Getting My Hands Dirty Heals My Spirit

Dang ya’ll if 2020 isn’t the year for a revolution I don’t know when it would be! I bet many of you have been feeling a big mixed bag of emotions and you’re not alone. I have good days and bad days but in the center of it all is my home and that I can control.

Several weeks ago I had my friend, fellow momboss and photographer Erica Letchworth come to my home, at a safe distance to photograph me for all things Eilisain but most importantly the spaces where I find refuge and solace.

GARDEN is no. 1 - watching my plants grow and turn into edible food is incredible and not just that, the sacred act of consuming my own home grown vegetables is even more special. When I go out to our garden to gather some herbs for our meal or for my cleansing wands I thank them, i thank the earth for her nutrition and her sustenance. The simple act of thanking plants returns the kindness, the gratitude and appreciation for their incredible nutrition.

If you can or if you have the inclination, go out and purchase herbs and keep them in pots on your porch or deck. Research and studies have proven that being in the presence of plant life gives you energy and vitality. Not only that, caring for your plants will give you an excuse to put your phone down, get outside and take your mind off everything going on in the world.

Oh and one other point I want to make about our garden, we’ve been using our compost as a way to return what we consume back to the earth. We’ve been blessed to access dirt from my in-laws but you can easily do the same, even if it’s a small raised garden bed. Returning your scraps to the earth is SO beneficial for our planet.

My biggest piece of advice and suggestion for you to gain clarity, peace of mind and serenity is to be with yourself. Take time to do nothing! Some nights before I turn out the light to sleep I just lay there thinking and ruminating, passing over what happened throughout the day and reflecting. This gives me time to appreciate the beautiful moments, the quiet moments that make up the collective of our life. And my last ritual for the night, I write down three things I’m grateful for and then I pull a tarot card. Again, reflecting on the abundance in my life and then divining a message from Spirit gives me space to honor the sacred in myself.

I want to return to what I wrote at the beginning of this post regarding how much in chaos our world is, now my first inclination always is to bury my head in the sand but only momentarily. I know that my life comes with immense privilege and access to way more abundance than many other Americans experience (especially black and brown Americans).

With that said I’m not going to side step the huge revolution our country is going through. Every SINGLE ONE OF US (especially white folks) must participate in order for progress to occur.

What can you do? Here are some steps:

-Read and understand what Black Lives Matter means and what it means to our collective.

-Contact your state and local representatives. Tell them you want change and action.

-Read, listen, purchase and consume African American literature, products, music, podcasts, movies - EDUCATE YOURSELF

-Talk to your neighbors and friends. Be open minded and LISTEN. (I’ll raise my hand that I do this often but I am not that good at listening, I’m working on that one)

-Make a donation if you can, I’m donating 10% of June’s sales to the Minnesota Freedom Fund. Every little bit helps, even if it’s $10.