I love group hugs! Here’s to restoration and replenishment – vitality rising for thriving.
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Have been noticing various stuck patterns / places in my life and also how I tend to be very self-judgmental & mean to myself around this. I wrote a post here last week and then deleted it - because even though I can see I have blocks & self-sabotage, I still keep running the same damn dysfunctional patterns anyways. It drives me alittle bit crazy.
Even so, this self-meanness has to stop. I find myself wanting to change the name of this treehouse to “Self-Kindness Treehouse” because I really need to learn this. I set my intention that before I die / pass to the “Great Beyond” I want to learn to love myself. Don’t want to go to my death bed regretting that I spent most of my life being mean to myself & even self-abusive at times. Praying to the Great Mother to choose self-compassion / make it a way of life.
Bought two new audiobooks - “Outshining Trauma” by Ralph De La Rosa, and “The Joy Reset” by Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald, Ph.D. Hoping these will help to create a real shift. The Outshining Trauma book is about radical self-compassion & seems really good so far.
Looking forward to the “Yes My Circus, But NOT My Monkey” workshop on May 25th.
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Thank you, Jewel. I fully support your desire to shift into more self-compassion. “Even though I certainly COULD be mean to myself right now, and I’m good at that… I’ve decided to ____” – I did a lot of that kind of tapping.
My self-compassion deepens and strengthens when I take ONE new action on a consistent basis. Not “perfect consistent” but treating it like a sacred decision.
Today was day 1500 for my Morning Mile. It started, though, as Day 1. And then Day 2.
I do track, as a reminder more than “accountability.”
Is there something that, if you did it for 100 days, would establish you on a different level of loving compassion? Anything that has lit up as a useful practice in your reading?
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Thanks Rick. I appreciate your support. There have been some idea’s percolating in the back of my mind. Something about going to the “Self-Kindness Temple” daily and praying for help. And I’ve been noticing when I’m at work and ask “Self-Kindness Jewel” to sort of take over, there is a softening and I seem to relax abit instead of being so harsh with myself. Enjoying that.
I think this is going to be my “Summer of Self-Kindness”. I will go to this inner temple daily and ask for help / pray for divine grace to learn new ways. I found some soothing images on Pinterest that inspire me along these lines…
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Love this image.
September 14th, 2025 - I am thinking I would like to change this Treehouse theme - and call it “Jewel’s Soul Care Treehouse” (and sort of start over fresh).
Would it be too much trouble to change the title at the top, Rick?
I will always love treehouse’s, but this one has evolved into a place of soul care - at least in my imagination. And I will be doing all my emotional healing work under the umbrella of “Self-Kindness” now (see “Year of Self-Kindness”) because I figure that’s the only way I’m ever going to get unstuck and work through my emotional crap - through a helluva lot of self-kindness instead of my usual pattern of self-meanness.
I will add more to this Soul Care Treehouse theme abit later. Gonna go get myself situated outdoors in nature first (in my sister’s private backyard) - a place where my soul seems to flourish, and I get more inspiration there.
(see ya in abit)…
I changed the name for ya…
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Soul Care Treehouse (new beginnings):
I hope this will be a welcoming space for all to explore soul care together - whatever that means to you. Please come in and light a candle here & share your prayers and spiritual journey.
My idea’s about soul care have been evolving and changing alot, but spirituality and care of the soul always remain central in my life. Currently I have a few books in my library I have been nibbling at here & there:
(1) Deconstructing (Karla Kamstra)
(2) A Time for Grace (Caroline Myss)
(3) A Religion of One’s Own (Thomas Moore)
(4) Expectation Hang-Over (Christine Hassler)
(5) Taming the Tiger Within (Thich Nhat Hahn)
I find I would like to write abit about how my spiritual journey started (had a strange “spiritual awakening experience” as a teenager while high on magic mushrooms - which radically changed my life - I quit drinking and taking drugs then, but unfortunately ended up getting involved with very strict fundamentalist religion after that, and it took me quite awhile to extricate myself).
But today I just need to rest, so that story will be for another time. Currently my soul care path seems include yoga (or thinking I should be doing yoga, but not actually doing it that much - 
), being in nature, prayer, having an altar at home, creativity, something I call the “deep pool of love within”, poetry writing, and gentle breathwork.
I did go to the United Church for awhile (a very open minded church in Canada) but since the pandemic I just can’t seem to bring myself to go anymore - it seems boring to me now, and I still have some anger at God that remains unresolved, but I’m working on it (writing about it). I suspect it’s probably more what Tara Brach talks about - how “anger is sometimes a lazy form of grief” / a kind of wall against feeling sorrow & loss.
I like alot of the Tara Brach material (how she blends Buddhism with psychology). She has many free resources on her website - I think I will go listen to one of her talks now on “Anger and Transformation” ( Anger and Transformation - Tara Brach.
More later.
Wishing you a grounded spiritual path filled with love and deep rest to your soul.
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I love this and it being here in our shared we-space. Bless you, Jewel. Soul Care for me today was listening to the “not yet” on the workshop, and the joint not today with Cathy, and rescheduling. It’s not so much I couldn’t, and if it was actually Soul-aligned, I believe with my Knowing that the energy and Yes would be there.
There’s so much soul care in the acceptance of Not Yet, Not Now, and Yes That. For me so much of what you’re nibbling on holds aspects I look forward to tuning to THROUGH you, and WITH you… even though I “could” go get those books myself, too. Soul Care recognizes for me that your soul work touches mine and theirs and ours. My sense is that we don’t do soul work “alone” in any kind of disconnected sense. Even in our solitude.
