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Gratitude as a discipline involves a conscious choice .... It is amazing how many occasions present themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint.
Henri Nouwen
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Gratitude Box
These newsletters include a sidebar to cultivate the practice of gratefulness: for writing, for the natural world, and for all the gifts of Life.
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That my loved ones - and those cherished by my loved ones - are blessed with peace, vitality, health and spiritual wellbeing fills me with gratitude overflowing.
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Practice:
1. Write down one thing that is upsetting you.
2. Decide what single, simple action you can take to shift this thing just a little bit.
3. Whisper aloud to yourself your gratitude for that which you can change.
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Books | | |
Common Ground Between Crafts Collectives and Conservation
Weaving a Network
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Greetings! Wishing you a very peaceful 2014 and an abiding sense of well-being. I hope that this new year is offering you peace in the challenges, joy in the blessings, and compassion for yourself and all beings.
As the old calendar comes to a close and the new one unfolds, I find myself pondering how I will focus my energy. It is clear to me what tasks, responsibilities and projects I need to do; it is the how of doing so that is the clarity I seek. I search for a source of renewal, a wellspring from which to drink as I pursue my life's work. I look for the sacred container that will hold me through the days and weeks until I have the wintertime's luxurious dark to reflect on all this once again.
I call the endpoint of this rumination, a "practice;" this is the theme of this month's newsletter.
Blessings,
Jennifer Wilhoit, Writing Mentor
TEALarbor stories
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TEALarbor stories' newsletters offer inspiration, encouragement, and
beauty; inform about the connection between story, the natural world and all things writerly; and promote our professional offerings.
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A Practice of Practice
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Committing to practices is different from making resolutions. The latter are prescribed: something to do or something not to do. Practices are distinct from routines. The latter are focused on schedules and close-endedness.
A practice has a larger intention. It unfolds the wrinkles in our thinking, unhitches the crimps in our soul, releases the catch in our throats, and gives us permission to pronounce ourselves ready for the real work of the day.
For me, practices are about process; they are about engaging life as it happens. Sometimes my practice is stronger, while other times circumstances make practicing more of a challenge. But there is no failure in practice. In fact, sometimes practice does not entail doing something, but rather just being: being in the moment, being in solitude, being still, being aware, being in our emotions, being in a state of inaction, being contemplative.
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Spotlight: Practices for Writing and Life
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How does a writer engage practices that lead her deeper into her own journey and, thus, into her Story?
A practice is something we move into, over and over again, with a rhythm that echoes off walls, gets the chimes tingling, resounds through all time. Like our breath, practices cycle us in and out: studying our inner landscape so that we can move more freely in the outer one. It brings us back to the core of who we are as human beings on this planet Earth. We practice something not to become "better" at it but so that it comes more naturally to us when we really need it. Writing is no different.
I offer practices to my TEALarbor stories clients. Through writing, engaging with the natural world, moving our bodies through the fresh air, coming to understand our relationship to written expression, we are able to move forward with our projects in a deep and abiding manner.
Most of the people I work with need or want some practices that can involve these aspects of their writing process: editing, organizing, producing (this is, actually writing), processing (often through journaling). A number of the clients I work with currently also want to use practices that can create a lifestyle that is in support of writing, not in spite of it.
This way of conceiving writing, as practices that touch many aspects of our lives, opens us to the flow of Life. When we are open to Life, we are open to writing; sometimes the converse is also true - being open to writing can open us to crystal clear beautiful Life - life in all its muck and celebration, simplicity and thick rich decadence.
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| Please Support TEALarbor stories | |
*forwarding this newsletter to someone you know,
*signing up for a workshop, or
*giving TEALarbor stories' editing, mentoring, or Story & Nature Guiding © services to a friend or family member.
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News and Updates
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Second Tuesday Writing Workshops:
Come prepared to write the inner/outer landscape, bringing unlined paper and pens. All Second Tuesday workshops have a limit of ten seats. Drop-ins are welcome, however a seat can't be guaranteed without pre-registration. Contact Jennifer with questions, to hold your seat, or to learn more about the early sign-up discount for the monthly series: tealarborstories@gmail.com.
January 14, 2014 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM
at Napa Bookmine, 964 Pearl Street. Drop-in fee $20.
Branching Out: Brainstorming
Discover how a broad reach outward can actually help to hone, clarify and take us to the core of our written expression. Generate ideas for your next writing project (big or small) through creative and nature-based practices.
February 11, 2014 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM
at Napa Bookmine, 964 Pearl Street. Drop-in fee $20.
Stacking the Rocks: Getting Organized
Build the stone pile that will become the foundation for a particular writing project and for writing in general. Learn how journaling and time in the outdoors can give shape and structure to the next steps in writing.
March 11, 2014 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM
at Napa Bookmine, 964 Pearl Street. Drop-in fee $20.
Diving into the Stream: Actually Writing
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Big news: The TEALarbor stories website is now a dynamic one! This means that changes will happen frequently.
If you previously created a bookmark for the site, please delete that bookmark; it will no longer take you to my site. You can click on the link just below and add a new bookmark to the site page that comes up.
Check out a few of the most recent improvements including the News & Updates page, revised home page, embedded links, additional testimonials and photos, and more...
TEALarbor stories website
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Please read about TEALarbor stories in the local newspaper article that came out on December 15, 2013.
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TEALarbor stories' mission is to support people as they discover and convey through writing their deepest Stories. The nature-based, creative processes help individuals to: write for insight, write as rite, write for outcome.
Offering mentoring, editing, tutoring, story & nature guiding ©, workshops and more...
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