Something I recently made note of to my therapist was the fact that, since 2020, I’ve managed to change residence four times, change jobs four times, complete three culinary certification programs, start grad school, gain and lose 40 lbs, and get sober (cheers to me for 1 yr, 7 months, and 3 days today.)
Her response to me was not what I was expecting, as I said all of this in passing, and after she asked me if I felt I’d made any progress toward what I said was my “true creative and spiritual path.” She paused (which forced me to pause) and told me something that made me cry almost instantly.
”I’m proud of you, Taj.” Now, I’m truly not sure if a therapist should be saying that to a client but it was a moment of reverence for me. Upon further reflection, I’m realizing that my process of building and destroying annually in order to find a “design” that fit was something that led me to what is now my daily practice.
And so, I’m starting this weekly newsletter as a way to consecrate the practice, and to [hopefully] inspire and galvanize those who are finding themselves at the proverbial crossroads.
Every day I meditate, walk, log my sobriety, say “grace” for my food and the warm water that I have access to, try my best to eat clean, journal, and tell the people that I love that I love them.
I break this down in my weekly planner, into the sections MIND, BODY, SPIRIT.
Where a certain practice lives is flexible—sometimes journaling is a spiritual practice, sometimes it’s mental. Sometimes walking is a body practice, sometimes it’s spiritual, and so on.
That being established, this is a curation of content for the mind, body and spirit, and I hope to nurture it as best I can, not only for my current and future self, but for the people I love and for those who need love. Because truly loving yourself is a Daily Practice.
MIND
I’ve been reading and re-reading Thích Nhất Hạnh’s pieces How to Love and How to Fight. They are relatively little books, but they’re powerful if you’re feeling anxious and need a way to ground yourself in concepts like trusting yourself and accepting uncertainty. How to Fight has some particularly interesting strategies for not taking everything so personally, which I have found useful given the state of our society.
I’ve learned a new mindfulness meditation technique called “Leaves on a Stream.” The set up is pretty standard, you find a quiet place where you can sit comfortably, with minimal distractions, where you can relax your gaze. Then you visualize a stream using all of your senses—imagine the color or the water, the sounds in the environment, the smell, the texture, the taste. Continue to hold your attention on your stream. As thoughts emerge, without judgement or analysis, acknowledge them by placing them upon a leaf, and watching as the leaf floats down the stream. This is a practice of acceptance that allows us to observe our emotions without being dictated by them. We allow them to flow through us without judgement as a way to ground ourselves.
BODY
For some reason I’ve been on a cottage cheese kick for the last month or so. It’s a low cholesterol protein option that is relatively inexpensive. I usually eat it with chopped walnuts, mixed berries, lemon juice, honey and fresh basil.
SPIRIT
I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to truly express yourself. It can be very scary to put yourself out there (especially when you’re an introvert), but it’s rewarding to see the tangible manifestation of things that typically live in our imagination. That being said, I’m not sure today is a day where I feel I have the correct language to express what I’m feeling or practicing spiritually. So, I’ll drop my newest playlist here. I usually make one for every quarter, and spring (as well as eclipse season) is upon us.
The aesthetic of this newsletter will be evolving, as we do, and since this is launching a week before an eclipse, I’m sure things will shake out in an interesting way regardless of whatever my intention may be today. With love, ♥️ Taj