Favorite Things, Life, Soul Homework

first aid for the soul

Kari

i love the sound of train horns. we live very close to a commuter and freight train line, but they rarely sound the horn because there is a law prohibiting them from doing so because we live in a very congested area.

coincidentally, since the israeli war, the train horn has sounded every time a commuter or a freight passes by. at first, we thought it was something on the track. my mind always wanders to a dark place. there must be a human standing on the tracks.

or it’s a coyote or deer.

needless to say, the train horn serves as a wake-up call. most days, i’ve felt like i’m operating on autopilot. i’m doing okay, but not quite as good as usual. it feels like the train horn jolted us awake from what had felt like a walking sleep.

there have been some positive aspects to the last six weeks; i’ve grown stronger, more independent, and i can do difficult things. oh, and most important, i no longer write in uppercase. mike is scheduled to get his cast removed on thursday. we’re counting down the days. 🖤

here are some ways i’ve been taking care of myself during mike’s convalescence to help me get through each day. i thought i’d share in case you needed some inspiration. i consider these things to be first aid for the soul.

-a few weeks ago, i discovered a tiktok about how it is good to brush your teeth twice in a row to get the plaque off, and it has become the self-care i didn’t realize i needed. every morning, my mouth feels like i’ve had a dental cleaning.

-i’ve mentioned before how much i love my shower scrubs and korean washcloths. it’s also an excellent way to remove negative energy off my body.

7 Shower Affirmations That Help Wash Away Negative Energy

Spiritual Shower Ritual

-lying on my accupressure mat and listening to a spotify playlist of my choice. it’s been a very soothing way to end my day.

-every morning, i try to do five minutes of yoga before getting ready for the day. i also do a longer practice before going to bed.

Adriene Mishler: ‘In 2021 I was like, “I have to pause. I have to practise what I preach”’

6 Yoga Poses That Can Help Eliminate the Effects of Burnout

-I tried setting my alarm for 30 minutes earlier each day so I could do soul homework. but I am finding that i am growing more tired each day, so I’ve been hitting the snooze button. i don’t get much soul homework during the week, but I try to make up for it on the weekends.

Vent Writing Allows You To Let It All Out in Private

both ally and nicole both mentioned grievance journals in their blog posts, so i decided to start keeping one in addition to my gratitude journal, and let me tell you, it’s been therapeutic.

all of this is to say that i make time for myself without reservation, and i hope you will as well, regardless of your circumstances. it is exhausting to be a human, isn’t it? try to take care of yourself so that you can be a good human to others.

here are some spotify playlists i love:

music for plants

relaxing electric guitar

deep sleep

here are my favorite shorter yoga routines i love:

5 minute morning yoga

10 minute yoga for self-care

ujjayi breathing

here are some good reads:

The Simple Little Secret That Will Help You Live a Healthy Life

Rituals | Seth’s Blog

(29) Pema Chodron – Loving Oneself and Others

Some links are affiliate.

@notmarlenevega

This 🫶🏽 I would always get comments like “I wish I had all that free time to just paint” or “i wish I had the time to do xyz” (depending on whatever video of mine they came across) lol You have to create the time for those things. You have to prioritize the things that bring you joy. We won’t magically wake up one day and just find time for it✨ #parttimeartist #artistlife #latinacreator #motivation #artjourney #latinaartist

♬ original sound – Cameron Rosin

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41 thoughts on “first aid for the soul”

  1. Thanks for linking to my post. I appreciate it. I know that once you accept unfortunate circumstances, while not making them go away, they do seem to be more manageable. Your dedication to caring for your soul, your body, your mind seems rational and balanced and an incredibly kind way to help yourself, then others. Laughing about “i no longer write in uppercase.” Whatever brings joy is good.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. At your suggestion I wrote my “Where I’m From” poem and posted it today. I tried to link back to your post about these poems, the link might have worked. Thanks for the idea.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Finding ways to support yourself while you keep on keeping on is so important. I love your selection and am glad that they’ve helped you to get through it, while being kind and caring to yourself. Some days are just not meant for pushing through and hanging tough. What you’ve been going through are those days, so I’m glad you’ve been gentle with yourself.

