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A Natural Answer - Samantha Seaton

2/10/2021

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Alright y’all, confession time. As I was writing this, I quickly saw that I have SO many thoughts around this idea of community love. I keep going back through my words to connect the pieces in hopes they’ll make sense to you, dear reader. It’s hard to do, but every time I make some sort of connection with these ideas, I feel this deep sense of “ah-ha!” Clarity; understanding. I desperately want this to make sense, because to feel connected to you, we both need you to understand where I’m coming from. When I stop and think about it, isn’t that all any of us wants? To be understood and feel connected to one another? To have our needs met? When I put it like that, it doesn’t seem like a tall order to fill. And yet, when I look at our community as a whole and see where things are not well, many of the problems can be traced to a lack of understanding, connection, and needs being met. There is a glaring absence of love. But how do we fix this?
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I like to look to the natural world for answers to human problems. In college, I enthusiastically committed myself to ecology, the study of the relationships among and between organisms and their environment. This concept that all living creatures, regardless of their size, function, chemical makeup, etc., have the ability to have a profound effect on everything else around it, was a beautiful mind-f*** for me.

Excuse me while I nerd out for a second. So, in ecological terms, a community is an association of multiple populations within a shared geographical area. Community ecologists study the health of these systems, carefully observing how each facet of the ecosystem is faring. They can usually tell pretty quickly when something is off, as when one or multiple parts are not getting their needs met in order to thrive, this usually affects the entire ecosystem. After identifying that, okay, something is not working here, these scientists get to work – which populations are being affected the most? What needs are not getting met? How can we fix and adjust these systems to not only get this community back into equilibrium, but keep it that way? Answering these questions requires a ton of patience and attention to detail. You have to both zoom in and zoom out. Remember, everything affects everything else!

Why am I talking about this? Take a second and think about who in our community is not being understood, connected with, getting their needs met. The pandemic has cost many their jobs, security, mental and physical health. The call for social justice in all its forms is the loudest it's been in a long time. The need to escape through alcohol, drugs, social media, literally anything to help numb the pain, has been a rampant problem in our community for a long time. People are hurting all over, and when one part of the population suffers, we’re all affected by it. Our ecological community of human beings will only be able to heal and re-enter equilibrium when everybody gets what they need to thrive. Except there are no community ecologists to do this for us – we have to do this work ourselves.

So then, what’s the answer? How do we begin to fix these systems? I think the short answer is love. Bear with me, I don’t think we can simply throw thoughts and prayers into the universe and expect anything to actually happen. But it’s going to require a lot of willingness to understand where other people are at before we can make effective change, which can only happen if we’re coming from a place of love. This is where it gets complicated. If you don’t love and respect your own self, it’s going to be extremely difficult to love and respect another.

Think of our inner worlds as their own ecosystems! Everything is ecosystems with me, it’s like inception. Humor me for a second and think of your inner world as a forest. Let’s take oak trees, for example, which provide food for deer, housing for birds, and shade for undergrowth. If the oak tree population represents your self-esteem, and the population is in decline, then it’s going to greatly reduce the amount of deer (making positive decisions for yourself), birds (healthy relationships), and new foliage (learning and enjoying new hobbies) that thrive in the forest. Everything is connected. We have to do our own work and be our own ecologists and get to the bottom of where our own needs lie. We have to get our own internal ecosystems into equilibrium to help heal what’s outside of us.

It takes a courageous soul to look inward and accept the parts of themselves that try to hide from the world, while daring to like the parts they had been led to believe were inferior. It takes a lot of vulnerability, humility, and a willingness to be honest with ourselves and accept that some of the things we’ve been led to believe about ourselves and others around us may not be true. But I believe every single one of us deserves to find that light within, to see our value, and in turn, see the value in others. If we want to see our community thrive, we owe it to each other to do this work. Much like an ecosystem, real, lasting change comes from the inside out.
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Why We Have Noses

1/17/2021

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We have so much health to gain by bringing awareness to our breath hygiene. Breath hygiene you ask? This is a big one. How we breathe affects so much of how we live.

