Remember the days when we used to write on our own? Honest, thoughtful messages, that weren’t trying to sell anything or market our personal brand…. perhaps even written by hand? I’ve been feeling inspired by that nostalgic feeling for something authentic so I just thought I’d share a personal note and update, written by be and not AI for anyone who might actually read these emails and care what I’m up to.
Sometimes, from an external perspective it may seem like my life is really healthy, pain-free and joyful since I am a yoga practitioner. This is sometimes true and sometimes not. Pain is something that affects us all and is intrinsic to the human experience.
This year, I have encountered a lot of new physical aches and pains that have both caused me a lot of suffering and have been wonderful teachers. A wise yogi (someone much wiser than I!) will tell you that yoga does not just heal the body but heals the way the mind perceives the pain.
I hurt my neck so badly a couple months ago! For a week, I could barely move my head and when I did the pain was excruciating. Through the guidance of my wonderful yoga mentor Sue Darling, I was able to practice yoga as a therapy for myself and discover on an experiential level how to transform my pain and practice acceptance when I could not.
Whether it is physical, mental or emotional…. the healing journey is a long, slow process that requires patience and dedication. I think that one of the hardest parts of healing is being realistic about the timeline and the fact that it is not always linear. I am a very impatient person – and this is one of the many things about my personality that I am working hard to transform. I can say that my regular yoga practice is helping me to slow down and appreciate the value and reward of doing so.
I’m going to switch gears now and would like to share another big part of what’s been keeping me busy this year, and that is tea! As most of you already know, I started a small business earlier this year selling tea. It’s called every moment aware. This all was set in motion at the end of 2023 when I visited the mountains of Ha Giang in northern Vietnam. I went there on my endless quest to discover new teas, and I ended up staying with the most kind and generous family who run a sweet little homestay. This family also has a small cooperative that harvests and sells tea from ancient wild tea trees that grow high on the mountains. After spending some time with them, drinking tea from morning to night, I filled a suitcase with all the tea I could carry and brought it back home.
A lot has happened between then and now. I shared most of that suitcase full of tea in tea ceremony. I’ve been ordering new teas from this lovely family cooperative and hope to visit again soon to experience the harvesting process. I have a humble little virtual shop and have been fortunate to sell a bit of tea here and there. It is not easy operating your own business. Sometimes I can get down on myself and wonder why I bother doing this at all. It can feel like an impossible, endless to do list with constant setbacks and failures. On days like that, I sit down and drink a cup of tea…. and I am instantly reminded that I truly love sharing tea and believe in this tea so much. I can remember that this is another lesson in patience. Building a business takes time. If I wanted to be rich, I would be doing something else. But I am on the slow path doing something that I love that fills my life with meaning.
If you want to see why I love this tea so much, or just to show a little support because you know me and believe in me, please come to a tea tasting or tea ceremony sometime. I have lots of fun stuff coming up…. See below!
Thank you for those who read this message, who had the time and were interested. I truly appreciate you. Let me know if you like this format or if I should just have ChatGPT write these for me in the future. ;-)