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.
Gratitude is a word I return to a lot. Cards with the term are taped all over the window by my office desk, gentle reminders to express it every day. The practice of gratitude is something that I aim to incorporate into my daily life. Whether that means I enlist a friend or two to text weekly gratitude lists to each other or make it a part of my meditation practice. I always know ole faithful gratitude is something I can lean on when life feels overwhelming or when I need to remember what is most important to me. It also (as I learned back in 2012 from my good friend Brené Brown) is inextricably linked to joy. And I LOVE being joyful because, duh.
To be honest, it's been a while since I've genuinely actively practiced gratitude *insert the busyness of life and all the excuses*. Probably many of the same reasons I haven't written a Wellness Weekly in what seems like an eternity. I'm ready to begin again. And while it's challenging to know exactly where to start, this month's theme provides the perfect framework for a catch-up sesh AND gratitude practice. Raise your hand if you love a list! Below are some things I'm deeply grateful for right now in no particular order.
I'm grateful for my health.
I've gone through quite the journey the last two years with my health and my body/body image. I can finally say that I've found a healthy balance between eating for pleasure and eating for nourishment, an issue that I struggled with a lot in the past half of a decade. This newfound balance cascaded into more motivation to move and sweat again, better sleep, and overall boosted energy levels. I feel like I'm re-centered and in tune with my body again.
I am so fucking grateful for my therapist.
I'm convinced she is a witch. Or at least a psychic. For content, I've been to therapy in many stages of my life. Some have been helpful, and others were not so much. I tend to stick with it until I feel like most of the issues I came in with have been scraped off, only to find there is so much more under the surface. I've said this on here many times -- this is an excavation. Painful but necessary.
I am grateful for randos.
A few months ago, I set the intention of meeting new people. I get so much out of connecting with strangers and have missed that so much in the pandemic. Zoom just doesn't do it for me. One of the benefits of being a part of so many incredible events for work is that there are entire worlds of new folx to meet. It's exciting! I must say I still got it.
I am grateful for my job.
Working for myself has been a literal dream. I get it now. Yes, it's a lot. Yes, we're growing and changing at a rate that feels impossible at times. Yes, sometimes the very crystal that's supposed to bring me calm and groundedness has me waking up in cold sweats #supplychain. Yes to all and I wouldn't change any of it. I get to build this company that brings magic to people's lives AND with my best friend to boot! Pinch me.
I am grateful for my relationships.
I am learning so much from the relationships in my life right now. Not all of it is easy. There are sometimes difficult conversations. There's a whole lot of navigating feelings and intense emotions. But what I'm learning at this particular time is that I can show up in my relationships exactly as I am. I'll hold onto them for a while I guess.
Now it's your turn! Create a gratitude list of your own and share it with the world. It can be on social media, a text to a friend, or you can just write them all down and email it to yourself. Again, the act of gratitude yields joyful results.
Let's check in on the other 5 senses.
Sight:
The Netflix show MAID was one that I could not turn off. Based on the memoir Maid by Stephanie Land, the adapted series chronicles the story of a young impoverished single mother and domestic violence survivor. It was raw, beautifully shot, and actually had a sense of humor despite its subject matter.
Sound:
Can you believe I went to an actual music festival!? Outside Lands Music Festival returned after a year hiatus due to Covid. The energy of the crowd and the performances were awe-inspiring! It definitely made me feel all the things.
Smell:
I've been burning a new incense that I love! United Other is a female/AAPI-owned brand of luxury intention-setting tools. Their rope incense and stands are to die for. I've been mainly obsessed with the one called "Truly" which contains Palo Santo, Yerba Santa, and Breu Resin. Check out her other products here. https://unitedother.com/ourstory
Taste:
Smudge got to throw an incredible press dinner a couple of weeks ago at a restaurant called Manuela. In the heart of the Downtown LA Arts District, we gathered with 25 people under the Full Moon to share in conversation and some fabulous food and drinks. At the top of my list was a drink called Nightshade which had Tequila Dahlia, yellow bell pepper, heat, and lemon.
Touch:
Yoga is back in my life after a few months of not touching my mat. Specifically the Sunday 4:30 class with one of my favorite teachers, Stephanie Snyder. Her studio Love Story yoga is exactly that. A letter of love to yourself, your body, and your mind. Suck it, Sunday scaries!
