Welcome to Wellness Weekly coming to you every week. This is a weekly series, sort of like a Letter from the Editors, that will rotate between Morgan, Lara, and Luigi with the occasional guest. We'll hold space on the Dirt to check in on our Sixth Sense: the term we use to refer to our spirit, intuition, and inner power. And because while we exist in the world alongside our other Five Senses, we'll do a check-in of those, too.
During these final few days of our month-long deep dive into Commitment, we are examining the ways in which our spiritual wellness practice enables us to honor the commitment we have to the universe and to humans beyond our own small circles of direct relationships. This comes in many forms, but for me, it has a lot to do with my commitment to activism on behalf of women and fighting against systems of oppression, specifically and perhaps even especially, when those systems are threatening the wellness of other women.
My spiritual wellness practice has been instrumental in honing my inner power of autonomy. My daily intention-setting ritual, along with the healing crystals I carry with and display around me 24/7, ground me and serve as magical compasses to direct my energy in a way that allows me to feel authentically myself and to act in a way that feels aligned with the kind of woman I want to be. And the kind of woman I want to be is somebody who feels empowered to make my own decisions about matters concerning my mind, my body, and my spirit. It’s not lost on me that I am incredibly privileged to move through my life with this sense of self-empowerment and independence, and it is infuriating to me that so many systemic forces are actively at work to specifically stop women from feeling this freedom when it comes to their own being.
Nowhere is this more apparent than what is happening in the State of Texas right now with respect to abortion rights, where it is now illegal to have an abortion before many women are even aware they are pregnant. The law’s impact disproportionately affects women of color and who are low income and is, in my own opinion, part of a larger design to further the interests of white supremacy. Women with autonomy and power are terrifying to these lawmakers. And for good reason: we are a force to be reckoned with.
This Saturday, I am honoring my commitment to women everywhere, and their right to make personal decisions about their health and well-being, by marching in Washington D.C. as part of the Rally for Abortion Justice. I’ll be marching alongside thousands of others (including Luigi!) who feel like I do: that this Texas law or anything like it is an unconstitutional breach of a woman’s right to choose. I am marching for autonomy. I am marching for self-empowerment. I am marching for and until those principles are protected for women everywhere.
(Join us in D.C. this Saturday or at one of the hundreds of other rallies planned around the country. For a list of locations and details, check out the Women’s March website.)
Now let's check in on our other 5 senses:
Sight and Sound
I’ve been traveling for work more than I have in the last two years, which means more time away from my two children. Because of this, I am making extra efforts to drop them off and pick them up when they are done with school or activities. I don’t always get to do it, but seeing their faces as they climb into the car and listening to them debrief me on their days brings me such joy. Hearing them talk about meeting new friends, learning new things, and tackling new challenges -- many of them the same ones I remember from when I was their age! -- is so special to me, and I treasure every time we get to do it together.
Taste
Yesterday was my anniversary and to celebrate this weekend, we tried out a new restaurant called Nisei. Every bite was carefully considered -- it’s the kind of fancy, multi-course affair that involves a team of chefs using tweezers to delicately place herbs on top of a dish. It felt like a bit of a throwback to sit inside and leisurely eat for two and a half hours and part of me wondered if I still had the patience or desire to do that post-pandemic. But for an occasion, it was lovely and gave us the unique opportunity to savor being in the moment and appreciating each other (and the excellent food).
Smell
The masses demand to know my fragrance and by that I mean I’ve been asked by four people. But I’ll tell you anyway! I have been wearing Santal Vanille by the 7 Virtues. It’s feminine without feeling too cloying; earthy without feeling too heavy. I love it for the Bay Area fall when it is crisp but still often sunny.
Touch
Everybody needs a touchstone when they are feeling overwhelmed and while for me that’s often in crystal form, I also rely frequently on my furry version. Nemo the Labrador is a very loyal companion when I’m working from home and rubbing his belly during zoom calls has been an excellent source of stress relief. Accepting requests for at-home visits from him.