In James Nestor’s book, Breath, he explores multiple breathing techniques and speaks to many different pulmonauts, experts in the areas of breath awareness through their respective fields, about the best way to get the most out of our breath.

Mainly, breathe through your nose.

Nestor references a discussion with an orthodontist about her research into nasal breathing versus mouth breathing. She sees numerous kids who exhibit signs of chapped lips, chronic snoring, allergies, asthma and sinusitis. Mouth breathing from a young age creates a different shape of the mouth that leads to crooked teeth and leads to these other challenges. According to Nestor,

‘Ninety percent of children have acquired some degree of deformity in their mouths and noses. Forty-Five percent of adults snore occasionally, and a quarter of the population snores constantly. Twenty-five percent of American adults over 30 choke on themselves because of sleep apnea; and an estimated 80 percent of moderate or severe cases are undiagnosed. Meanwhile, the majority of the population suffers from some form of breathing difficulty or resistance.’

In the International Breathwork Federation Summit that took place in the summer of 2020, Lisa Kusch, Room to Breathe, offered the importance of nasal breathing and emphasized that the mask amplifies breath behavior patterns.

She suggests that our breath learns; every experience we have holds on to our breathing, so if we’re breathing unaware behind a mask, we could be reinforcing behaviors that we’ve been working to undo. This may evoke an emotion associated with said pattern, challenging our ability to remain in the present moment.

She suggests a buddy system, specifically for school children, to remind one another to bring awareness to the breath. It could be as simple as asking, ‘Hey, do you need a breathing break?’

Also during the summit, breathworker Dan Brule’ offered us the five-finger breath for a calming option for kids or adults. I began using this with my children at the start of NTI and try to bring peace into our homeschooling days, which has become a daily effort.

Simply use one finger to trace the outside of the hand, breathing in through the nose going up the finger, out through the nose going down. When you get to the end of the hand, go backward. This slow practice, gives us a chance to check in with ourselves, reduce the fight or flight response and go back to whatever we were doing with a clearer head.

Nestor’s book suggests the 5.5 second (5.5 second inhale, 5.5 second exhale) breath based on multiple spiritual practices all matching this frequency.

I’ve been told we can reset the brain with 36 intentional breaths. Isn’t that a beautiful way to love yourself?

Nestor offers Breathing + in part 3 of his book. The Holotropic Breathwork referenced is comparable to what I facilitate through virtual and private sessions. This practice is incredibly effective at breaking down walls to get to the root of an issue. It is a conscious breathing practice to unveil unconscious behavior. I would be happy to speak with you more about it if you’re interested.
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Many experts referenced in ‘Breath’ suggest this to be the number one contributor to our health, over exercise, diet or sleep. The way we breathe has such an incredible impact on our organ functionality, as well as data linking the lack of carbon dioxide to some psychological disorders.

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Soften the Edges

12/31/2020

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My favorite tradition in finishing the year is snuggling up with Jose and Lena Stevens’ Power Path Trends Forecast. It’s a personality profile for the next year and offers great insight to what we can expect to work with energetically and how to show up to remain centered through it all. It is only $15 for over two hours of audio content and so much fun to digest and absorb!

At this point in the year, I think we’re all ready to ring in 2021 with hope and optimism. Let’s do that! Let’s also stay rooted in the reality that we are responsible for creating the life we want to live despite outside circumstances.

Trust has been coming up a lot lately, specifically around all of the fear that has surfaced around the election, the New Year, our economy, and the continuing evolution of the pandemic we’re in. A few months ago I heard Carolyn Myss say that you have to be able to trust yourself to have any idea what to trust outside of yourself. And to do this, you must commit to something. It doesn’t have to be anything big, a 10 minute walk every day, but that one thing needs to be consistently done every day.

