Calm in the chaos: Kathryn’s personal tools
Here are a few things I've been turning to for insight, meaning, and direction lately…
Books
Matrescence by Lucy Jones:
I can't recommend this book highly enough for mothers, mothers-to-be, friends of mothers, or anyone who has a mother or a partner who is a mother. It settles me to read something about motherhood that is so careful, rich, and echoing of my own experience of transformation as a mother.
Nightbitch by Rachel Yonder
This book stole my heart. It validated the rawness, intensity, and transformation that happens in early motherhood, particularly in a culture that doesn't adequately support mothers. It's a story about a woman who becomes a dog and highlights the access to instincts that is necessary to become a whole person as a mother.
Podcasts
Say more with Dr? Sheila
This podcast is a comedic reprieve from the intensity of therapy. Amy Poehler improvs with other guests couples' therapy sessions. Good for a light listen.
Maintenance Phase
This podcast is a go-to for anyone interested in body liberation work, recovering from body hatred or eating problems, or anyone who needs to learn about the perils of wellness and diet culture (i.e. pass along to your people stuck in diet culture).
Spiritual Direction
I consult the I Ching, which is an ancient divination system, almost daily when I feel blocked, need guidance, or to work with a dream. C.G. Jung studied the I Ching and it became part of his understanding of synchronicity and the collective unconscious. I love this app and I pair the reading with James DeKorne's website for further contemplation.
Meditation with Brooke McNamara:
I'm taking a meditation class to help me sit the F down and feel my body, grief, and the ways I don't want to feel what's happening in the world. Brooke is a poet, monk and mother and she offers mediation classes and retreats as well as her own poetry.
With love,
Kathryn