I am grateful for the abundance of living vegetation in my neighbor.
I asked my friend, who is an arborist, “What happens to the plants and trees when there is smoke from the fire in the air?”
He responded, “They like the CO2 from the fire, it is like fertilizer to them”.
Abundance. Look around and gather the garden vegetables, pumpkins, squash, plums, blackberries, apples, pears, late strawberries dripping from branches. And there are tall trees, shrubs, plants and flowers. I am harvesting not only the produce, but also the emissions from photosynthesis by the green leaves and needles.
Harvesting air by breathing.
Oxygen is food for your cells, breathing has the ability to excite to readiness or to calm and expand. I practice diaphragmatic breathing. During an inhale, notice the expansion of the lower ribs (points for contact with the diaphragm) to the front, back and sides. At the end of an exhale, the next moment all things are possible. At the end of an inhale, all is abundant.
The green leaves and needles that live around me, offer their silent photosynthesis. Today, I visit these neighbors and breath with them.
xo,
—Alex
Tag: alex
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Report from the field of combustion
Smoke from the fires is what we hear on the news. According to the agency monitoring Washington State air quality, the last four days Seattle has had “Unhealthy” air quality. A step away from “Hazardous.” This comes with a recommendation to stay indoors, close all windows, and use an air conditioner (who has one of these in Seattle?). It is also recommended to refrain from strenuous activity outside for people and dogs.
Here is the laboratory: confinement, heat, energy, plenty of vegetables, water, art supplies, two humans, and two dogs.
This is a perfect setting for experimenting with pleasure.
“There is power in pleasure. Pleasure can balance, restore, and transform us. It can change us physically, energetically and emotionally. Our bodies are designed for pleasure.”
– From Wonder Body: A Sophisticated Coloring Book for Curious Adults
Moving through emotions of anxiety, fear, joy, frustration, and ease—we wore pajamas all day, we drank ice tea, made homemade dog treats that included zucchini from the garden, groomed, painted, and painted some more. This bizarre daylight with the red sun created unique shadows and changed the color on the canvas. We sang loudly, watched musicals. I don’t know what will be next but we have pinpoint focus on our next breath.
We are trying to make sense of the unrecognizable sun. Every living being is being affected by the smoke.
We are cooked, creative, in an altered state from the containment.
How are you?
xo,
Alex
Season 3 of the Pleasure Lab podcast: The Sense of Proprioception
In this second full episode of Season 3, Amy and Alex talk about the sense of Proprioception. How do you know where your body is in space, in relation to the ground, to your nose. They discuss the sense, some of the hidden gems behind the drawing, as well as some ‘try this at home’ exercises to help you feel into the erotic potential of the sense of proprioception.
Resources mentioned:
- Wonder Body Coloring Book! – http://wonderbody.us
Plus here’s your downloadable page for this episode, so you can color along with us.
Thanks to the folks on Patreon who are supporting this podcast and all of Body Trust’s other work! Go visit Patreon and become a patreon yourself to support the free podcasts, newsletters, and resources that we create for you.
Music: Grateful to Little Dog Big Ears for their Creative Commons licensed music She Sees Mice (intro and outro). Make sure to subscribe in iTunes or Sticher. And give us a 5-star review in iTunes, it helps us reach more beloved explorers.
xo,
Amy & Alex
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Pleasure Tonic
Stuck in your winter cave? Had overwhelming emotions or loss? Have been physically challenged by multiple respiratory infections and the flu only to be followed by springtime allergies? Need replenishment? Do you need some help?
Use pleasure as a tonic. Create experiments that focus on receiving pleasure. You can start with a sip of pleasure. One minute of pleasure, with full presence. Breath. Take in a beautiful image, nourishing touch, a sexy flirt or a tasty bite. These initial minutes of pleasure will build on each other. Notice the results.
Taking in pleasure may melt the numbness or warm up some emotions. Use pleasure to bath yourself, and wash away what may be painful or if you have some suffering.
What if we joined together and shared our pleasure tonic? Here is a taste of my pleasure experiments. Please share yours.
with pleasure,
Alex
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Spring Cleaning?
Springtime, with the slow push of growth and the emergence of possibility, finds me eager to clean up and clean out. It is detox time.
Think broadly about detoxification with some inquiry. What have you taken in from your social, political or civic arena that you are hanging on to, do your cells need to revitalize, does your environment nourish you? Notice how you physically feel or if your lungs, or your skin, or your belly could use a tune up. Detox can vary from simple to rigorous.
Here are some examples of a detox:
- Take a break from social media, cell phones, and the national news
- Drink fresh green juice
- Use a neti pot
- Focused breathing exercises
- Exercise in the woods
If you notice that it is time for a major cleanse, I suggest designing a cleanse for your particular needs. It is worth reading and rereading Chapter 8 (the Detox chapter) in Radical Healing by Rudolph Ballentine, MD.
Have fun.
Alex