The reason for this is to show yourself that you’re worth it. You’re worth that 10 minute walk, because you said you’d do it, and by showing up for yourself, you know you can rely on yourself when you start to question your circumstances.

This couldn’t be more critical right now when part of the energy of next year consists of passionate action. This means we’re all going to be active in our opinions and outward expressions, and the only way to continue to remain centered (at peace) through this noise, is to continue to go inward. ​

Going inward means blocking out the world: quieting the mind through meditation, slowing down, journaling, doing sessions at the Cave. The world taught us quite a bit this year about what it means to stop the rat race. We need more of this, more intentionality, more stillness, even if it’s only a few minutes a day.

Learning to trust yourself is the first step in not being swayed by outside influence that may or may not be correct, anything from conspiracy theories to government mandates. Now is the time to go inward, stay centered, and root down.

This reminded me of a TED Talk I referenced a while back by Kathryn Shulz on being wrong. We don’t like to be wrong, we feel bad once we realize we’re wrong because of conditioning, but the irony in it all is that until it’s pointed out to us that we’re wrong, we feel right.

Right or wrong, black or white, it might be easier if things become a little more grey for us in the coming months. Not to say don’t stand by your convictions, but remember to stay rooted in love. Let’s keep learning and practicing the art of listening to one another.

Jose’ kicks off the trends talk by saying that we’re going to spend the next 4-7 years recovering from 2020. 2021 is our first year in recovery. Recovery requires many acts of grace, community support, and a commitment to ourselves. Let’s be intentional about going inward so we can create a healthier environment for future generations.

“If you really want to rediscover wonder, you need to step outside of that tiny, terrified space of rightness and look around at each other and be able to say, ‘I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong.’” - Kathryn Shulz
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A Salty Interview with the Restaurant Industry

12/2/2020

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We were asked a few questions from Chef BoyLardee about the Cave and thought it gave a nice overview of what to expect for a visit. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 

Can the caves replenish my electrolytes? It’s so hard to find a Gatorade flavor I like.


There really aren’t enough Gatorade flavors. We like mixing a little Sole water (Himalayan Salt and Water) with fresh lemon and a little apple cider vinegar for a good kick start to your morning. If that flavor combo doesn’t open your eyes, you can stand to be a little more salty, at least for this brave new world. 

The Cave is more detoxifying, where you’re breathing in salt saturated air, so not quite the same as oral consumption for intestinal absorption. The function of the Cave is to work toward proper mucosal hygiene by breathing in salt through the nose, and deep into the lungs. There’s a technique here, but you also get the benefits if you choose to use that time for a power nap.

Does the floor make a shifting gravel sound?

It does! The salt floor is what makes up part of the 5 tons of salt used to build the space. It’s fabulous at massaging those reflexology points in the feet. Socks are required, we are not in the business of giving you an exfoliation treatment. We clean the floor by hand so we are pretty serious about those socks.

Is it possible that a person could be salty enough that by walking into the cave they actually reinvigorate its salinity?

We’re a pretty salty group and have yet to compare to the salinity that space provides. We all know salt has the ability to extract, whether used in a neti pot to break up sinus congestion or in a salt water brine to fight infections. The Cave works the same way with regard to respiratory health in serving as an expectorant, but the fun part to those of us a little more esoteric is how this works energetically. 

There’s so much healing that takes place in that Cave that we can’t define, but most people come out feeling lighter, like they let go of some stuff they didn’t need to be carrying around with them anymore. We may never know what that was, where it came from, or how it got there, but she’s a beauty at helping one let go. 

We’re the salt keepers, making sure she gets extra love and attention to make sure each client that comes in has the same opportunity to release and let go. We carry our saltiness as a badge of honor.

Does the cave work in the opposite way of a hot tub? Will staying in it for a month turn me into a dry-aged hunk of meat?

