Happy New Year friends!
I don’t know about you, but i’m delighted to see the backside of January. The whole month felt like a dark night of the soul mini marathon. It’s been a challenge to get this newsletter out while a tornado powered through my brain. It appears I’m not alone. I’ve had many conversations with friends who are deep in it. Uncertainty about the future is pervasive and I found it helpful to talk through stuff and break it down to try to make sense of things. I’m not going to recount the anxiety producing events of last month, but the silver lining is it gave me the wallop I needed to get motivated and keep pursuing my own ideas for how I want to live my life. I’m moving forward and trusting all of it. How’s that for a new years resolution!?
My goal each year is to make a fresh start with new healthy habits - I mean, how many headlines have we seen about this? A gazillion! This time around I set realistic goals for myself.
Meditation EVERY morning (before coffee, obvi)
Yoga EVERY morning (after coffee, obvi)
In the past I set the bar too high with a rigid approach of sticking to routines. I somehow thought it best to do an hour of yoga every morning. I’ve been out of practice for quite a while so an hour was unrealistic, but 20 minutes feels right and I’ve been able to commit to it. Same with meditation. Started with 10 minutes, now I’m up to 20 and it feels right.
That’s it! Just two things on the 2024 list. I’m committed to it and it’s working! The constant ache in my shoulders and neck has disappeared and the meditation is, well, it’s been profound in helping m get my confidence back. I’m pretty proud of myself for being able to sit still in silence or listening to any of the million guided meditations on Spotify.
I’m loving this chanting one at the moment.
My YouTube yoga go-to again is YoginiMelbourne
I still have anxiety and that’s something I just have to be patient with. It’s formed a deep groove on my path and it’s not a quick fix. There are certain issues in my life I really need to address and at this point it feels like crunch time. Translation: Stuck in my life and want CHANGE! I thought my time in the South would help me get clear and shake things up and it did, but a change of address wasn’t enough. This is an inside job. Not fun. Not easy. I want to abandon trying almost every day, but I keep on because I know it’s important, at its core it’s about who I want to be and what I want do. I have a lot to offer and I want to figure out a way it all works together. I get in my own way a lot.
Below is another short list of reminders for myself. I’m having this list tattooed on my arm so I won’t forget. Just kidding!
Self-discipline
New direction
Expanding my vision
Inserting a meaningful quote here:
“The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”
–Eden Phillpotts.
For real 👆🏽
I had an interesting chat this past month about belief systems. I don’t mean religious belief necessarily, although no judgement for those who do have a religious belief/practice, I mean more about what gets you through life. I had a lot of religious influences in my early years as well as trauma so I sort of cobbled together my own belief system based on my experiences and developing faith in something bigger (translation: survival). The religious stuff never sat well with me because it always felt like judgement. If I didn’t believe in what they were preaching then there would be consequences and suffering. That logic never made sense to me. Also, religious institutions thinking their way is the ONLY way. BS! I think God energy includes us ALL with no judgement, just choice. The topic of faith sits at the center of my questioning mind. Faith in something bigger. Faith in my own abilities. What I experienced at the beginning of the year was a real crisis of faith. Once I recognized it, I took the steps to correct it - see above meditation + yoga program. The result for me is this simple equation: Faith = Hope.
I keep a lot of notes and the list of questions below was originally created for a possible podcast. I thought I’d share them here. Please send me your thoughts if you feel so inclined.
Questions:
Do you have a personal belief system - religious, spiritual, agnostic?
Do you feel there is something you need or want to heal in your life?
How do you take care of yourself?
How do you deal with anxiety or depression?
What brings you peace?
Do you feel there is a mind body connection?
Does feeling more, and thinking less make sense to you?
As part of my 2024 life review I am also reviewing this newsletter. I looked back over my early posts when I started out with a framework by categories (Know, Now, Food, Spirit). It’s turned into personal stories and thoughts on growth, change, and life struggles. Do you prefer the categories to the personal diary stuff? Would you rather see more recipes and tips?
I’m asking any of you who follow if that’s something you’d like to see back or does the freeform writing appeal to you more? I know a lot of you have talked about wanting more tips and I certainly have those. I guess I’ve just been trying to see how I feel and how I write with no real intention in mind other than what’s in front of me.
Ok enough with the questions! On to the post Christmas download.
This year I made gifts and cards. I like making my own things, because let’s face it, most of us have everything we need and a thoughtful homemade gift or card always feels appreciated. I did a single preserved lemon in a 4oz jar. It’s a great flavor enhancer and adds loads of lemony flavor to whatever you use it in (think soups, stews, dal, salad dressing). A little goes a long way so I thought it would make a compact gift that packed a punch. My friend Andrea and I did this one year with different kinds of citrus like yuzu and kafir lime. It was so much fun to make and give to friends.
I also made cards on Artifact Uprising. I had taken this series of photos in Bali of various Ganesha shrines around Ubud and it’s become the perfect greeting card set☝🏽. Not just because each of the Ganesha shrines are unique, but the message of Ganesha is what sticks - Lord Ganesha may enrich your life by giving you new beginnings and removing obstacles from your life. I could use a little obstacle removal so this felt right for a New Year card.
Merry Christmas to me!
What brought joy to my world this past Christmas was a gift to myself is the Gestura spoon. It’s a tasting spoon and that might sound frivolous to some of you, but for me I love having a good long-handled spoon preferably stainless steel that I can taste and stir with. Added bonus: it’s a single tablespoon volume AND has a thin flared tip for scraping. Not into stainless steel? It also comes in a gold-plated version and also a slotted option!
Happy Valentine Day to me!
My sister Maria, talented artist and beloved art teacher, has been making me valentines for years. It’s an annual tradition I look forward to. I’m sure you can see why 💓
Sweet snack:
In my quest for a healthy sweet snack and a way to use up my old dates, I poked around and found this gem of a recipe for salted tahini date caramels. In love! They are so delicious and no glucose spiking!
Healer dealer rec:
If you are having sleep issues, this product is for you! I found it at a small shop in Provincetown while visiting friends and I was a bit skeptical. I’ve had experience with magnesium oil (sticky and itchy) and wasn’t sure this would be strong enough, but It literally knocked me out! I love that you rub it on the bottoms of your feet and on the insides of your wrists. A sweet little night time ritual before you lapse into a coma.
Here’s to a powerful and rewarding new year for all ❤️
Thanks for reading!
Love,
Nancy Jo
Personally, I'm grooving on your freestyle form. It's powerful, very relatable and I like the feeling of connection. Of course, top tips always appreciated.
Your post inspired me to write about faith, which turned into writing about joy AND to do a much needed yoga practice this morning! Thank you. I love this freeform style - it feels expansive and authentic. I also love your posts that have more of a framework - happy to follow your words wherever they go. And, yes, we all love your tips!