Glimmers
Welcome to my monthly newsletter, ATTUNEMENT!
Each month we “tune into” a theme related to mindfulness and
explore a creative practice and tune based on this theme!
This month of June we’re TUNING INTO the frequency of:
GLIMMERS.
Train yourself to enjoy small moments of beauty and goodness in life: a flock of birds overhead, sunlight cutting through a window and shimmering on a glass of water, ordinary time with a loved one.
-Oren Jay Sofer
Image by Rhys Kentish
Glimmers are small, positive moments of joy, peace, or safety. The term was coined by Deb Dana, a clinician and expert on Polyvagal Theory, a theory which explores how our nervous system responds to stress and safety.
Glimmers are the opposite of triggers. Triggers activate our stress responses, while glimmers activate feelings of well-being and ease. Dana says that these "micro-moments of goodness, kindness, well-being... begin to accumulate and form the foundation for being with suffering (ours or others') in a different way."
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
-Fred Rogers
Glimmers can help buffer us against the negative effects of stress and trauma. This has absolutely been the case in my experience. Therapy has been an essential tool for me in helping to regulate my nervous system and feel into joy, but so have glimmers such as:
Observing my cat's tummy rise and fall and I listen to her purrs and pet her
Watching bluebirds dine and socialize at my backyard feeder
Catching sight of a rainbow after a storm
Breathing in the spring air while on a walk in my neighborhood
Glimpsing a beautiful sunrise as I leave for work
Laughing (with friends, my kids, and my hubby)
Witnessing a small act of kindness between two or more people
When we practice mindfulness, we can become more attuned to glimmers in our daily life. This heightened awareness can help identify and savor these positive moments, which can benefit our mental health and resilience, especially during difficult times.
I've certainly become more attuned to glimmers all around me since I've worked on cultivating the skills/states of mindfulness and gratitude. As a result I've noticed that I'm smiling more and generally experiencing more moments of joy. That's not to say that I'm stressing LESS, but noticing glimmers enables me to move from a fight-flight-freeze stressed state into rest-digest calmed state a little more quickly than I used to.
This mindful attunement to various aspects of the present moment has been strengthened by my engagement (as participant or facilitator) in practices such as forest bathing, SoulCollage®, sound baths, gratitude / art journaling, and mindful vision boarding. This is why I'm so passionate about sharing these practices with others like you!
Of course you don't have to attend a workshop to cultivate mindfulness and notice glimmers, but practicing with others in a group setting can deepen your experience and strengthen your commitment to continue practicing on your own. I've witnessed this time and time again as group facilitator. Later in this email you'll find upcoming opportunities to practice in community. And in the next section are some tips for how to start noticing and working with glimmers:
Image by Aaron Burden
Creative Mindfulness Practice: Keep a Glimmer Journal
How to start: Begin each day by setting an intention to be present and open to positive experiences. Take a few deep breaths to center yourself. Then during your day, choose an object or a scene to observe mindfully, such as a flower, a tree, or a view from your window. Spend a few minutes observing it in detail, noticing colors, shapes, textures, and any emotions that arise.
Journal About Your Glimmers: In the evening or during a quiet moment, in a journal write about the glimmers you noticed today. Describe the experience in detail, noting what you saw, heard, felt, or smelled. Reflect on why these moments were meaningful to you. After writing, consider using art supplies of your choice to create a visual representation of at least one glimmer you experienced today. If you're a SoulCollager®, you might create a card for "I Am One Who Notices Glimmers."
Upcoming Events:
Breathwork & Sound Bath @ The Be Sanctuary in Upper Arlington - Thursday, June 6, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Join Breathwork Facilitator Tiffany Berger and me for a transformative event designed to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Harness the power of your breath to release stress, find emotional clarity, and ignite a profound sense of well-being and a deeper connection to yourself. A relaxing, restorative crystal singing bowl sound bath will accompany your breathwork journey in this unique self-care experience.
Details: Thursday, June 6, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
3360 Tremont Rd., Suite 240, Upper Arlington, 43221/Investment: $40
Living a Creatively Mindful Life @ Dublin Chamber Historical Suite - Monday, June 10, noon-1 p.m.
Mindfulness is a powerful tool for cultivating balance, self-knowledge, self-regulation, psychological flexibility, and relational effectiveness for business leaders. In this workshop you’ll be introduced to various mindfulness-based methods (such as sound baths, forest bathing, SoulCollage®, gratitude art journaling, and vision boarding) and learn about our "Mindful Moments Mini Forest Retreats" at beautiful Moon Creek Resort in Dublin that feature these restorative practices, which are facilitated by me and supported by Moon Creek Owner Susanna Huang.
Details: Monday, June 6, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Dublin Chamber of Commerce Historical Suite, 129 S High St, Dublin, OH 43017Serving: Premium Tea
Investment: FREE!
"The Wisdom of Your Archetypes" SoulCollage® Wkshp @ The Be Sanctuary - Thursday, June 27, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
SoulCollage® is a method which yields self-care and self-discovery through creating and "speaking from" collaged cards of imagery which are unique reflections of you and your world. In this workshop we’ll explore the SoulCollage® card category (or “Suit”) of Council, which honors and celebrates the archetypal energies that guide and inspire us. I'll assist you in learning about archetypes, creating and "speaking from" your Council cards.
Details: Thursday, June 27, 6:30-8:30pm
The Be Sanctuary, 3360 Tremont Rd., Suite 240, Upper Arlington, 43221/Investment: $40
If you identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, please enter PRIDE to receive a $15 discount for this workshop.
Guided Forest Bathing @ Smith Nature Park in UA - Saturday, June 29, 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Shinrin-yoku (translated as “bathing in the air of the forest”) is a Japanese practice which guides you to mindfully immerse yourself in nature. Benefits can include improved physical and mental health. The practice focuses on cultivating a sense of reciprocity between you and the forest. I'll facilitate a sequence of invitations that allows you to enjoy both structure and spontaneity in your experience. The practice ends with a sharing circle and tea ceremony.
Details: Saturday, June 29, 9:00-10:30am
Smith Nature Park, UA /Investment: $20 (UA resident) / $24 (non-UA resident)
This Month’s Tune:
Each month I share a tune that resonates with the newsletter theme.
For this month’s theme of GLIMMERS I've chosen "Childen Will Listen" the final song of the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods. Here are some of the lyrics (which occur at 4:05 min. mark):
The way is dark,
The light is dim,
But now there's you, me, her, and him.
The chances look small,
The choices look grim,
But everything you learn there
Will help when you return there.
The light is getting dimmer…
I think I see a glimmer.
