Inner work frameworks, practices, and questions – all in a five-minute read. Delivered to your inbox every Wednesday morning before you even wake up. Written and curated by Andrew Lang.
Self-Connection Doesn't Need to Be Complicated: The Wednesday 1-2-3
|
Happy Wednesday Reader! I've written this three times throughout the week and scrapped it each time. And the question I found myself finally asking was: why am I making it this complicated?! So, instead of what I was planning on sending, here's a teaching on how we can un-complicate the practices that help us feel most internally connected: 1. TeachingTake a moment and think about the times you feel the most you. What's happening when these moments occur? Are they planned or do they have a tendency to sneak up on you? Do they help you feel calm and settled or do they help you feel exuberant and bouncy? Or something else completely? (There are no right or wrong answers here!) A few months ago, I reached out to Jessica Denise Dickson, a brilliant Enneagram teacher, and asked her what inner work practice was feeling most impactful and internally connective for her right now. I expected to hear something very expert-y and Enneagram-specific. Instead, she shared something so, so beautiful and real: “My practice is to take time to put oils or lotion on my body. Embodiment is not only nervous system regulation or somatic practices, but also how we relate to our body and how we’re in relationship with our actual bodies. This practice gives me the chance to slow down. To feel the texture of my skin and the way it transforms as it’s moisturized. To lovingly nourish every part of my body regardless of how I feel about it. I just start with my face and slowly go down, one body part at a time. It helps me be more aware of my body throughout the day and especially when I touch my soft skin!” Sometimes we can overcomplicate our attempts to feel at home in ourselves, adding little "shoulds" and "musts" and "it's got to be this one way" narratives. Instead, this week I invite you to experiment with a simple practice like this one – and perhaps this exact one! Try it out and see what you notice. 2. Questions
3. Resources
⏪ If you missed last week's email:Want support building (and finally sticking to) a daily practice?If you're like me at all, you've repeatedly tried to meditate, journal, walk, or workout regularly just to have the routine fall apart after a week or so. It's a brutal experience. And it's this experience that led me to start the Inner Work Cohort: I wanted to hold a space where we could develop practices that fit us without all the shame and guilt and self-judgement. No one-size-fits-all solutions; no "this is the one thing that will work;" no attempting to fix or save anything or anybody. This cohort is about being human. It's about becoming more present to and more connected with the details of our lives. If this resonates with you, I seriously hope you'll consider joining.
Hope all is well-enough with you, |
The Wednesday 1-2-3
Inner work frameworks, practices, and questions – all in a five-minute read. Delivered to your inbox every Wednesday morning before you even wake up. Written and curated by Andrew Lang.
Hey Reader, At one of the monasteries grounded in Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings, there’s a beautiful tradition: Throughout the day, and at seemingly random intervals, a bell chimes across the entire campus. It’s an invitation (and a norm) that everyone, including guests, pause what they’re doing and settle in for a moment of mindfulness. In the middle of a bite? Pause. In the middle of a conversation? Pause. In the middle of a lecture or teaching? Pause. It’s meant as a sometimes-gentle,...
Hey Reader, In the conversations I've had with friends the last couple days, there has been one prevailing and overwhelming theme: This week has been emotionally brutal for many of us. I'll just pause and speak from my experience here: since watching the attempted assassination of former President Trump, I've felt myself in a space of sadness, frustration, and – more than anything else – anxiety. It feels like a heaviness and a dread in my chest that just won’t let me go. And given my...
Hey Reader, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I refer to as “the gift percolating up from within me.” Some folks call this a “calling.” Others call it our “daimon” or reference the Japanese concept of “ikigai.” Gay Hendricks calls it our “Zone of Genius.” I think of it as the quality of living that is uniquely ours to nurture and bring forth in the world. And, when I’m present to my life, I notice this quality more and more. I notice when I’m engaging in work that doesn’t feel like work. Or...