I’m laughing out loud. There are top chefs curing their meat in expensive salt rooms for this reason, but unlike dead carcasses, we’re living, breathing people. Breath is life. Being able to properly oxygenate the body has profoundly positive effects on our health. 

Halotherapy (dry salt therapy) research suggests anywhere from 10-20 sessions consecutively to turn around conditions associated with lung and skin health. Most of our clients build their sessions into their holistic health plan visiting weekly, biweekly, or monthly, but there are definite benefits from consecutive visits for acute conditions. You’re likely not going to overdo it. 

Does the cave smell like servers' tears when we tell them that the special really is 86'd and they have to tell the table they sold one to? Or is it more like the ones cooks shed in the walk-in?

More like a Salty Dog as your first shift drink between doubles. Our citrus based essential oil blends greet you when you walk in the door, then you enter the Cave where the scent is comparable to a light breeze coming off the ocean. And we’re using quite a bit of disinfectant.

The relaxation is comparable as well. Instead of the minute liquor hits the veins, it takes about 30 minutes to really tune into oneself, but it’s a bit more gentle way to ease into the weekend.

We like to say go inside to change your outside. We hope so much you make a point to see what that can do for you. 
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Gratitude as a Practice

11/2/2020

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John and I had the opportunity to rent a tandem bike for the afternoon recently and my inner child was at play for the day. I honestly don’t remember the last time I’d laughed that hard. I had limited visibility (mostly of his back) and no control which was a joke in itself, so I just pedaled and provided commentary. We took her across the Big Four Bridge to the Falls of the Ohio where the water was so low we could nearly cross the river on foot. We marveled at the age of the fossils we stood above, and breathed deeply the beauty around us.

These are the days of Coronavirus. The Leo Weekly recently published people’s best and worst about Coronavirus and I loved peoples interpretations. Unknown was listed in the worst section, and I nodded in agreement fully. In reflection, this could also be the best part about the entire pandemic. We know nothing, so all we can do right now is the best we know how, which really does make us #inthistogether. 

How is this trauma going to affect us long-term? What coping skills are we learning? Is compassion going to actually have it’s place? We are going through an awakening and the advice from all of the sages is to get serious about being present with ourselves - the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Caroline Myss says we’re moving from the time of the guru, where we expect a savior, something outside of ourselves to come and save us, to waking the inner child, where we’re going to rely on ourselves to be that saving grace.

Sonja Grace writes that we’re entering the dark night of the soul and we must nurture the inner child in order to do the transformational work into adulthood. The Power Path has put out monthly forecasts all year about tenacity and the need to keep going no matter what.

There have been moments during this pandemic where I’ve been deep in the inner work, nearly neglecting the other aspects of my responsibilities. There’ve been points of creativity where I’ve put to use the inspired action born of such times. And there’ve been the times where I’ve been gentle, giving myself a pass because we’re all walking around with trauma brain at the moment still trying to function in old ways of doing things.

During all of this, the intention of grace and resilience through prayer and tenacity have been foundational in getting me through. The gift of a tandem bike ride across the Ohio carries me for months.

In reviewing some old journals recently, I realized how prevalent gratitude is when I write freely. It surprised me. I really am a grateful person. It feels lost among the doubt that I can swim in on some pandemic days. So much so I considered not posting this blog in an attempt to only speak truth. It needs to be stated, and we need to remain focused on gratitude to create the future we want to be a part of.

Thanksgiving and the holiday season is going to look a bit different this year, and it could be our best chance to spend time in appreciation for our lives. How can you nurture your inner child so that you’re able to navigate continual change? How can you bring joy to your day? It seems that we do agree in some areas - the smallest things bring us the most happiness. As another great advisor always says; more of that, please.

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We Must Get Really Quiet to Hear the Whispers of Creation

10/5/2020

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We’re finally in the season of letting go and by now we have a lot of practice. Maybe this is why the change to Fall seems so welcome this year. It is absolutely a dying off. For so many of us, this hasn't been a metaphor as much as direct circumstance in losing those we love. 

