Daily Nourishment for December 22, 2024: Wake Up to the Coming Week
Daily Nourishment Read Time: 40 seconds
Pause/Prompt/Practice Time: 15 minutes
“It’s much more common, especially in the modern world, to never experience full-blown, life-threatening stress, but to never fully relax either. We’ll spend our days half-asleep and nights half-awake, lolling in a gray zone of half-anxiety.”
― James Nestor, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
Pause.
Take six deep breaths with a six-count inhale and a six-count exhale. This six-count inhale and six-count exhale will help integrate your body+mind+soul. All religions from the beginning of time have prayers with a six count inhale/six count exhale structure. (Read more in Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor.)
Prompt.
Set a timer for 10 minutes. Think about the past week and the coming week and answer these questions:
What do you want more of?
What do you want less of?
What do you want to write about this week?
What do you want to stop writing about this week?
Practice.
Pick one contemplative practice to do today that will help you honor where you are right now as a writer and a whole person. You know what you need. (But it might be helpful for me to encourage you to think about it and make a plan!)
Want More?
If you aren’t sure which contemplative practice you should try and you really just want someone to tell you what to do (which is fine!), visio divina is always a great option. Here’s a visio divina guide with more information and instructions.
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Resources, Workshops, & Gatherings:
—Advent Resources: Throughout Advent, I’ll include a new resource each day. For today, here’s a lovely children’s book about the Winter Solstice. And an SDW writer read the “Broken” chapter from Scott Erickson’s Honest Advent during today’s co-writing session. I highly recommend that chapter!
—Become an SDW Insider: (Free) Weekly emails, behind-the-scenes updates, reminders for free SDW Co-Writing sessions, early access to gatherings and retreat registrations, occasional offers and gifts, bonus resources, and more. Email Charlotte at charlotte@charlottedonlon.com to be added to the SDW Insiders.
—New Resource: Parenting with Art® Lectio Divina Cards Information about ordering these cards can be found in my Books + Spiritual Direction + Retreats & Gatherings email newsletter . To stay in the loop on all of my work, writing, book recs, and more, subscribe to that weekly newsletter at charlottedonlon.com/subscribe.
Today’s Daily Nourishment was provided by Charlotte Donlon.
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