    Like Ally, also chuckling that you’re loving discarding the capital letters! :) I’d find it hard to do as I’m a trained typist of many years standing, but it would sure make things easier on my phone.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes! I’m getting better at finding small ways to take care of myself. I’m hoping everyone does. ❤️

      I’m still struggling because it took me responding to all of my comments to realize I was still capitalizing. 🤣🤣

      Liked by 1 person

  3. What a challenging time. I love that you are finding new ways to show yourself kindness. We need more that in the world.

    While I have an enduring fondness for capital letters (and too many decades of typing with them to stop now or ever), I love that you have discarded them. They aren’t really necessary, are they. And why foist additional restrictions upon yourself when they aren’t helping anything.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Pingback: Something Good | Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray)

  5. Love this post, Kari! Incorporating ritual into everyday things like washing/showering yourself with intent to remove negative energy is something I first learned from an Indigenous speaker – thanks for the reminder! I also love that you are freeing yourself from capitalization when you write. Rock on,

    Deb

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, Deb! I would have loved to hear that person discuss negative energy. That entire process calls for so much respect and honor.
      I’ve gotten pretty good at not capitalizing in posts, but I still forget when I respond to comments. Baby steps. 🤣

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Interesting about brushing your teeth twice and it feeling so refreshing . . . I just listened to a podcast about the importance of oral health as it seems to affect so many other parts of our bodies, including our brains.

    I love the idea of a Spiritual Shower Ritual. I take my shower at night because I just feel better putting on my jammies when I’m fresh and clean, plus it’s relaxing at the end of the day. And the hotter the better. I look forward to whatever shower gel I have. Right now it’s black raspberry vanilla.

    I am getting a kick out of all of you and your grievance journals. Sometimes, a little negativity is definitely first aid to the soul!!

    I find rituals to be SO important. Every day after I eat my lunch, I have a piece of very dark (88%) chocolate with my homemade concoction of mixed nuts and a cup of hot tea (I pick a different flavor every day; today was green tea with lemon). It’s something I look forward to and I miss it when I’m not home for lunch.

    Thanks for sharing all of these important practices for our souls. XO

    Liked by 1 person

    1. YES. Years ago, I heard about someone having a heart attack as a result of poor oral hygiene, and I’ve never skipped a day of brushing my teeth since. 🤣

      I’m going to start taking showers in the evenings. Someone recently told me about their nighttime shower routine, and I thought to myself, “That’s exactly what I need.” A shower at the end of the day. That will heal me, I am certain.

      You have no idea how good it feels to write all the things that irritate me right before I write all the things that make me happy. CATHARTIC. Maybe we discovered the secret to life.

      Oh, I love your ritual! That exactly sounds like something my best friend Rebecca would do.

      I am ALWAYS willing to share. ❤️

      Like

  7. I listen to a podcast and one of the hosts is a hair stylist in her other job (the podcast is Let’s Go To Court) and she has said repeatedly that people should wash their hair twice in the shower – once to get rid of product and again to actually wash the hair – and my shower experience has never been the same since I implemented this.

    Hugs, friend. Living as a human being is hard.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. YESSS!! I discovered the hair tip on TikTok last spring and have been using it ever since! My hair has never felt so good.

      It’s extremely difficult. I’m sending you hugs in return. 😘

      Like

  8. OH MY GOODNESS THAT POEM.
    Gosh, that is something, I will be thinking about that a lot.
    I always have brushed my teeth twice in a row, it just feels so much fresher! Especially after coffee and green smoothie, you know how it goes.
    I’m smiling about you keeping a gratitude and a grievance journal. It’s perfect! A life balance, as it were.
    I’m sorry things have been so rough for you. Sending hugs and love.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Isn’t that a lovely poem? It was in a book called The Wonder of Small Things: Poems of Peace and Renewal by James Crews (all of his poetry collection books are lovely).

      The toothbrushing tip changed my life. Every morning, I feel so much better.

      I feel so deceptive and yet so wonderful keeping both a grievance and gratitude journal. In fact, I write my complaints first so that I have space in my soul to be grateful. 🤣

      I will take those hugs! 😘

      Like

  9. Kari, and yet another thing you and I have in common!

    “i love the sound of train horns.” Meeeeee too! And not only the sound of horn, but traveling by train as well. It’s my favorite way to commute. I find the motion of a train so relaxing and calming.

