The events of this year led us all down new paths. Below, I'm sharing some things that enriched my life in 2020. But first, please accept my gratitude for being on this mailing list and for lending me space in your inbox. I know that your time and attention is precious, and it means a lot that you are interested in my work.
Here are the people that opened my mind, the snacks that made me happy, and the music that moved my bones.
The Realization Process: I'm a part of Brooke Thomas's Liberated Being Community, and through her, I came to love The Realization Process (created by Judith Blackstone). If you like the idea of spending some time connecting with your pelvis as a way to settle and connect with what is, you may enjoy this work.
Freestyle Embroidery:
I stitched this while on the phone. What shall I turn it into? Rad shoulder pads?
Wavey-Dance Things:
I joined PopNTod's Ill Skillz program and took some classes with the dreamy Illan Riviere. Besides being endlessly complex and intricate—these movement forms (waving and NeoFusion) feel incredibly sustainable. I can see myself doing them in another 40 years.
MogaDao: Sacred Somatics and Queer Ontologies. Zhenevere Sophia might be from another planet. It's the only way I can express her level of intellectual and creative genius and spiritual clarity. Check out the online Chi-Gong and post-Taoist philosophy classes.
Favorite Snacks:
I'm a "real food" person (please pass the heaping pile of green beans!), but these are my faves as far as snacks go:
Lesser Evil Almond Butter Chocolate Chip cookies. (I dip these in my coffee in the morning)
Four Stigmatic Mushroom Coffee. The best instant coffee I've ever had. Incredible for iced lattes.
Three IG pages that always inspire me:
@Alokvmenon: When poetry and grace meet social activism
@TheMovementMaestro: super helpful Instagram and business guidance
@JoyIsabellaBrown: In my dreams, I know what it is like to fly like Joy Isabella Brown
Most Impactful Books:
“Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World” by Tyson Yunkaporta (Pure WHOA.)
“Humanual: Comprehensive Guide to Human Health” by Betsy Polatin (I particularly enjoyed how she expresses the role of the nervous system.)
“Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling” by Matthew Dicks (Learn what makes one person's dinner story blah and another one enthralling from a champion storyteller. )
“My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies” by Resmaa Menakem (A body-centered approach to anti-racism practices.)
“Untamed” by Glennon Doyle (A relatable honest memoir that seeped into my heart.)
Favorite Songs:
Even though Spotify compiled this for me: My Top Songs of 2020
These two songs move me: Shashl “Heart 2 Heart” and Daniela Andrade “Puddles.”