March: Practicing Devotion
Devotion to self, devotion to magic, devotion to presence
Listen to me read this newsletter aloud by clicking the play button above :)
Hello loves,
It’s the beginning of March and today I feel as tender as the small buds forming under the ice on the ends of the barren branches outside my home. There is much stirring within me and around me and I continue to ebb and flow between feelings of overwhelm and inspiration.
I have lists that are miles long; decisions to be made about childcare in the fall, what to eat for dinner, mountains of laundry to be folded, piles of dishes to wash, work to do for my 9 to 5 job, work to do for my own budding business, emails to reply to, shop inventory to order (surprise coming soon!). And altogether the items on the lists loom like a pile of stones in an avalanche that’s moments away from crashing down on me. This feeling of overwhelm is odd in many ways but largely because, unlike an avalanche, the stones of my list will only ever move one by one and always by my own choosing.
To take the right next step is always a choice.
In my experience, overwhelm tends to feed off of and grow from two things: believing that I’m behind, and/or when my mind has ventured so far into the future that I forget where I am and how, or why, I would even want to take the next right step towards the future dream/goal/place.
Last week while forced to rest and unable to speak due to a bad cold that stole my voice, I rewatched a recording of
’s class “From Discipline to Devotion.” And it’s had me thinking a lot about the practice of devotion and how I/we can cultivate more of this in our lives.In so many ways devotion feels like an antidote to overwhelm. It infuses meaning into the avalanche of mundane tasks, such as the laundry, dishes, and emails. It asks us to bring each item on the list into the present moment, to treat every act, every breath, as a sacred practice.
So, this month I’m experimenting with living my life as a devotional practice; devotion to self, devotion to magic, devotion to ease, devotion to joy, devotion to dreams, devotion to grief, devotion to vulnerability, devotion to family, devotion to love, devotion to noticing, devotion to presence.
And in so doing, I can feel my load lighten as each mundane task transforms like magic, and is infused with meaning. I watch the piles of laundry transform into the dancing shadows of my children. The dishes in my soapy hands whisper gratitude for good food and time spent around the table gazing at beloved candle-lit faces. The emails I send become love notes and spells cast in communication. And the long list of next steps between myself and my dreams becomes a sacred practice in choosing hope, choosing expansion, choosing myself, again and again, moment by moment.
So, this month I’ll be lighting more candles.
Taking deeper breaths.
Pausing to notice.
Noticing the glimmers.
Practicing devotion.
Devotion to the present moment.
I would love to hear what surfaces for you.
In what areas of your life are you practicing devotion this month?
What do your devotional practices look and feel like?
Ten of Wands: This card is so very perfect for this month and the topic of practicing devotion! The Ten of Wands asks us to remember that a journey taken with an overburdened load can feel unnecessarily long and daunting. It’s important that we reassess our responsibilities along the way, letting go of what is no longer important, supportive, or meaningful. There will also be moments when we will need to ask for help with the things that we cannot carry all on our own. If you live your whole life overburdened, how will you ever be able to take in the brilliance of a sunset, a child’s smile, a lover’s kiss, the tender feeling of falling in love with yourself?
It may be helpful to take an inventory of all the responsibilities that you’re carrying at the moment. Light a candle and write a long and exhaustive list. Then sit with these questions, feel into your body, notice what your heart has to say:
Where are you taking on more responsibility than necessary?
What tasks and activities can you delegate or ask for help with?
If each task is an expression of your devotion to the life you are creating, is there anything that you are ready to stop devoting your life force to?
What could you let go of to expand your capacity for noticing the brilliance of your life?
How can you create more space for presence?
This playlist. A gentile companion throughout the day.
My watercolor calendar for March and my treasured Case for Making palette. Finding my way back to my watercolors and taking up this daily ritual once again:
Five minutes a day to sit with and visually express the feelings that the day held.
Two beliefs I’m holding and integrating:
I am worthy of my own devotion.
My dreams and desires are worthy of my devotion.
With endless love and deep gratitude,
Raina
www.findingstillness.one
@findingstillness.one
Beautiful, Raina. Thank you for sharing your light.