a slow spring thaw
- Coalesce Atlanta
- Mar 13
- 7 min read
hey there. i hope you are well as you read this .
As i edit this it’s Friday the 13th and the 6th anniversary of us buying our home. A blessing. From the window i work near at the dining table i can see pollinators enjoying the butterfly bush near the front porch. It’s still mostly crunchy from winter but their presence reminds me that soon it will be lush. This butterfly bush was one of the first things we planted when we moved in. i remember it was one of the first times i made an agreement that i now try to make every time i plant. “You do your best, I'll do mine”. That 4 inch pot is now 6ft , supports a thriving pollinator population and occasionally a bird's nest. Maybe that’s normal for the type of bush, but it was enough for me to believe in the incantation of the agreement.
Spring is springing and i am feeling more thawed out. Planting things in the ground is giving me that expected and appreciated dopamine boost. Another blessing.
This week as i was squat down and bent over mulching the blackberries and muscadines we recently planted, i felt so much gratitude for my body. She’s a sensitive vessel. She does best when i treat her with sensitivity and care. Respect her allergies, move and feed and hydrate her adequately. And of course a big one - sleep. With age i am tangibly noticing how important sleep is. i’ve jokingly said that i hope my next existence doesn't require food and sleep to thrive. And i do mean it mostly as a joke. Being human is a pleasure, the sensations i experience having a body are incredible. And also my food allergies are kinda annoying. My hyperactive dream life among other things - subconsciously leads me to avoid adequate amounts of sleep at times. Maybe more on my dreams another time, we’ll stick to my relationship with sleep for now.
i enjoy being up early, and up late. Truthfully i think i’m drawn to the quiet, slower pace at the day's edges. There are seasons i find myself in a 2 sleep rhythm. Falling asleep on the couch between 8p-9p waking up at 12a-1a - going back to sleep around 3a - wake up again for the day around 8a-9a. This feels good in season. i get a lot of reading, writing and thinking done when the world is quiet.
My 34th birthday was March 7th. May this be my best year yet- i write that a lot in birthday cards and i always mean it. Since my birthday i've been feeling more at ease in my relationship with rest and sleep. How nice to feel desire instead of annoyance or disappointment at needing rest. It may surprise you that as giant an advocate for rest as i am, i still at times have to coerce myself into it. It feels good to welcome it. i know how healing it is and can recognize how rejuvenated i am after a full night's rest, or an appropriately timed nap. i notice how luxurious the moments are when there’s nothing to do. Like waking up before the alarm and just laying in bed, being. Before the to-do list kicks in, before thinking about what i should eat, before i remember that the news is shit. i lean into the spaciousness. i notice me. i try to remember to spend more time throughout the day being quiet. i take time to be quiet and listen to birdsong every morning. And the bugs and barred owls at night. It was time for more reminders. i popped over to my bookshelf and cracked open some previous reads that remind me why rest and sleep are my greatest healing allies. Notable resources - Radiant Rest by Tracee Stanley and Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker.
Often, unless i’m very tired, i don't fall asleep right away when i lay down in bed. So i rotate through many things in my wind down routine to help me fall asleep easier. Here are a few current ones. (a lot of these are also helpful in the morning after waking up)
Writing : list making or freewriting
Making gratitude list or a to-do list (TDL)
Listing 3 things i’m grateful for, or something i learned or something that stood out that day.
Write tomorrow's to-do list list (this can be related to anything i want to do the next day-even jotting a word i want to come back to)
Freewriting - dump it all out. Just write, don't censor or spellcheck myself, sometimes it feels weird at first, but it often gets juicy if i keep going. Sometimes i’ll set a timer, i try to go at least 5 minutes
Sound therapy + gentle breathwork -using a weighted tuning fork (otto tuner 128hz or 136.1hz) activated then held to certain areas on my body + breathing gently as i feel the vibration.
Chimes are also a favorite of mine. Just playing them gently for a few minutes while i take gentle breaths.
Some gentle yoga - either at my bedside or directly in the bed. Just a few short minutes can make a big difference.
Some postures i do will often do: cat/cow, wide leg child's pose, gentle twists + supported heart openers, joint rotations, legs up the wall.
meditation -
Once i’m under the covers and propped up on all the supportive pillows i’ve acquired in my 30's, something that helps me relax most effectively is a body scan or body awareness exercise like this one I recorded for you below. With my eyes closed, i’ll mentally scan through my body, usually starting at the bottom of my feet. i’ll notice then relax each part of my body. My mind may wander, and i’ll bring it back to pickup at the last body part i remember leaving off at. Some nights i fall asleep before i make it to my head.
The body awareness meditation i recorded below is read from Tracee Stanley’s book radiant rest. It includes chimes and ends with Atlantic ocean waves I recorded from a beach in Elmina Ghana.
Offerings, Openings & Upcoming Events
Take a few minutes to turn inwards as I guide you through a body awareness exercise from Tracee Stanley’s radiant rest.
A massage with me is nourishing and rejuvenating. Each session is tailored to your needs that day and if there are goals you want to meet we work as a team on a treatment plan toward accomplishing them.
Massage sessions takes place at my home studio in Decatur/East Atlanta area , 30032.
If you haven’t gotten a massage yet this year, it's time.
Spring is a great time to get lymphatic drainage or add MLD to your session. If you suffer seasonal allergies it can be great help for reducing congestion and swelling as well as supporting the immune system.
I’ll be out of town the 3rd week of March for an oncology massage therapy training with Oncology Massage of the Carolinas. This is a branch of Coalesce i am excited to nurture. Becoming more proficient and enhancing the level of care and support i can offer our communities is always part of the dream i'm working towards.
A note on community is a good place to tell you about Sacred Spring: A Half-Day Retreat in Community on March 29th. This beautiful event is being curated by an org that is near and dear to my heart, Future Perfect Integrative Wellness.
Sunday March 29th 10amAt the Grief House Atlanta
I’ll be holding space with sound at this incredible offering and there is still time to sign up
i’d love to see you there.
Future Perfect Integrative Wellness is a nonprofit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, dedicated to supporting individuals at all stages of cancer survivorship. Founded by friends and survivors Dara McCord and Jamie Cooper, the organization was created from lived experience and a deep belief in the power of integrative, community-centered care.
Future Perfect offers a range of supportive programs, including retreats, therapeutic massage, yoga, guided meditation, coaching, and access to discounted integrative healing services. These offerings are designed to meet survivors wherever they are in their journey—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Future Perfect is sustained through fundraising and the generosity of the community. Donations and grants allow the organization to offer these services as accessible, sacred spaces of care and restoration for cancer survivors.
Whipped Body Butter @ Future Perfect!
I really appreciate everyone who has purchased skin care from me this past year. It means so much that the products I love to make for myself are also loved by others.
If you’ve been needing more of that luxuriously hydrating whipped body butter, you can grab one of the very few jars I just dropped off a few jars for at Future Perfect in cabbage town. 228 Powell St SE, Atlanta, GA 30316
I will let you know when the first spring batch drops.
Current reads, listens + crafts:
Ramayana - The epic that narrates the life of Rama
M Archive: After the End of the World - by Alexis Pauline Gumbs
Oncology Massage- An integrative approach to cancer care -by Janet Penny + Rebecca Sturgeon
Audio book : Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Music - J. Cole The Fall-Off
Current Hobby/craft : puzzle on table + coloring
What is something from your wind down routine that make it supportive and satisfying?
If you've made it this far, thank you. If you like to share anything in the comments i'd love to know about it.
Take it easy,
Take good care,
P
Thank you for these gifts - I’m most grateful for a peek into your relationship with and wisdom around sleep.