Seeking softness in turbulent times

Weaving together nature, tarot, art, music, and a smattering of cat magic!

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The sun rises over the hill outside my window. The air is filled with the musical notes of birdsong. I nurse a mug of steaming black coffee between my hands, soaking in the peace of this quiet morning, my last day at this retreat in the middle of Asia’s largest bird sanctuary. By the time this day draws to a close, I will be back in the hustle and bustle of Delhi, with its incessant cacophony of honking horns and construction machinery, the air rendered a foul grey due to the soaring pollution levels in the city.

For now, though, I am here. I gaze out of the window, watching the finches and robins; the sparrows and parrots flitting from tree to tree in the early morning sun; drawing the peace and natural beauty surrounding me like a cloak around my shoulders.

The world outside feels loud and chaotic. My ginger tabby, Simba, concurs, jumping up on my laptop to add a visual representation of what the chaos feels like:

/**/—————

Though I must admit, his representation {above} has an undercurrent of a Zen master to it. Mine would look more like this:

^@@^R$%#^””:>?(#$&(RRTHO()#)

When I think about the state of the world — both the wider world as well as my inner world — from the perspective of the tarot, it feels like a combination of The Tower and Death, a potent representation of unexpected change, violent upheaval, and the inevitable cycle of life and death.

You don’t need to be well-versed with the tarot to viscerally feel the chaos and turbulence that these images convey, and how closely they reflect these times we are living in.

Alongside the turbulence of the world, with its wars and political upheaval, there is the turbulence within our hearts, as we contemplate the path ahead of us, as well as the circumstances of our own lives.

I am currently caught in the currents of my own Death cycle, one that I actively chose. One cycle of my life has ended, and though I chose it, it feels like a Tower moment — the change may not have been sudden and unexpected, but many of my established structures have collapsed.

I anticipated some of these changes of course, but others have caught me by surprise. I thought I had the beginnings of the path laid out in front of me, but I now find that the woods are dark and mysterious, and I feel like a deer caught in the headlights.

But this, too, is part of the process. I remind myself that every cycle of life and death, endings and beginnings, requires time and patience. That after any ending, we need to give ourselves time and grace to adjust to the new situation in which we find ourselves, to take in the enormity of the changed circumstances of our lives.

The Tower and Death serve as a reminder to stop and let things take the time they need to take. There are some things over which we may have little control, so it’s important to feel our feelings and let them move through us, because that is the only way we will be able to cope with these changes.

These cards remind us that the only way to break out of stagnancy is to embrace change — it is what leads to greater flow, personal growth, as well as societal and collective transformation. It is an invitation to surrender to the unknown and embrace the chaos, with a promise that we will eventually emerge from these fires stronger and wiser.

When these two cards crash together, they herald the close of one chapter and the dawn of another. There’s often a sense of urgency with these cards, a call to release attachments and face the uncomfortable and unpleasant aspects of our lives with both courage and resilience.

And though it may be disorienting, scary, and even painful, if we keep an open heart and mind, we will inevitably find the gifts waiting for us on the other side of this chaotic, transformative time.

I turn around for one last look at the hills and trees that have been my refuge these last few days. Allow the birdsong to wash over me one last time, before I head back home to the bustle and grind of a sprawling, polluted metropolis.

These few days immersed in nature illuminated my craving for softness and beauty. For time to simply be…without screens and books and external noise. For gentle days and non-violent thoughts, because often it is my thoughts — my self-doubt, anxieties, inner critic…what I collectively call brain gremlins — that inflict a thousand cuts on my tender heart.

I know that I cannot escape into the wilderness every time I crave softness. But I can find ways to create pockets of tenderness, of gentle nurturing, of beauty, of stillness, in my daily, mundane life.

• Quiet cups of coffee with the sunlight streaming through my window

• Candles and fairy lights strung around the studio

• Incense and essential oils filling the air with their sweet perfume

• Nature sounds playing in the background while I write or journal or paint

I know I’m not alone in craving some softness. I know that now more than ever, most of us are craving comfort, gentleness, time to just be with our own thoughts, away from screens and screams and fears and anxieties.

While I wish we could all retreat together in a cabin in the woods, I know that is an improbable dream. Instead, I offer you some gentle invitations to bring some light and softness and calm into your world.

Music

Bring in some gentle instrumental music into your every day life. Look for nature sounds — birds, waterfall, rain, perhaps even a fireplace — or listen to this mix of orchestral, acoustic, and electronic instruments along with field recordings from the Pacific Northwest, courtesy

FogChaser

You can find a collection of Matt’s music on

Flow State

— here’s the link.

Art

Immersing yourself in art making is an excellent way to make beauty with your own hands. To create a pocket of time away from the external world with all its noise. Even better if you can treat it as a retreat, a portion of time devoted to paints and papers, scissors and glue.

In times that are tumultuous and chaotic, when you feel like inspiration is lacking and the muses have left the building, allow another artist to lead you on a journey.

If this sounds like something you need, join me and 24 other artists for 2 weeks of creativity and art making absolutely free, no strings attached. The first 3 lessons drop on Monday. You can sign up here.

Clear a space to create in, carve out some time for yourself to create, and put your favorite art supplies in an easy-to-access space. All sessions are pre-recorded, so once each lesson goes live you can watch them at your own pace until the 2nd of December.

If you can't make it to the retreat, or if you love it and want to retain access, along with all the other workshops (78 lessons  in total) then the year long Make Create Express workshop is still available. Learn more here.

Slow stitching

There’s something meditative about slow stitching, something that anchors you into the present moment as your needle weaves in and out of fabric, one stitch at a time. Listen to a podcast — my favorites while slow stitching are On Being and Speaking of Jung — some soothing music or an audio book if that’s your jam.

If you want to take the meditative experience even deeper, consider chanting a mantra or blessing while you stitch.

If you want some structure or are new to slow stitching, sign up for the free Making Zen online retreat. It’s a five day retreat that runs from 18 to 22 November.

A question to consider

How can I weave pockets of stillness, beauty, and softness into my days?

Take the question to your journal, or hold it gently in your mind as you go about your day. See how you can infuse some gentleness, comfort and softness into your every day, mundane life.

Let’s chat!

I love chatting with you in the comments or via e-mail. Here are a few questions to help us get the conversation rolling:

• How do you create pockets of tenderness, beauty, and stillness in your days?

• Do the themes of The Tower and Death resonate with you at this time?

• If you read the tarot, what cards would you choose to represent your life circumstances at this point in time?

• Share your favorite musical tracks that weave a spell of softness around you.

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