dear girl...

A piece of building the bridge between your daily life and the life you long for is cultivating an inner dialogue so you can actually listen to and get to know the one person who affects your day most of all: You.

One way I do this is to write letters to myself that are full of the kindness and wisdom I'd share with someone I love. They are sometimes a pep talk. Sometimes I ask myself a question and then answer it. Sometimes they are a bit like a poem. Other letters are full of forgiveness and deep truths.

Putting pen to paper helps me make sense of the swirling thoughts around and inside me so that I can hear myself.

One of my favorite prompts to give women is to start a letter that simply says, "Dear girl..." and then just start writing the words you most need to hear. Before you begin, you might want to pause and just close your eyes and get present in your body, heart, and mind. Letting the day drop away so you can listen. Then open your eyes and start writing.

See what comes up. Try to let go of judgment and keep your pen moving across the page. 

Then when you're done, notice if there are any themes or specific phrases that stand out to you. Those phrases could become prompts for your next letter.

If you'd like to join me for 10 days of cultivating this inner voice alongside practicing creative-self care, come along to Water Your Mama Soul. We begin Monday, June 1! And we have a private Facebook group to connect in for the whole month of June.

This is the part where I admit that I'm running the class during the first 10 days of June as a birthday gift to myself. I love this class and the community that is created when women go through the 10 days together and share their experiences and photos in our private group. It is one of those offerings that has me saying to myself each time, "I love my job. I really really love my job."

Each time I offer this class I'm asked if you have to be a mom to take it. My answer:

This class is really is for anyone who wants to connect with daily practices they can use to ground themselves in the midst of whatever a day brings. So if you've been struggling to find a self-care practice, this class will give you tangible ideas you can start using. I think of it as a class that invites you to realize you can nurture and mother yourself even as you give to those around you. Note though that the theme of the course is for mamas with kids at home, and most of the women taking the class will probably be mothers, but I believe the themes in the stories I share are universal and you will be able to tweak the practices to be able to join in. 

Feel free to send over any questions that you have. I'm over here.

Learn more about Water Your Mama Soul and register right here.

Comments

[Jamie]

Just wanted to say a warm hello from the East Coast. I've been a follower for a long time and really love how your messages always seem to radiate with me for the longest time. I'm always looking forward to your words and thoughts, so thank-you for that.