2 Practices
We are multifaceted creatures. We wear many hats throughout our journey on this planet. Each experience shapes our needs and our identities in such infinitesimally specific ways that the only person capable of knowing exactly what we need to be well is us. For this reason, practicing self care looks many different ways. For some, it’s simply bringing the attention to the breath or enjoying home-cooked meals. For others its diving headfirst into community, collaboration, love. sometimes its revisiting our child-self. In this issue, we share a delightfully special gift: your self-care practices. here you’ll find personal remedies for survival. Self-care means showing up for yourself: noticing yourself as vulnerable and worthy. Caring for, supporting, protecting yourself. Meeting yourself exactly where you are. No judgement. 1
In the same breath, self-care is much more than radical self reliance. Self care is not about personal shortcomings but about caring for yourself as an extension of your community in the face of systemic failures which necessitate the demise of one being at the advantage of another. The System would have us believe in individualization, but in its essence, revolution is rooted in the idea that well-being cannot exist unless it is in the interest of the collective. In considering the practices we share in this issue, recognize that the very space you have to feel safe and practice self care is a privilege— that there are people who’s existence is characterized in struggle because of the color of their skin, their sexuality, or immigrant status; that perhaps they have never truly experienced safety, let alone the space to explore healing. 2
At the root of these self care practices, we explore the possibility that resistance lives in the culture— that the resistance works to create safe space for the vulnerable and marginalized to heal— that in its nature, it is intersectional.
we are the ones that we have been waiting for. 3
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i’m going to burst into colors ..... Melly
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Breath and Color .............. Kate Gorman
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Green Orange .................... Kate Gorman
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Patterns for Resistance ........ Ryan Beam
11. New Mexico ........ Jordan Hamlett Sanders 12. Self-Care Is Silence ...... Alex Stallings 13. Emoji haikus ....................... Anita 15. Social Media and Self-Care .... Samantha B 19. A poem, a mantra ........... thesoftestboi 21. Resist with Love .................... Uvee 22. Sun Tea ....................... Leah Haake 23. Hygge ......................... Erin Kolle 25. Challenges of self-care
// i'm going to burst into colors // a mantra. (repeat 3 times)
i am not afraid that if i open myself i will not stop pouring. (i do not fear _ becoming a river , no mountain will give me such shame)
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Melly
Breath
and
Color
Mindful meditation is an important part of self-care for me. I have been practicing for two and a half years. I was reluctant to start. I hated how vulnerable I felt when meditating. It made me notice the repetitive hurtful thoughts I had let take over my mind. The first year, I was very hard on myself. I judged myself harshly when I didn’t feel calm. I couldn’t get through a guided meditation on being kind to myself without crying. But by the end of that year, something in me had shi ed. I still felt emotions strongly. I noticed how they coursed through my body, wherethey caused discomfort or pain. I also felt them recede. And there was the change. I could allow myself to feel them because I now knew they didn’t last indefinitely. A sliver of peace showed up when I started to understand the shape of my own mind. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\//\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\//
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Kate Gorman
I lie on the floor with my back flat and my knees bent, so my feet are also flat on the floor. I put a paperback book around an inch thick under my head. I set a timer on my phone for 10 or 15 minutes or I use a free guided meditation from the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. I focus on my breath. Breathing in and then breathing out. Thoughts leak in. A crowd of them forms. They chi er incessantly. I notice they are there, and I remember to breathe. Sometimes it’s too difficult to follow my breath, so I listen to the sounds around me. The bus stopping outside. The central heating turning on. The upstairs neighbor taking a shower. On a good day, thoughts are quieter and easier to let go. On a bad day, thoughts flood my mind and I can’t avoid ge ing sucked into the current. But good or bad, I practice again the next day. And the next.
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Kate Gorman
Green Orange
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Kate Gorman
Pa erns for Resistance Self-care in this period of resistance has been somewhat elusive for me. In the past I had often felt able to hold a sense of control in balancing my giving of energy and my re-building of energy. Recently, however, I’ve been experiencing feelings of being out of control. At times, the care tools in my kit have proven insufficient or wholly ineffective. I’m now trying to re-sculpt and reconfigure that landscape of care in order to find a way to operate healthfully under new stresses. One of the strategies that has arisen for me during this time is sketching in repetition. This allows my brain to fall into the act of and take solace in simple shape and pattern. Where in the past I was not particularly drawn to the abstract, I now revel in simply being impressed upon by something in a way that I don’t feel the need to explain. These images are selections from sketches I’ve made over the last two months in the act of self-care in hopes of finding a way to continue to resist.
