Image Description: Pink list with lines A-G, with the prompt at the top, “Ways I’ve Tried On to Reconnect and Refuel this Week”. Option A reads: Community Conversations about Routines and Wellness, Others are left blank. Image contains video capability of a woman moving her arms while standing in tree pose. Other images of connection show a brain, human and heart/spirit, and multiple brightly colored figures connecting in a circle.

Hello, dear readers. It has been awhile since our last post.

If you’re reading this, I wish I could ask you this—

“How are you doing?

Truly, how are you?”

I’m not looking for the grocery store check out version of how you are doing, the version you say when you think no one really wants to know the answer so you smile and and say one of the following:

a. I’m good.
b. Just fine, thank you.
c. Could be worse (that may be very Minnesotan).
d. Insert your version here.

What I’m wondering is…

What are the vitals that show us how you and all around you are doing with truly living?
Are you getting and making space for true rest that restores you and others? If not, what is getting in the way?
What are you doing to connect and disconnect in ways that restore and sustain you?
What occupies your time, energy and head space that contributes to this?

As a result…

How would how we spend our time, energy, and dollars change by noticing the answers to those questions?

That is what is on my mind in this season. This and many more questions than answers, inquiries like:

Whose voices or perspectives are we missing or not understanding in order to create space for true rest and restoration?

Do we recognize what we each need to connect and disconnect?

If so, do we make space for that or proceed as scheduled even if we know it does not yield the results we seek?

How do our habits and routines contribute to this?

What comes next

In the next few months we are considering several different paths to explore how to best have these conversations and experiences with you as fellow citizens. We’ve got several possibilities in mind and we’d like to hear from you about what you need or are searching for at this juncture of life. What kind of community and kinship do you need to move forward with your vision?

An invitation to reconnect

As usual, you will find us hosting monthly conversations online about how we go about living our lives well occupied. In August we are taking about routines and wellness. We had our first community conversation last evening (which inspired today’s blog post) and on August 12, we will have OTD students Marcie Drayton and Kim Frederickson lead us in a free online offering in mindfulness practice, yoga practice and conversation about wellness.

This conversation is intended to serve as a chance to experience wellness based occupations while also having conversation about the impacts we notice of practices like mindfulness and yoga on our wellness. It’s a chance to notice, try on, and reflect on what occupations (anything we do with our time— including yoga and mindfulness) do for each of us.

Reconnecting to Refuel

Rainy Reflections on Reconnecting to Refuel

Let’s Sit Together for a Bit…