Yesterday was the first “snow day” of the winter, school cancelled and all, landing a week after the spring equinox. Fitting for the winter that never fully arrived. Nick and Eva downhill skied the tree slope on one side of our property, something they’ve been waiting all season to do. This morning we woke to rain, and the snow is like cement, so they got out there just in time. A little skiing is better than no skiing, even when it happens the first week of spring.
Anyway, today I’m thinking about what gets me outside—skiing often does, or the promise of a good walk through some woods, or a necessary respite from too much time tapping a computer keyboard. The feel of fresh air, no matter what temperature it is, the sensation of melting into the elements, the way shadows and light interact on a sunny day. Lots of things get me out and I’m always glad I went, even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time.
A few weeks ago, over at The Workshop via
we launched a course called Just Wild Enough, and it’s all about prioritizing going outside. The structure is pretty loose and flexible: I provide a number of readings, activities, and prompts each week to inspire action and reflection, but it’s up to you how you want to engage.Until April 2, which is the publication day of the book Just Wild Enough, one of the core texts of the eCourse, we’re offering 50% off of the course fee. Just use code JWERELEASE at check out. I hope to see you in there!
Here’s a preview of what the content is like, including one of the exercises and some prompts from week two, the unit the focuses on TOUCH.
First, you can listen to this poem, found in Slouching Toward Radiance.
Core Activity:
Go outside and lay down on the ground1 – take a blanket to lay on if you’d like. (You can do this exercise seated in a chair, too, if that’s more accessible to you right now.) As you lay or sit there, notice how you feel. Feel into all of the sensations that arise and simply let them be there. How your body experiences touch is worth noticing, it is worth giving energy to. It’s not always easy to allow yourself to feel fully, so if this is challenging, that’s okay. That’s normal. If you can only manage a few moments at first, just stay still a few moments. Continue to practice, and you may find it gets easier over time.
Extra credit: Do this on a day when it’s hotter or colder, or maybe windier or wetter, than you’d prefer. Or lie facedown and get really up close with the ground!
Journal prompts: Where do you feel pressure on your body as your body meets the ground? Where in your body do you feel held? Where is there discomfort?
How does laying still outside impact your mental/emotional state?
What makes you feel held in this season?
What is it like to allow discomfort? How about pleasure?
What do you want to feel more often? What do you want to feel less often? What’s the best balance of discomfort and staying comfortable for you in this season of life?
Poetry Break:
Write a poem about touch/feeling.
Write whatever you wish, but if you need a place to start, here’s a first line:
Wind on bare skin finds me…..2
And…the book Just Wild Enough launches in ONE week, so get your preorder in now if you haven’t already….
Upcoming events:
I’ll be at The Nook, a bookshop in Brookings, South Dakota, this Saturday, March 30, doing a signing from 10-noon! If you’re in town, I hope to see you then.
Then I’ll be at Big Rock Creek’s Women’s Expo on May 11th — all of my titles will be available via Twinflower Books, and Mary from Twinflower and I will be on stage in conversation at noon.
I know for many folks it’s still winter and/or the messy sloppy part of spring, so laying down on the ground probably sounds…not great. lol. Feel free to save this exercise for later. Or maybe you’ll dig deep and do it regardless the ground conditions….
If you write a poem using this prompt, please feel welcome to share it here in the comments!