Run soft, run fierce

Currently on day 24 of my Dedicate challenge Yoga with Adriene, I've been gingerly trying poses out on my stomach. I'm more sensitive than I'd like to be, but after my crazy summer, that area remains tender. Six months after my second surgery, I finally attempted a short trot in the woods. I was doing okay until it started pouring. Absolutely no one else was on the trail (A.'s constant worries nagging me that I'm putting myself in danger what with one off news stories about runners murdered in the woods), and it probably wasn't a great idea to try running in the rain. Yet it was. I usually don't mind a lone walk in the woods, and yesterday morning felt especially adventurous.

heal me, wintry rain

mucky lake breathes soft and fierce

my face caught its mist

One of my favorite things

my favorite kind of white noise 

like the snow we fall 

ever so delicately 

into hygge

Tiny gifts, big presence

It's something to be able to offer a piece of ourselves to others in our communities. I chair the PTA wellness committee at my daughter's school. Our weekly cafe meetings have shifted to my home, where we begin with a brief mindful moment. Just five to ten minutes to ground ourselves and set an intention. Yoga mats and pillows down, the combination of a centering mint candle and lavender diffuser is a tiny gift we give to each other in the new year. 
--
mexican chocolate & plum ginger teas
and a toasty taste of champorado
for my momma friends 
who inspire
who carry our school community
we converse and create
we carry each other
a tiny moment 
to root, to breathe
to be together
we offer our tiny gifts
that make for big presence
this new year's hopeful wellness