And grief is blinding. I had a teacher once tell me it's the most illogical emotion that we experience. Being in this illogical place is natural for me, but I’ve spent my entire life trying to tame the wild child that felt more than she ever understood. This life experience of feeling illogical and embracing that feeling instead of following the directives of the mind, is why I came. 

Shedding the layers or peeling an onion are lovely images of slow and paced growth - but that's not what we're experiencing these days. This is massive and each day we have to choose how we're going to enter it. Like a chance to start again, every 24 hours. We must be deliberate about this. 

I've heard many mystics say our current living situation is our creation, and I believe this. The Toltec believe our dreams create our reality and if we look to where we’ve focused our creativity in ways of entertainment, from movies to our social feeds, we’re addicted to drama. Where we place our attention and energy matters. 

The beautiful thing about letting go, about death, is the closeness it brings you to spirit. I heard another mystic say that our prayers are never more powerful than in times of grief. How true this must be in order to be reborn. We must get really quiet to hear the whispers of creation. 

So as we grieve collectively, as a human race on this planet earth, what are you praying for? I’d love to know. You have no idea the impact you have on other people and your shared prayer may just be affirmation for someone in need today. A thought creates a ripple in the universe and can transmit time. 

There is relief here. Maybe it's relief from the heat with a cooling off of the earth. Maybe its relief from suffering that accompanies this earthly plane. Maybe it’s relief from the neighbor with the yard signs.

As we grip tightly and hold on to the life we once knew, I pray that we're able to soften a bit and slip into the relief available to us. 

I pray we move together with open hearts and open minds to truly learn and listen and love. I pray for you, and for me, to find grace in the moments it feels lost. And I'm grateful for the opportunity. After all, it’s why I came, and I think it’s why you’re here too.
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Finding True Freedom

9/3/2020

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I’m writing to you on a full moon, the energy is high and it’s taken more work than usual to find centeredness. I’m always searching and enjoy the journey.​

I want to discuss the fear pandemic. These times aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. I pray for the pandemic to wane, the civil rights movement is creating deep progressive change and our wounds continue to cry out for healing. It’s as if the work just gets more and more intimate.

We wake up every day with a choice. We can choose to be fueled in anger and frustration and resentment, or we can choose to see what the mirror is reflecting back to us and turn inward for salvation. As we move into this great awakening, there is only one resource to turn to for guidance, and that’s you.

Listening to an excerpt about the Law of One, the discussion was around True Freedom. This is the freedom found when you find your own way of being instead of following they. This is speaking (lovingly and constructively) how you truly feel without shame and fear.

We’re heading into a political season, God help us. If there is ever a time to turn inward and stop listening to the noise outside, it is now. The world around us is crazy right now, there’s no need to welcome negative external influences. Shut that shit down. You are the only person in control of what you allow in.

I’m turning inward for feedback these days and it feels like learning to walk again. I stumble and fall and have to find the courage and strength to get back up and try again.

There’s a lot of prayer, a lot of grace, and a lot of tuning in to listen. This is often challenged by a busy mind, so part of that listening for me is finding the gift in the moment of beautiful distractions. This morning’s meditation was interrupted by the cat and my nearly 10 year old playing in front of me. I came out, played, and spent the morning I’d dedicated to my practice gently waking my kids and shuffling them out the door to stumble on their own.

Staying in the flow of life means letting go of the daily to-do lists. This seems impossible with work from home and home schooling and all the things we built our lives around up to this point. But what would happen if we unplugged; turned off the news, shut down social media, and said no to the 2-3 extra zoom calls we likely don’t need to be a part of?

The Cave was built with the intention of unplugging for 45 minutes. We now offer longer sessions because that simply isn’t enough time if you aren’t doing it daily. How can we rebuild our society where the need to unplug is lessened?

