred space within our homes through gathering the treasures, inspirations, and words that speak to where we are on our journeys. We will look at ways to create small altar spaces to honor who we are, where we have been, and where we want to walk next on our paths.
 
• Creating space for ourselves throughout our days by seeking the beauty in the everyday, connection with kindreds, journaling through photography and writing and even putting color to the page, poeming it out, getting out into the world for short creative adventures, and using our cameras to capture who we are through self-portraiture.

We’ll begin with diving deeper into a few of the practices found in my “Yes, This” program, exploring them for a month at a time instead of just a day. In March, we'll pause to find the stillness each day as we take five deep breaths (including capturing that stillness through our cameras) and look at how this practice can ground us and give us the space to reboot in the middle of our day.

Your monthly membership includes:

Practice Notes: A PDF at the beginning of the month with guidance and inspiration about that month’s practice. This might include stories, an audio meditation, printables, worksheets, and so on. There will also be 1-3 additional emails per month with encouragement and love from me to you right in your inbox.

Monthly Spreecasts: In monthly video chats on Spreecast, I’ll share stories and thoughts around the month’s practice and other ideas we’ve been focusing on in our Facebook group. You’ll have the opportunity to ask me questions and connect with others using the chat feature. You’ll also be able to submit questions ahead of time and watch the Spreecast later if you aren’t able to join in live.

Monthly story releasing ceremony: Once a month, I’ll send out a love letter via email with an invitation to reply with a story or words that you need someone to hold space for. I’ll gather up the stories sent and through a small ceremony release the stories into the Pacific Northwest woods.

A private Facebook group that will include:

• Connection with like-minded souls seeking the Yes in their days.
• A “thought of the day” from me each weekday morning (which will be posted when I'm drinking my morning coffee here in the Pacific Northwest on PST). These will be invitations, reminders, inspiration, and quotes that will set the tone for the day and invite us to be present in our corners of the world. 
• Discussions about how we integrate these practices into our day-to-day lives and stories about the ways I do this in my corner of the world. 
• Safe space to check-in and honestly answer the question, "How are you in your corner of the world?"
• Weekly Poem It Out Thursdays: A day devoted to poetry each week where I’ll share a poem for you to explore + ask you to share your own favorites. Once a month there will also be a poetry/writing prompt inviting you to put pen to paper.
• Moderation Monday-Friday each week
• And so much joy and magic that will come from the synergy of all of us gathered together!

Other good things: You will be the first to know about my future offers, there will be shop discounts just for you, and so many other beautiful goodies that will reveal themselves as Hand to Heart grows and teaches all of us.

By becoming a member of Hand to Heart, you will receive ongoing connection from me as your guide and from a circle of like-minded souls. I truly believe that this is the group you've been waiting for. 

Membership: Introductory price of $39 a month

Learn more, read the FAQ, and become a member right here.