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Ryan Beam
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Ryan Beam
This painting is one of a hand full I made on a twenty-two day tour across the country. For me, drawing is a source of comfort, mental stimulation and sometimes accomplishment. It requires close observation and a keen awareness of your surroundings. In a time where humans are increasingly experiencing the world through screens,observation and awareness of the natural world is dwindling. It’s important that I connect with a place physically and emotionally. The time it takes to produce even a small watercolor greatly exceeds the time it takes to snap a picture on my phone. This inevitably leads me to spend more time than I might have otherwise in any given landscape, a process which is always more rewarding than the product.
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Jordan Hamlett Sanders
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Alex Stallings
> > // > > > // > > > Emoji Haikus This sketch was inspired a er many considerations of what self care means to me while traveling for the last 12 weeks in Southeast Asia. Realizing that one of the most nourishing self-care practices has been reconnecting with loved ones from all over the world and having the convenience of technology to personalize that connection in just a few moments with modern day hieroglyphics ! So cool. But more than anything it makes me feel connected in more ways than one to all the momentum and energy back home.
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Anita
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Anita
SOCIAL MEDIA, RESISTANCE, and maintaining some semblance of sanity In the age of the smartphone, immediate information and internet identities -- many of us are constantly buzzing with notifications, likes and tags, a lot of which amount to nothing in the “real world.� In times of resistance, social media can be a great tool for staying informed and connected to communities in many different ways. However, it is easy to misuse these platforms in ways that are ultimately damaging to our own well being. It is important to create personal boundaries in order to remain grounded and focused in our bodies and our immediate surroundings. Here’s a list of suggestions on ways to stay on social media and reduce emotional burnout: -----------------------------------------------Be a conscious consumer of media - Take control of how you navigate news: only use websites with content that is verified and trustworthy to get important information.
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Samantha B
- Be aware of your emotional limit for negative/upsetting information or interactions. It is important to stay informed and to speak out when necessary, but if you overload yourself you’ll burn out fast. Allow yourself time and space to cool off, digest and reset. - Take breaks when things become overwhelming. This doesn’t mean pretending problematic things don’t exist. If you are constantly shocked and horrified, your mind will start to become desensitized to protect itself. Continued resistance means refusing to allow feelings of outrage to become normalized and accepted – AND not allowing your own needs to be compromised in the process. Set limits - If you are someone who feels easily sucked into the vast abyss of social media use only to be left chewed up and spat back out, try designating certain amounts of time for various uses of media. You can even set a timer if you like. -Constantly scrolling but not really absorbing anything? Sometimes the constant stream of content can be so overwhelming it becomes boring, yet we can’t stop. When you notice yourself mindlessly scrolling – tune out of your device and tune into your body. Ask yourself how various parts of your body feel.
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Samantha B
Take note of your immediate surroundings. You might be amazed at how much more interesting the details around you are than your feed. - Allow yourself time to recharge. This could mean unplugging from your phone or laptop for a certain part of your day: going for a walk, or right before bed. The blue light in our electronic devices trick our brains into thinking it is daylight and this can cause you to get less rest and over time this can really wear on your mental health. - Set aside time for deeper conversation. Rather than sending a string of haphazard texts throughout busy days – make a plan to (or spontaneously) call a loved one. Making time for less frequent but more intimate conversations can prove to be much more fulfilling than the brief, but constant social media interactions. Focus your energy - There will ALWAYS be a whirlwind of many different issues and they are all important. If you spread yourself too thin trying to be involved in every single issue, you deny yourself the power of becoming a really effective warrior for a few specific causes. You are allowed to exist on a spectrum of support.
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Samantha B
- Each movement is a union of people all with different roles that help the whole function at its best. Play to your strengths. Practicing resistance doesn’t have to mean forcing yourself to do and be it all. Self-care-minded resistance means using your personal strengths and experiences. Follow and get involved with organizations where you can take on a role the plays to what you have to offer. - Place value in yourself and your time. Don’t compare yourself to others and what you see them doing on social media. Don’t devalue your everyday resistance and actions just because you don’t think they’re as significant as someone else’s. Practice empowering others, finding inspiration, and being kind to yourself and proud of your own work. - Separate yourself from seeking validation via social media. Online communities can be a place of support, but don’t rely on them for the sole motivation to your action. Evaluate why you are doing something… If you’re going to the protest just to post a photo proving you were there, you might be missing the point.