While our business is struggling during this pandemic, it still warms my heart to see Shelbyville Road slow at 7pm. It fills me with hope when I see a store owner whose business was vandalized talk about their broken window and lost merchandise not comparing to 400 years of oppression.

I’m here for it. I don’t know what that means, other than I’m going to do my best every day to tune in and ask what is mine to do and follow that over my to-do list. Let’s change the world together. Let’s take responsibility for what is showing up in our mirror, our shadow sides. Let’s stop blaming and start loving.

“I’ll just listen and wait for you” - Caroline Myss
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Moral Judgements are Never About the Obvious - Dr. Gabor Mate'

8/18/2020

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Anyone else continuing to face challenges?

This is normally a place of comfort for me. In part due to my insatiable taste for not feeling enough, but also because I know this is an area for growth, and oh that lustful feeling of being better than I once was. Wait a minute…

The opportunities for growth have continued to present themselves over the past few weeks, and to spare you the details, I’m going to do my best to summarize what I'm learning. 

One of my glaring messages this timeframe has been that I make mistakes. This is pretty acceptable for most people, but I’m usually right. The work I’ve been doing the last 5 years has led me to working on nothing but grace for myself and others; putting the judge to rest. 

I did something to loosely appease what I needed in the moment, because Blondie (the name for my ego) knows best, instead of truly turning in and asking what I needed to do. I’d been under an immense amount of stress, the most recent of which had caused me to throw my back, so it was beginning to manifest itself physically. I didn’t think I could handle anything else.

Instead of a situation being the thing I couldn’t handle (external circumstance) it was the mind out of control to the point of latching on to the unforgiving patterns I’m continuing to course correct (internal process). How could I practice 8 years of mindfulness and be back in this place?

It’s all about awareness. So I took my disturbing thoughts, the kind where I can witness myself starting to run down the crazy railroad, and meditated on them. John and I got busy painting our son’s room, which allowed us to be distracted and creative; a gift in the middle of our chaos. 

By process of slowing down, I got more and more clear on what I needed to do to redirect. I’m reading ‘In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts’ by Dr. Gabor Mate’ on addiction, and it’s providing so much detail around how our brain processes addictive patterns.

One thing he notes on meditation and mindfulness, “To pursue such practices, one requires mental resources, a commitment to emotional clarity, an access to teaching, and some mental space in one’s life. They are also difficult, especially at the beginning. But for people whose lives are blighted by addictions without being totally gripped by them, these practices can help light the way to wholeness.” 

I read mental space in one’s life and laughed. I’m definitely doing this work without that, or carving it out somehow in this blessed life of 3 kids, a husband and a small business in the middle of a pandemic. Not the point, but I do think it’s important to recognize the benefits of a mindfulness practice to course correct, and that it requires support from a number of areas.

Mate’s quote below inspired me to write about coming together as community to work as a unified human race in the pursuit of evolution. Recent events started my journey with this by turning inward. A little bit of humility offers a place to reflect, and a whole lot of grace eases that path. 

When we start to look outward in judgement, we have an opportunity to see how that’s a mirror reflecting back to us. The more love we can bring to this process, the more loving our world will become. 

Gabor Mate’ on reading opposing political articles for purpose:
“I can tell myself that we’re different. Moral judgments, however, are never about the obvious: they always speak to the underlying similarities between the judge and the condemned. My judgments of others are an accurate gauge of how, beneath the surface, I feel about myself. It’s the only willful blindness in me that condemns others for deluding themselves; my own selfishness that excoriates others for being self-serving; my lack of authenticity that judges falsehood in others. It is the same, I believe, for all moral judgments people cast on each other and for all vehemently held communal judgments a society visits upon its members.” 


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In Dark Places

7/12/2020

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Greetings all,

I hope you are healthy and safe.  We are in the midst of dark days.  There are likely darker ones ahead. So of course I am working with light in the studio.

