In this Q&A post, we learn from Mel Meder about the importance and possibilities of generative somatics—a deeply embodied practice and theory for creating transformative change. I met Mel several years ago through a mutual friend in Madison, Wisconsin, and I’ve since been learning from Mel about the work of fundraising for organizations that we deeply care about and want to support. generative somatics is one of those organizations, which is why we’re highlighting ... Read more ...
environmental justice
Eating Vegan in Ireland
From curries and creamy risotto to mint chocolate and coconut ice cream, Ireland offers an array of vegan dishes, including comfort foods and sweet treats. This summer I traveled to Ireland with only a few weeks of planning—after realizing how much I needed a period of extended rest and reset. When I began telling friends and family about the trip, responses went something like this: You’re going to Ireland? That’s awesome! But what will you eat?” The short answer is ... Read more ...
Responding to White Supremacist Terror, This Time in El Paso
I woke this morning in Ireland to news of the El Paso shooting: the latest act of white supremacist terror in the United States. My body was already aching (today’s a rest day after some seriously long walks), but the news ramped up the ache and lodged itself in my chest. I recognized the familiar heartache that comes with shootings and acts of violence, particularly against Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)—in this case, against Latinx folks in Texas. Along ... Read more ...
Self-Inquiry and Social Justice: What’s Walking Got to Do with It?
This summer I’m offering “40 Questions for 40 Walks: Toward Everyday Living for Justice”—a self-paced e-course to support deep-diving into conditioned ways of living, being, and intervening in the world. My hope is that these 40 questions provide structure and invite attention to a wide range of matters that factor into everyday life, yet may be easily taken-for-granted or overlooked as important to social justice, racial justice, and environmental justice. Why ... Read more ...
How Small and Sustained Actions Turn Resolutions into Habits
Typically, by mid-year (by the summer solstice for those of us in the northern hemisphere), new year’s resolutions are a thing of the past. Months after setting resolutions, it’s easy to have forgotten or moved through them—with seasons shifting our embodied needs, creating the conditions for new intentions to be named. The summer solstice, then, provides the occasion for setting new resolutions, for looking backward to previous ones and forward to daily practices that ... Read more ...
A Minimalist Guide to Essential Oils
Recently, a friend asked what essential oils might best help with managing back pain, and I realized through answering the question that I take a minimalist (less is more) approach. Most folks I know either invest in a wide variety of essential oils or don’t use essential oils at all. In contrast, I’ve found a few favorite oils—ones that I know reliably help me with recurring issues—and I don’t expand my collection because, well, essential oils take a lot of investment: ... Read more ...
Roasted Red Cabbage: A Simple and Delicious Veggie
Ingredients: Red cabbage (I use a head of cabbage or less: what’s left over from other meals) Avocado oil or other high-heat oil (up to 1 tablespoon, rubbed into cabbage) Sprinkle of salt and pepper, seasoning salt, or other desired seasonings Instructions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice cabbage into strips (roughly ½ to ¾ inch each). Rub oil into the cabbage strips, covering both sides. Sprinkle salt or other seasonings onto the top of cabbage ... Read more ...
Lentil Not-Soup (Or Lentil Soup in Solid Form)
This week I’m sharing a simple recipe combining lentils with chopped carrots, celery, and onions for a quick and tasty meal. It’s essentially lentil soup in solid form: a stir-fry of the basic ingredients that make lentil soup. This creation (perhaps like many) arose from necessity—from facing hunger during and after hiking and needing high-protein food to take on the trail or to prepare in minutes afterwards. Now this dish is also a reliable option when I’m too busy or ... Read more ...
Lessons from a Poinsettia: Growing Resilience in 40 Days and Beyond
This poinsettia is amazing me—still blooming in these last days of February and reminding me that resilience (emotional elasticity, stamina, and strength) is something we don't often recognize until it’s already present and in place. When I googled how long poinsettias bloom, I was (and wasn’t) surprised to see that 40 days are a common period. The information not only confirms this poinsettia’s resilience (blooming for 3+ months), but it also feels like the ... Read more ...
Living in Shutdown USA
In recent weeks, friends have been asking about my experience with the government shutdown. I’m feeling and experiencing a lot, living in DC, or “America’s lightning rod” (thanks to Katharine Weinmann for this language from a recent comment). Certainly, the city feels on edge and reminds me of the urgent need for resistance, for visioning, and for choosing alternative paths, if we are ever to stop the perpetuation of injustice. I look to everyday life for direction, ... Read more ...
![Today's the day! 🎉
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I’d love for you to join. Link in bio.