    I so admire the way you’ve looked at the positive aspects of the last six weeks. It’s all in our perception, isn’t it?

    I too use a Korean wash cloth in the shower. I kid you not! I’ve been using them for years. I get them at store outside the city that sells Asian products. I’m a 2-shower a day person. One to wake me up. The other to relax me at the end of the day. Plus, I’m a clean freak. LOL!

    You’re so right, it’s important to grieve as well. That’s all part of the “life process”.

    Thanks for sharing the yoga routine list because I would like to try some new things, when it comes to doing yoga.

    “You have to create the time for those things. You have to prioritize the things that bring you joy. We won’t magically wake up”

    So true! Taking care of ourselves makes for taking care of others.

    Thanks so much for sharing first aid for the soul, my friend. Muchly enjoyed and appreciated! Have an awesome week! X

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Is there anything better in the world than the sound of a train horn? 
      I love how we’re discovering how much we have in common, blog post by blog post. Every week, this heals a part of me. ❤️

      It all comes down to perception.

      My shower makes me feel like a completely different person, so I’m with you all the way! AND those washcloths are the greatest invention ever. I might try the two-a-day method and see if I feel any better.

      I appreciate you, my friend. You’re a big part of my self-care. 😘

      Like

  10. I love the sound of train horns, too. I find them hauntingly comfortable, if that even makes sense. Same with the sound of coyotes howling in the distance.

    Love that poem. Woo-hoo for Mike getting his cast off! Maybe life will soon be back to “normal”?

    I try to have extra-good oral health as my teeth and gums are genetically screwed. I’m prone to cavities and have receding gums. I brush and floss my teeth twice/day (I’m finding that brushing your teeth twice thing confusing, as I brush over the same section of teeth several times anyway) and I also use a water flosser.

    Funny how some people like rough textures when they shower ~ I can’t stand them! I have to have a soft, fluffy, cotton washcloth and gentle soap (Dr Bronners is my fave). No scrubs. I like soft towels, too ~ but know others who like rough towels. I like the idea of washing negative energy off and it going down the drain.

    Yoga…oh yes, a must-do for me most every day. Though I really need to get back into the habit of going to a weekly class, too as the entire hour of doing it via an instructor is so much better, physically and emotionally.

    I use my everyday journal not only to talk about my day or what’s on my mind or what my dream was the night before… or even describing the birds in my backyard that I see while I’m writing, but to bitch about whatever I need to vent about, too. So I guess I don’t need a separate grievance journal!

    Going to check out your links now. Much love to you. xoxo

    Liked by 1 person

    1. We are loving those train horns too! And the occasional coyote howls in response to the train horns.

      My dad and I can both relate to being genetically screwed. I can floss, scrub, and do pretty much everything and still end up with a cavity or two at my twice-yearly appointments. Mike can only go once every four years and have no problems. 🤣

      I’d never used a loofah before, so I’m sure people who enjoy loofahs are laughing at my discovery. I like the fact that these washcloths can be washed in the washing machine.

      I only practice yoga at home, but I’m wondering if an occasional class in public would be better, especially when I’m trying new positions and need someone to help me get there. But I also like the idea of being emotionally connected to a class.

      I’ve had my own sort of grievance journal since 2020, but I hadn’t written in it in a while, and when I don’t, it shows up in my life. I’m a people-pleasing, sensitive, empath (I’m sure you can relate), and if I don’t express my emotions on paper, I feel them all over my body. So making a list of “things that annoy me” has helped me a lot.

      Much love to you as well, my friend. 😘

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Thank you for another wonderful post where you’ve taken the time to share so many things to explore! I agree with you, we have to intentionally carve out time for self-care; it’s crucial that we do so with the state of the world today. And I don’t have Spotify but I really like the titles of those playlists!

    Blessings to you and Mike as he continues his healing and you work through the challenges the situation and life in general has brought you. 🙏🏼

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you so much for reading! I also have an Apple Music subscription, but I don’t use it as much as I do Spotify. I should definitely go there more often. Where do you listen to music the most?