Love to you!
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Yes, what you say makes sense to me, and I’m glad you tuned into your “not yet” energy today and took care of yourself and your soul.
There’s so much here that’s hard to put into words.
But here are some images of my sister, Natalie’s, backyard - where I love to chill out in the summer… it was really nice there today.
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P.S. Love received. Thank you. Warm appreciation to you. 
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Stumbled upon this really amazing song - “Call it Dreaming” by Iron & Wine. Seems like a good soul care song to me.
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21 Day Vision Quest - I have this idea to spend 21 days seeking clarity & spiritual guidance on my health issues / chronic fatigue / work challenges. It’s not really an indigenous vision quest - it’s just me spending more time in stillness and stopping my usual pattern of over-thinking, forcing solutions, trying to write down the “perfect healing recipe” and instead just praying and letting things unfold fold (less control / more magic).
According to the IFS teachings (Internal Family Systems - Richard Schwartz) the part that tries hard to come up with a “perfect healing recipe” and have it all written down & planned out - is a “manager part”. She is afraid I might never heal and that life is always going to be a difficult, weary slog. So I’m exploring ways to soothe & comfort this part, but not let her run the show.
And I will be seeking some “gentle joy excursions” each day - staying open to little delights / new ways to play with spiritual direction, simple creativity, and grace.
Look - to be honest I don’t really know what in the hell I’m doing - only that I need to create new patterns and do things in new ways that involve less thinking, more stillness and gently being open to what life / Spirit has to teach me.
If anyone else wants to join in the journey - you’re welcome to come along.
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New ways to play… in the now. Like what we touched on in the Being Present… Now workshop. For me that comes alive a bit more easily when I tune into myself as “improvising” (Improvisation). It let’s the “manager” part of me know – the “plan” is to be in the now, responding and responding, allowing the non-habitual and unplanned and grace to rise and express itself.
Makes unloading the dishwasher quite the different experience! Teehee
Rick
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Stumbled on this poem (while googling “joy even when exhausted”) and wanted to share it here…
For One Who Is Exhausted, a Blessing
(John O’Donohue)
When the rhythm of the heart becomes hectic,
Time takes on the strain until it breaks;
Then all the unattended stress falls in
On the mind like an endless, increasing weight.
The light in the mind becomes dim.
Things you could take in your stride before
Now become laborsome events of will.
Weariness invades your spirit.
Gravity begins falling inside you,
Dragging down every bone.
The tide you never valued has gone out.
And you are marooned on unsure ground.
Something within you has closed down;
And you cannot push yourself back to life.
You have been forced to enter empty time.
The desire that drove you has relinquished.
There is nothing else to do now but rest
And patiently learn to receive the self
You have forsaken in the race of days.
At first your thinking will darken
And sadness take over like listless weather.
The flow of unwept tears will frighten you.
You have traveled too fast over false ground;
Now your soul has come to take you back.
Take refuge in your senses, open up
To all the small miracles you rushed through.
Become inclined to watch the way of rain
When it falls slow and free.
Imitate the habit of twilight,
Taking time to open the well of color
That fostered the brightness of day.
Draw alongside the silence of stone
Until its calmness can claim you.
Be excessively gentle with yourself.
Stay clear of those vexed in spirit.
Learn to linger around someone of ease
Who feels they have all the time in the world.
Gradually, you will return to yourself,
Having learned a new respect for your heart
And the joy that dwells far within slow time.
(from “To Bless the Space Between Us:
A Book of Blessings” by John O’Donohue)
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Mmmm. Sweet.
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Almost done my 21 Day “Vision Quest” (just a few more days left). Came up with this chart with various tools & choices under 4 main categories (I like having a smorgasbord of choices / variety). The general idea is to stop trying so hard to “get rid of chronic fatigue” and to focus on finding ways to have more joy and well-being now even with chronic illness. The bottom section of the chart is something I will fill in over the next 3 months or so - just letting it unfold as I learn and practice with these deeper self-care options.
P.S. Abit later - Noticing there are some things here I would like to “tweak” to make them more joyful and more of a “body yes”. Will explore that abit more, but feeling happy about having this “menu of choices / categories” & allowing exploration…
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Advent Reflections for the Soul
Tomorrow (Dec. 30th) marks the beginning of Advent and I discovered this soulcare guide with daily questions/reflections for the 25 days leading up to Christmas. It’s written from a christian perspective, but the questions are good ones, and I think it would be easy to play around with the wording (maybe instead of God, substitute Goddess or “divine support squad” or “Source”). Wanted to share it here in case anyone else wants to explore with me and share their advent reflections too:
Soul Care - Advent 2025.pdf (1.8 MB)
“Christmas often sweeps us along, moving quickly from one task to another, fulfilling the expectations and wishes of others. Yet beneath the busyness, what hopes, dreams, and longings dwell quietly in our own hearts? How might Advent invite us to pause, to sit with our waiting, our wanting, and our wondering?”
Day #1 - Sunday, Nov 30 - “As you begin to wait, what light do you yearn for in your life and how might wonder open you to seeing it?”
I yearn for better health & vitality + more time & energy for fun & creativity. Sometimes on a good day I have snippets of imagination while walking to the bus stop wondering what it might be like to have a gentler, easier office job downtown and be able to walk to work close by. And if I could overcome social anxiety and express myself more freely - sometimes I can imagine living a larger and more relaxed life.
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