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Samantha B
dear darkness, you come sometimes uninvited. i will not run i no longer fear you. i've explored the empty spaces and i resist the lies you've told. i've chosen to shine my brightest light and illuminate my darkest chambers. there in the cold and silence i have found the truth. destitute on barren floors i was reminded of my power. below. the ground. i found life. i found the strength to claim that i exist. i am everything! infinite space, every star, breath, tears, soil, beauty, magic, food, love and time is. what i make it. i belong. 19
thesoftestboi
MANTRA : -----------------------------------------------DARKNESS UNINVITED, I NO LONGER FEAR YOU. I RESIST THE LIES AND ILLUMINATE EVERYTHING! I BELONG. ------------------------------------------------
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thesoftestboi
Uvee
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sun ~ tea A recipe for the warmer months. Makes 16 ounces. - Measure out 3 tsps of loose leaf tea or 2 tea bags and put into a glass jar. I like hibiscus, peppermint and green tea for energy and cooling. - Fill the glass jar with water. - Place the jar out in the direct sun for 1 day. - Strain tea or remove tea bags & place in the fridge to chill. This sun tea recipe is a refreshing way to cool down, naturally energize and hydrate yourself. My mom would make sun tea throughout the summer time. I see this as part home experiment, energy saver (you don't have to heat up water on your stove) and a reminder to slow down, to be patient. For me, drinking tea is very calming, an act of kindness, and a restorative practice, especially in moments of intensity, stress, anxiety, fatigue and effects from the heat.
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Leah Haake
hygge (hue-guh) noun, verb, adjective [Danish.] *(with thanks to my Tante Lone)
1. An overall sense of security and comfort. Sanctuary. Home. 2. The notion that your surroundings directly affects your well-being. Soften your environment, brighten your perspective. 3. A cure for winter. Warmth. Coziness. 4. Togetherness. Connectivity. Closeness to loved ones. A positive and supportive social atmosphere. 5. Being present. Embracing the everyday. 6. The familiar: sounds, smells, books, movies, people, places. Tradition. 7. Practicing gratitude. Being thankful for what you have and where you are. =
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Erin Kolle
8. Creating: making art, writing in a journal, knitting. Whatever resonates with you. It doesn’t have to be professional, just therapeutic. 9. Curling up in a blanket with a book and a hot beverage, preferably by a crackling fire. 10. A home-cooked meal with friends or family. 11. Warm pools of light: candles (the more the better), lamps that provide diffused light, fireplace or campfire. The soft glow as the sun rises or sets. 12. Ambient sounds: rain pattering on a roof, pencil scratching paper. 13. Nature. Taking a walk in the woods. Bringing elements of nature indoors: pressed flowers, pinecones, houseplants. 14. Comfortable clothing. Comfortable furniture. 15. Warm food. Warm drinks: coffee, cocoa, tea. Sweets and comfort foods. 16. Embrace the good things in life with the people you enjoy the most. =
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Erin Kolle
Self-care can be something we neglect more often than practice. // Through an intersectional lens of wellness, we can see how social categories such as : race, class, gender identity, sexuality, disability, age, and ethnicity, along with environmental influences and personal disposition including stress, illness, changes in weather, mood, energy, anxiety, depression, ptsd, employment, relationships, time, and many more transient factors affect our ability to access, build, and sustain healthy practices of care. // People are not linear. We change. Everything changes all the time. Nature's cycles teach us these shifts - subtle and extreme. We cannot expect care practices that work for us in the winter will always work just as well in the spring. Just as we learn to adapt to our surroundings, we can find growth in learning to adapt our care practices to ever-changing external factors. By listening, tuning in, we can face ourselves and move through challenges with mindfulness. This autonomy to determine what is best for you is self-awareness. // It is crucial to decipher, to self assess the difference between neglect and judgment or self- doubt.
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When do I feel okay? Reflect on a moment: what is happening, what am I doing, what am I surrounded by?
What do I need? What do I not need?
What can I do for myself? (Something realistic and kind)
Can I get help from any source – person, place, act? Are there unhealthy patterns or habits I notice or find myself falling into? If a friend asked you for help with this (unhealthy pattern or habit), what would you say?
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“how you love yourself is how you teach others to love you”
-- Rupi Kaur