I've been fascinated with playing with light for a long time.  I did a self initiation ceremony fifteen years ago for which I ordered fifty glow sticks of various colors.  I hung them in a circle in a small forested area near my home.  Part of the ceremony was to light them up as I entered right after the sun went down.  It was one of the most magical nights of my life.  The beauty of that multicolored phosphor light has stayed with me.  Years ago I bought a ceramics book at a convention.  In one of the chapters there was a photo of a clay lantern.  It had a lovely ovoid shape and very fine curvilinear cut outs to allow the light through.  I immediately wanted to make one.  I had tried on numerous occasions to make something that vaguely embodied what I had envisioned.  I have repeatedly failed in that attempt, until now.

I haven't yet fired this piece or the others in the series, but I am finally hitting the aesthetic I pictured. I started having more success when I changed a few things: the tool I was using to carve them, when in their drying cycle I carved them, and bringing them outside on my deck to carve in natural light.  (Made the process more enjoyable than doing it in the dark basement studio).  As I bring these ideas into physical being I find moments of joy and peace even in the pandemonium that we have shaking our world.  I don't think it is an accident that right now I am working on creating forms that only show their true beauty in the darkness.

I try not to look ahead too much because the future is smoke and while things could change to bring about a more just and healthy world they could also go the opposite way at this juncture.  I say that not to frighten you, but to emphasize just how important this moment in time is.  Many people are re-examining their relationships in their life, not just to other people, but to their work, their time, and their values. We have people in the streets demanding concrete changes to how our society runs.  We have people re-imagining the world.  At the same time, we have systems of power structures working overtime to maintain control of the narrative, and to offer us false choices.  We can refuse those choices and demand our own.  I am for the most part sheltering in place, sharing what I can, and creating.  I want to bring more beauty and wonder into the world.  So I create with my hands and heart. 

Why am I telling you this? Right now it seems that my ability to create in the visual arts is finally coming to maturity.  I don't think it is an accident that it is happening now.  What ability or talent is bursting forth from you in this moment of crisis? As the structures of our narrative have fallen away what deep need in you is finally being expressed?  I know many people are cooking for the very first time, or baking, or sewing, or getting outside daily, or really giving their loved ones time.  There is something special inside of you that yearns to be birthed into the world, and oddly enough it may be exactly what the world needs.  If not the actual product itself, the energy that is generated from your act of creation.  Maybe it is joy that comes from it.  Maybe it is peace.  Maybe it is stillness or even love. 

Not all of you have had the time, but many of you have.  Are you courting the aliveness within you? Are you reconnecting with the essentials of your own nature?  Are you recreating your personal world, or are you just waiting for a return to normal?  The world needs all of you right now.  The parts of you that have been pushed into the closet of abandoned dreams and wishes need to be brought out.  So go, venture into the darkness, and if you need a bit of light, take a lantern with you.

Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle

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Taking Responsibility

6/3/2020

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The fight to end the persecution of black people must bring change. I’m hopeful for that. 

I believe that we (white America) are generationally responsible for this. We wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t enforced slavery to begin with. Personally, I should have taken more time to listen, changed my priorities, and not looked away when things were said in my proximity. It starts with me.

In order to do this effectively and create positive change, we must try to come from a place of centeredness. 

According to the Tao, the middle is the way toward universal harmony. There are extremes in all circumstance and it is our purpose to constantly strive toward the center of our being to connect with this harmony. This doesn't mean sit on the fence, this means go inward to seek truth; let yourself be disrupted and seek the space between. This is where the truth of our being lives.

We must choose to be on the side of mercy, love, and grace, but in order to do this honestly we have to have a difficult confrontation to our contribution.

I have so much to learn and am committing myself to doing that. I’d like to share what one of my coaches, Jacque Saltsman, has gathered as resources to better understand.

She also suggests signing up for the Whiteness at Work class taking place next week. I’m registered. 

