JULY FAVORITES
Temporary Spirals, Best of July: Film, TV, Music, Discoveries, and Poetry recommendations.
Hi, Friends.
It seems I’ve been temporarily knocked out of my steady little orbit.
The stability of my personal solar system of self relies on certain actions, attitudes, and abilities. When it is upset by the gravitational pull of say, an unexpected illness, it can affect me in unpredictable ways.
So since April, I’ve been battling something resembling a sinus infection and it has repeatedly knocked me off of my feet for a week or more at a time. Although it’s nothing serious, it’s caused serious upset to my personal daily rhythms and routines, and that spinout, that spiral, has thrown me more than the illness.
Before you ask, yes, I’ve seen a doctor. We even had our home air filtration system overhauled, and for a hefty fee, I might add.
This sickness started a spiral.
My mostly healthy eating habits started deteriorating toward less healthy choices. Comfort foods of pasta and more pasta, ice cream, and sugary snacks weren’t the fuel my body needed. I knew it but I thought it was short-term. Except that the illness continued and so did my not-so-great choices.
I didn’t have the energy for my dance classes, the gym, or even to ride my bike. That affected both my physical stamina and endorphin levels, which in turn affected my emotional health.
I promised myself, “Tomorrow …tomorrow when I feel better, I will get back to my practice and studies.” I’d have a few pretty good days and that would make me think I was getting well, and then I’d get sick again and the cycle would start again. Each time, I’d get more frustrated and depressed about it. I fell into a kind of apathy and inertia and no matter what I told myself, the energy of my commitment didn’t necessarily match my words.
I wanted to say to you just this: I thought I would never struggle to do the things I had established as my “foundational rhythms” like my morning practices or meditating or journaling or creative college. I was wrong.
It amazes me how little it takes to spin out of our healthy rhythms, even those that are well established. And how much effort it can require to get back into them when you don’t feel like yourself. I mean, all that time I logged into strengthening those patterns and suddenly I’m back to binging carbs and skipping my morning spiritual practices? It’s frustrating but I’m trying to not mentally chastise myself. It’s surprising, but it doesn’t mean it’s permanent.
While I continue to hold the belief that I am on this road back to health, it‘s been really interesting to see how just one kink in the chain starts to throw you off your ride altogether. Yes, I’m mixing metaphors. It’s ok, right?
I think I’m on the mend.
I have been slowly re-establishing the habits and practices I thought I’d never miss. I think it was Maya Angelou who said that when we know better, we do better. I’ll add, “When we feel better, we can do better.”
If you’re struggling right now, be gentle with yourself. I am doing my best to take my own advice. Baby steps.
Slowly, I’m coming back to my more familiar orbit where all the planets align.
BEST OF JULY
I’m sharing the best of July here in case you missed any of the weekly newsletters this month as well as a few other recommendations. Having just shared my July saga with you, it’s probably not surprising that I watched a lot of film and television this month.
FILM:
Elvis. Now I get it. Finally. The immense appeal and charisma. Watching the charismatic and captivating Austin Butler is worth the overpriced popcorn I bought and more. Swoon. Baz Luhrmann’s direction coupled with editing by Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond was immensely entertaining. Everything about this film worked for me.
Petite Maman + Good Luck To You, Leo Grande - see CIRCLES OF SELF newsletter for full detail.
MOST ANTICIPATED: It’s not showing in my city yet but I cannot wait to see Marcel The Shell With Shoes On. If you’ve seen it, spill!
TV SERIES:
The first two are dark-ish, both in cinematography and tone.
Black Bird with cinematography by my friend Natalie Kingston. More detail in last week’s newsletter.
The Old Man - if nothing else, for Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow. A former CIA officer, who's living off the grid, finds himself on the run from people who want to kill him. (Some of it is violent and I just look elsewhere until it’s over, but I could watch Jeff Bridges for hours on end.)
Life & Beth -created by and starring Amy Schumer. After an unexpected incident, Beth starts having flashbacks to her teen self and learns how she became who she is and who she wants to become. This one sneaks up on you. It converted me into an Amy fan.
MUSIC:
I stumbled upon a song by Trevor Hall and that led to this playlist on replay. I can’t believe I am just discovering his music.
DISCOVERY:
Wow wow wow! NASA released the first image from the James Webb Space Telescope, a “deep field” photo that captures hundreds of galaxies, each containing roughly 100 million stars and some being so distant in time and space they represent the farthest humans have yet journeyed in cosmological observation.
Listen to this NPR interview to learn what the JW telescope can see and listen to the joy as the astronomers describe their reactions as the images and data start coming in. The astronomers are positively giddy.
MORE IMAGES HERE
POETRY THAT CAME MY WAY:
My Beloved Child, Break Your Heart No Longer by Swami Kripalu Bapuji
My beloved child, break your heart no longer
Each time you judge yourself,
you break your own heart
You stop feeding on the love which is the wellspring of your own vitality
The time has come, your time to live, to celebrate, to see the goodness that you are…
Let no one, no thing or ideal or ideas obstruct you
If one comes, even in the name of “Truth,”
Forgive it for its unknowing
Do not fight. Let go
And breathe into the goodness that you are.
May you continue to learn to breathe into the goodness that you are and break your own heart no longer. Gently, gently, gently, friend.
Go in Great Love,
xo Mary