Hi there!
It’s been a bit of a tough week and I’m finishing it off with a wisdom tooth extraction tomorrow (took me this long to get wise I guess), so please pardon my lateness.
One of the themes I chose for this newsletter at the beginning of the year was cyclical living. And as I notice the cycles that are beginning, ending, and co-occurring for me right now, there are a few initial thoughts I want to share with you:
While I’m a big fan of the moon and its phases (clearly), to me, cyclical living takes inspiration from the cyclical nature of the moon and the rest of the natural world but isn’t boxed into the framework of the lunar cycles. Although if that works for you - keep at it.
Life cycles can be bucketed by age or stage of life, but I’m more interested in the ones that transcend those categories. I think we can find more common ground in them. I.e. cycles of love, loss, growth, fear, change, celebration, etc.
The pandemic was the first time in many of our lives where we were all forced to enter into a collective cycle at the exact same time. Unfortunately we’re still not quite out of it yet, as much as we’d all desperately like to be.
If you’re a person who menstruates, you’re lucky enough to have a built-in cycle happening simultaneously with whatever other cycles you’re experiencing. So fun!
To illustrate what I mean, I’ll share my own current collection of cycles: Professionally, I’m ending a job next week and beginning a new one the week after. Physically, I had a very tough menstrual cycle that just wrapped up and my body is transitioning. Mentally, I’m beginning a grief cycle as my grandma nears the end of her life cycle. And next month, my relationship will enter a new cycle when my boyfriend goes on tour with his band.
I’m sure each of you has a variety of complex, nuanced, and co-occurring cycles that shape your current human experience in a way that is completely unique to you, and yet most likely also overlaps with others.
The places where we intersect are what I find most interesting. And locating those synchronicities is what motivates me to share with you on a weekly basis.
I’ll leave you with this journal prompt:
What cycles are you currently in? What cycles can you identify from your past? What cycles can you see on the horizon?
If you feel compelled, I’d love to hear what cycles you’re currently experiencing in the comments.
Until next time,
Hannah
P.S. I’ll be taking a break next week while I’m on a much needed trip to the woods between jobs, so I’ll be back in your inbox the following week!
🎵 Song of the Week
A little blast from the past - this song puts me in a good mood every time I put it on.
📚 Things to Read
Favorite thing I learned this week: the author of Goodnight Moon was quite the wild woman (The New Yorker)
Canada recently approved psychedelics for therapy. Curious when we’ll catch up with our northern neighbor (Global News)
Get fired from Peloton? At least a 1-year subscription is part of your severance package (Mashable)
If you’ve been following the Spotify + Joe Rogan story and are confused on where things currently stand - this was a great write-up on everything that’s happened so far and where to focus your attention (Anti-Racism Daily)
The piece I’ve been thinking about all week: an exploration of what moral redemption could look like for men outed by #MeToo. Unfortunately in these cases, when it comes down to doing the right thing vs. self-preservation - the latter usually wins (Buzzfeed News)
🍴 Things to Cook
10-Minute Thai Basil Chicken — This comes together SO fast and tastes pretty darn close to the takeout version (The Woks of Life)
Spaghetti al Limone — Used this technique to whip up some pasta and was pleasantly pleased with the results. Would be great for V-Day (La Cucina Italiana)
Creamy Sausage Gnocchi — I’ve made this recipe soooo many times with the TJ’s cauliflower gnocchi. Easy to keep these ingredients on hand too (Brocc Your Body)
Baked Tofu With Peanut Sauce and Coconut-Lime Rice — Made this last night it was so good! Plus, both the coconut rice and peanut sauce recipes are great to know for future recipes (NYT Cooking)
I’m obsessed with the NYT Cooking app, but I know they have a paywall. So while I’d definitely recommend signing up, I’ll be trying to share from a variety of free sources!
💪 Things to Try
Been wanting to get into film photography lately (new hobby cycle?), so I did a bunch of research on where to start and discovered the Holga 120N as a top recommendation! I’d love to thrift one eventually, but since I don’t really know what I’m looking for yet and just want to get started, I figured I’d start here (especially since this one is only $40). The Kodak Porta 400 film was recommended to go along with it.
I’ll be writing more about this in a future newsletter, but I just wrapped up a 6-session menstrual cycle coaching program with Nicole of Season and Cycle. I desperately wish this knowledge had been available to me when I was a teen, but I feel wildly lucky to have had Nicole guide me through a re-education of my body, menstrual cycle, and how to tend to myself. If your period feels like a monthly revolt or if you just want to learn how to live in a more cyclical way, I’d highly recommend reaching out to Nicole.
Have a recommendation of your own to share? Drop it in the comments!