I believe that love will prevail through courageous acts of turning within and moving that understanding to action. I hope you join me. 
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Jacque Saltsman Post from May 29

EDITED 6/2/20 * After several people asked to share this post publicly outside of Facebook, I wanted to make sure it is centered around and gives credit to the Black Women from which I have learned. Many are listed below, but especially Demetria Miles McDonald at Decide Diversity, Lettie Johnson at Gifted By Design Leadership & Consulting Firm, Desiree Adaway, Austin Channing Brown, and Roxane Gay.
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"But what can I do?" I can't tell you how many times I've asked myself that question or heard other people ask it. Well, the answer is: A LOT. There is a lot we can do. And WE (white America) are responsible for changing this. So, to my white friends, here are some ideas of what we can do. These are things I've learned from teachers and activists of color I've been following and learning from over the past few years. It's not comprehensive. It's a start. Please add more resources in the comments and I'll update the list.

TAKE ACTION.
Make the calls. Send the emails. Write the letters. Sign the petitions. March at the protests. It helps. Follow trustworthy sources who tend to have calls-to-actions in their posts (Shaun King, Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter Louisville, Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), Louisville SURJ - (Showing Up for Racial Justice), Grassroots Law Project.

EDUCATE YOURSELF on systemic racism.
Read books like WHITE FRAGILITY (I can't recommend this one enough) by Robin DiAngelo, BIASED by Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, ME & WHITE SUPREMACY by Layla F. Saad, I'M STILL HERE by Austin Channing Brown, STAMPED and HOW TO BE ANTIRACIST by Ibram X. Kendi.

HIRE PEOPLE OF COLOR to help you and your organization change. 
My local favorites are Decide Diversity and Lettie Johnson & SteVon Edwards-Mph with Gifted By Design Leadership & Consulting Firm.

LEARN ON SOCIAL MEDIA (AND PAY THEM FOR THEIR PROGRAMS). 
Fill your feeds (FB, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn) with activists and teachers who are doing this work. Some of my favorites are Layla F. Saad (IG @laylafsaad), Hannah Drake (IG @hannahdrake628), Desiree Adaway (IG @desireeadaway), Jessica Fish (IG @j.essicafish), Ericka Hart (IG @ihartericka), Roxane Gay (IG @roxanegay74), Ericka Hines (IG @divahines), Rachel Elizabeth Cargle (IG @rachel.cargel) Shaun King (IG @shaunking), Black Lives Matter (IG @blklivesmatter).
*There will be times when you will not like what they are saying. It will sting but stick with it. This isn't about your feelings. It's about dismantling racism. Sit with the hard questions and ask yourself how it's true for you.

CONSUME MEDIA (movies, tv, books, podcasts, music, art) written, directed, starring and featuring people who don't look like you. And not just about racial issues. And NOT movies made by white people about black people. If you like comedies, watch funny movies created by people of color. Same with books, podcasts and shows.

SAME WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
Make sure at least 1/4 of your feeds are from people who don't look like you. If you're into design, follow black designers. Same with cars, food, literally anything you are interested in.

SUPPORT BUSINESSES OWNED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR. 
Be intentional about where you spend your money. Think about where you eat, shop and who you do business with. If there aren't black people on that list, change it. (btw, If you haven't eaten at Lucretia's Kitchen, you are seriously missing out.)

GET SUPPORT
Reach out. Lean on each other. Engage your white friends who are also learning. (Check on your Black friends, but DO NOT go to them with your feelings of guilt, shame, fear or uncertainty).
This is hard work, but not nearly as hard as fearing for your life just because of the color of your skin.
#neverbesilent #dothework 
Lives depend on it.
If we don't have an intentional anti-racist plan for ourselves, our families and our businesses, then we are unintentionally perpetuating racism.
And THAT MUST STOP. NOW.
(I am still a toddler on this journey, but if I can help you in any way, please let me know.)
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    I am a proud wife to an amazing man and mother to 3 beautiful children. I hope to use this opportunity with the Louisville Salt Cave to spread love, make connections and better the lives of those willing to take a chance on themselves. 

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