One of my favorite online yogi peeps (to quote my friend Zoë) is a girl by the name of Adriene aka Yoga with Adriene (if that name rings a bell it is probably because I have talked about how much I love her before). There is something she says during practice that has always resonated with me, "Find what feels good"... simple, direct, "find what feels good". What does your body need? How should you move, flow, hold, breath? Just listen to your body and find what feels good! It takes the pressure off of finding the shape and doing it text book perfect every time (though when you DO hit a shape properly it is usually what feels good, ironic no?). The big news today is that I have come up with my own version of the same idea (but for life instead of yoga)...
"Find what feeds you"
(and I don't necessarily mean food... though in my case it kind of is)
Yesterday Drew and I took a day off! It was amazing... Why? Well you see, we don't do that very much (turn 'off') due to the fact that we both enjoy 'working' and getting things done. BUT, it was a Sunday that started far too early because we had to take his dad and brother to the airport at the ass crack of dawn (which, to be fair is the best time to fly out of the traffic jam that is LAX). ANYWAYS. We got home, sipped on our coffee, made a list of all the things we need/want for our home and in the process I (for the millionth time since returning from tour) brought up the documentary Cooked. Drew, looking nearly beside himself at this point, says, "you know what, you haven't stopped talking about that documentary since you got home, lets make some breakfast and watch the first episode."
...And so we did...
(followed by the second episode)
Do you know what happened!? Drew cried! Seriously. In his defense, I cried the first time I watched it AND yes, the documentary is just THAT powerful. Not only is it well researched and beautifully done, but (you guys) it is also so very human.
We peeled ourselves off the sofa and the day continued on. I found a new love of embroidering things (more to come on that soon), we had brunch with friends, ran a few lazy errands to buy cook books and kitchen things, and then returned to the sofa to watch MORE of the documentary (read- FINISHED the series).
Now, you may be thinking, "whatever! I watch an entire season of a show ALL the time on Netflix"... thats great! I'm glad for you... but we aren't (usually) those people, we suffer from guilt and fidgety personalities that can't sit still that long. But this was different... this fed our souls. Yes the documentary was about food and culture but it was more about humanity. It gave me hope and inspiration, joy and an ache that I can't quite put my finger on.
Drew and I buried deeper under our blankets and talked for a long while after the final credits rolled. We discussed how important things like this documentary are for people. The things which feed you, the things that give you life so that you are better able to deal with the day to day. The things that inspire you so that you are more engaged with the world around you... The things which make your heart ache and make you connect with OTHER people because you want them to understand or experience the beauty of the art, music, food, museum, store, coffee shop, movie, tv show, play, musical, comedy show, podcast (ETC) that resonated so deeply within your being. Obviously, this will be different for everyone, but that is what makes life so brilliant, so multifaceted. No two people are alike, you are uniquely you and interested in different things than the person sitting next to you and that is absolutely wonderful!
At the moment my soul is being fed by the idea of food itself. The connectivity of it, the culture, the passion, the history and intention, the creativity and levels of flavor, the possibilities! Hell even the political impact that it can have on a nation (wars have been started over bread guys, it is a BIG deal). Cooked, Yes Chef, The Flavor Bible, and The Art of Simple Food are the things that are feeding me right now (also I just down loaded the BonAppetite podcast and CANNOT wait to listen, also also, Jonathan Gold has a new documentary out about LA food that I am PUMPED to go see!... yes, I'm a nerd and it is a miracle I don't way 500lbs). What about you? What is feeding your spirit/your soul? What did you see or do this weekend that gave you life for the the week ahead?
Whatever it is, whatever you do, may your find yourself full and content (even if it is only for a moment).
xx
