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.
Yes, and …
Earlier this summer, when I was describing an anecdote about my circle of friends and a particularly entertaining night out we had to my therapist, she concluded: “You and your friends are like a real-life improv troupe. One of you starts with an idea and it snowballs into a game of ‘yes, and,’” referring to the pillar of improvisation comedy where each member of a group is forbidden to say no to the previous member’s prompt, forcing a skit to lead to an unexpected but often delightful outcome.
She was right (as she always is). For me personally, the best adventures I have in every aspect of my life -- interpersonal, career, travel -- have occurred not because of a carefully plotted agenda where I knew exactly what was going to happen, but because I was willing to take a leap when presented with an opportunity and responded with “yes, and…” Even if (perhaps because of?) I didn’t really know what was going to happen next.
Lest you think that this logic flies in the face of the Smudge-tested and true practices of intention-setting and leading a life with purpose, hear me out. I believe strongly in laying the groundwork for improvisation and innovation. Intention-setting and spending time defining my core values is that foundation for me. Utilizing crystals and other tools such as astrology and tarot provide a simple and effective way for me to reinforce those intentions and values. Used altogether with discipline and frequency, this spiritual wellness practice creates the framework for how I want to navigate the energy in my life, and enables the judgment and decision-making to create the magic I want in my life -- the magic each of us deserves. The magic of mystery, the magic of spontaneity, and right at the heart of our month’s theme, the magic of adventure. Because when we feel confident, authentic, and centered in our foundation, we have the fearlessness to say yes to more.
Now let's check in on our other 5 senses.
Sight
To say I hated math as a high school student is a gross understatement -- I detested everything about it (except the weekly study group that involved mass amounts of candy and Cheetos). But as an adult, with a few decades of wisdom and perspective under my belt, I’ve always wondered if I might make for a better math student the second time around. So I signed up this week for an online course in the same subjects my eldest child, Rei, will be taking when he starts high school. I have modest hopes and even lower expectations of how well I’ll do, but excited to use my brain in a new way. (Stocking up on Sour Patch Kids and some Smokey Quartz now to help me process all these numbers…)
Sound
I’m a theater and dance mom, which means that I don’t get to experience anything my kids have been working on until the final performance. This week, I *finally* listened to Rei’s rendition of songs from Cry Baby and Beetlejuice that he has been working on and was blown away by his talent, control, and strength. Also incredibly grateful that my terrible voice has skipped a generation. (Note -- Rei is, after all, still a teenager with lots of opinions on what I can post, so no performance shot to report here!)
Taste
My aforementioned improv group got together this weekend to celebrate a new job at the newly opened Empress by Boon in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Breathtakingingly gorgeous and situated high above the cityscape, it was so fun to dress up and toast to new adventures. (Edited to add by Luigi: make sure you order the peking duck!)
Smell
We recently collaborated with our sister store, Floramye, to host a crystal candle-making workshop. I loved the process of selecting stones and essential oils to infuse our candles. The candle has been setting for the last 10 days, so we were finally able to fire it up this week. The calming scent of lavender and sage, with a clarifying dose of Clear Quartz, made for a calming combo.
Touch
We are now proud owners of an Ooni pizza oven, a family gift to my husband for his birthday. Guided by some pie experts who happen to also be good friends and neighbors, we spent Friday drinking wine and pulling homemade dough and creating creative toppings, doing our best to achieve a crispy-but-not-too-burnt crust (only sometimes succeeding, but nevertheless delicious). The process of kneading the dough is a particularly meditative experience. Message me for all my semi-pro tips!