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[Image description: Along with showing 4 emoticons representing different emotions, this flyer reads, “40-Day Practice: Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility. Nov. 22 – Dec. 31.”]
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#Emotions #Emotional #EmotionalLiteracies #EmotionalLiteracy #EmotionalIntelligence #40DayPractice #ContemplativePractice #WhiteFragility #WhiteSupremacy #Antiraciam #Antioppression #RacialJustice #Today #EBook #ECourse #endwhitesupremacy #HolidaySeason #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment #OngoingEducation #SocialJusticeEducation #November #Holidays #FriYay #Community #CommunityOfPractice #Commitments](http://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/c1.0.794.794a/s640x640/73457377_2695955370456874_1815295280149959005_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=110&oh=a0437d21fa419e39457d80570daec67f&oe=5E805B08 "Today's the day! 🎉
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I’d love for you to join. Link in bio.
.
.
[Image description: Along with showing 4 emoticons representing different emotions, this flyer reads, “40-Day Practice: Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility. Nov. 22 – Dec. 31.”]
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.
#Emotions #Emotional #EmotionalLiteracies #EmotionalLiteracy #EmotionalIntelligence #40DayPractice #ContemplativePractice #WhiteFragility #WhiteSupremacy #Antiraciam #Antioppression #RacialJustice #Today #EBook #ECourse #endwhitesupremacy #HolidaySeason #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment #OngoingEducation #SocialJusticeEducation #November #Holidays #FriYay #Community #CommunityOfPractice #Commitments")
![I’ve been stress baking while on the countdown to the 40-day practice. These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins look a mess, but they are vegan + gluten-free yumminess. And they’re powering me through the emotional labor and long hours going into the work.
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I wrote today about how my history of back pain—embodied knowledge that led me to vegan + gluten-free cooking—is wound up with trying to make sense of and navigate the world in the midst of oppression. Racialized trauma lives in the body, and the body is the home of the spiritual, emotional, and political work of “Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility.”
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We’re up to the wire: the 40-day practice begins tomorrow, and the FB group is now open! It’s not too late to join the practice and to make healing define your holiday season: link in bio.
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[Image shows two trays with pumpkin chocolate chip muffins spilling over the top.]
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And I'm especially influenced by @ResmaaMenakem's My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies and other work on embodiment, somatics, Reiki, feminism, and emotional literacies.
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#Emotions #Emotional #EmotionalLiteracy #EmotionalIntelligence #Contemplation #SocialJusticeEducation #Learning #Unlearning #OngoingEducation #Commitment #Committed #EmotionalPatterns #WhiteFragility #Whiteness #InternalizedWhiteness #EndWhiteSupremacy #WhyThisWork #EverydayWork #EverydayPractice #Antiracism #AntiracismEducation #Striving #Holidays #40DayPractice
#Vegan #VeganGlutenFree #VeganBaking #VeganComfortFood #Healing](http://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/76894209_202856127395721_4187777437996916903_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=109&oh=65f9ba59d51ad5ae8032d91f3bc528b5&oe=5E740622 "I’ve been stress baking while on the countdown to the 40-day practice. These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins look a mess, but they are vegan + gluten-free yumminess. And they’re powering me through the emotional labor and long hours going into the work.
.
I wrote today about how my history of back pain—embodied knowledge that led me to vegan + gluten-free cooking—is wound up with trying to make sense of and navigate the world in the midst of oppression. Racialized trauma lives in the body, and the body is the home of the spiritual, emotional, and political work of “Strengthening Emotional Literacies to Counter White Fragility.”
.
We’re up to the wire: the 40-day practice begins tomorrow, and the FB group is now open! It’s not too late to join the practice and to make healing define your holiday season: link in bio.
.
[Image shows two trays with pumpkin chocolate chip muffins spilling over the top.]
.
.
And I'm especially influenced by @ResmaaMenakem's My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies and other work on embodiment, somatics, Reiki, feminism, and emotional literacies.
.
.
#Emotions #Emotional #EmotionalLiteracy #EmotionalIntelligence #Contemplation #SocialJusticeEducation #Learning #Unlearning #OngoingEducation #Commitment #Committed #EmotionalPatterns #WhiteFragility #Whiteness #InternalizedWhiteness #EndWhiteSupremacy #WhyThisWork #EverydayWork #EverydayPractice #Antiracism #AntiracismEducation #Striving #Holidays #40DayPractice
#Vegan #VeganGlutenFree #VeganBaking #VeganComfortFood #Healing")
