dearheart mail {No. 1}

There’s no denying the chaos we’re living in.  We may not have the power to change circumstances or control the thoughts and reactions of other people, but we can decide how we’ll speak to and care for ourselves.  We can choose to be a safe place, a nurturing place, a place where grace flows.  I know it can be challenging to keep showing up in times of uncertainty and do the things we love, but I also know it’s the best gift we can give ourselves.  We must continue to honor the desires in our hearts as best we can.

As we move into a new week, I invite you to pause and ask your heart what it needs.

You can close your eyes, put your hand over your heart and take a few deep breaths.  Sometimes, I find it helpful to imagine myself getting on an elevator and riding it out of the buzz of my mind and down into my heart. Once I feel settled, I ask my heart “what do you need today?”  Then I wait in silence until I hear a reply.  It’s usually a brief answer, and I do my best honor its request.  Sometimes it's a going for a walk, journaling, dancing around the house, cooking a nourishing meal, or simply resting.  Other times I've heard things like compassion, kindness, silence, to be listened to.

If it's helpful, you can download this image to use as you practice listening. 

If you use this practice and feel comfortable sharing, I'd love to hear how it goes.  You can email me here or tag me on instagram. I even started a new hashtag #dearheartdiaries to keep track of all this love we're showing ourselves. If you'd like to sign up for weekly dearheart mail, you can do that here! I hope it will be a source of encouragement in the days to come. If there is anything I can do to support you, please let me know. We will get through this together! Let kindness, courage, empathy & love lead the way.

XO,