      We are grateful for all of your blessings, Steve. Thank you so much. 😘❤️

      Liked by 1 person

      2. I’ll have to look for you on Apple! I mostly listen to Spotify. But I do like Apple. I recently noticed that when you go to an artist’s top songs on Apple, they show the year that the song was popular. I geek out about things like that. 🤣

        Liked by 1 person

      3. That’s very cool! Hadn’t noticed.
        I put all the songs I post about on a list predictably called Song of the Day for Today. I don’t have any other lists, nor have I followed anyone but I probably should!

        Liked by 1 person

  12. I was too knocked down yesterday to write anything in response to this. Ways I healed myself: 1) Acknowledged that I was knocked down and it felt terrible but I needed to feel those feelings; 2) Did a session of expressive writing (in order to more fully feel my shitty feelings, which I hated but did anyway, because adding a migraine to the mix would only make it worse); 3) Moved my body (went skating) and moved slowly through my day (“making time for myself without reservation”); 4) Communicated carefully; 5) Let myself watch TV for two hours instead of plowing through my pre-planned chores and didn’t let myself beat up on myself for doing it ; 6) Expressed my feelings/thoughts about the difficult situation to two trusted people. Did not try to hide my distress; 7) Reminded myself that it would pass.

    By the end of the day, the deep funk was lifting. Today is better. Learning that I don’t have to fix a situation to fix my feelings–or, that I don’t even have to fix my feelings, but just need to let them come and go–is a life lesson I sure wish I’d learned earlier. I love all your tools. Yesterday they were too much, but today they feel just right. :-)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m so sorry you were knocked down. I, too, was knocked down by a migraine and a pulled muscle in my chest yesterday, which is worsening my anxiety because it’s in my chest area. All of this to say, I feel this AND I desperately need all of these steps because I had such a bad panic attack this morning that I had to cancel Ella’s school and focus solely on soul homework, responding to comments, and eating. This weekend, I told a friend that blogging and this community had really saved me through all of this. I swear you knew I needed this comment.

      I hope you’re feeling much better today, friend. I’ll be thinking about you all day. 😘

      Liked by 1 person

  13. You shared so many lovely things here. It’s so important to find ways to take care of ourselves, and I love how you call it “first aid for the soul.” I especially love the thought of a shower washing away negative energy! That’s so true!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. I love the way you approach self care—like your life depends on it. Because, it does.
    I hope Thursday brings ONLY positive and good vibes to Mike and your family.
    I had a friend tell me a few years ago: Did you know you should always brush your teeth in the morning and before coffee, because if you don’t, it’s bad for your teeth.
    Me: WHO DOES’NT BRUSH THEIR TEETH FIRST THING IN THE MORNING?
    I guess not everyone does and YUCK.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. I love your idea of First Aid for the Soul. Without realizing it, I think I’ve compiled my own collection. How funny is it that? As a kid I don’t remember needing to consciously pause. Soul nourishing was just there. I wonder what changed?

    That poem Kari. How do you find these perfect poems? I wish I could send it to my past self with a lil note.

    Yoga with Adriene – her channel is like a public service. I swear.

    I hope Mike is enjoying cast-free life & is steadily getting back to his old self. Just in time for gorgeous fall weather walking season! ❤️

    PS. Your YouTube short for your October Maples popped up & I was *entranced*. Love the sound of autumn winds in the trees. Def first aid for the soul!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Do you think society has changed? I remember feeling pressured to always be on, as if rest was a dirty word. That is no longer the case for me.  🤣

      My library! During my birthday month, I found this anthology (is that the right word?) book of poems at my local library! It was written by James Crews and was titled How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope. Then I found another collection of his poems, The Wonder of Small Things: Poems of Peace and Renewal.

      Adriene is saving my life. My friends had been telling me about her for years before I finally jumped on board.

      So the cast was removed, but he is now in a boot and can’t bear weight until November 2nd. Perfect timing for my colonoscopy. Yay us!

      Oh yay! I’m glad you watched the video! I’m going to include it in my upcoming What I Kept post, and I’m filming several succession videos of them because they’re turning such beautiful shades of red and orange. I’m also working on a tree-related post! They are definitely spiritual first aid! 😘❤️

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