On Navigating “The Deep End”
[Shared via newsletter Jan 5, 2026]
Dear Ones,
Winter is here and one of us in our household is very excited. Thank goodness for our 5th grader’s delight and joy she brings to winter and snow. My best self is also able to embrace and enjoy it but at my core- I’m a summer solstice baby-and I long for summer. So, as I sit with these mixed emotions and lean into the many layers and protective rubber booties required to take our dog out for walks, I look for beauty. It’s there! Greeting us with subtlety and stillness.
Navigating the Deep End
Remember the swim test at camp? Or your local pool? Or a waterpark? You needed to demonstrate your proficiency with swimming in the deep end and treading water prior to using the diving board or water slide?
I’m feeling the Universe’s nudge-or push- into the deep end of the pool. I’m feeling tested in my ability to navigate life’s complexities. These complexities have roots in existential questions such as:
“why am I here?”; “what will happen when I die?” ; “How can I feel fully alive and live skillfully in times of great stress?”
This “deep end” is individual and it’s collective. As we are all related, we are being guided by the Universe to see all the previous and current ways of being that aren’t/weren’t sustainable and aligned with all beings able to be free.
We’re being asked to shift to sustainability and living in alignment with the soul gifts we carry for the wellbeing of the world.
We are being asked to turn inward to deeply listen. To our Self, our Soul, our Spirit, the indestructible drop that resides deep in our heart that is ever-calm, ever-patient, ever-compassionate.
How do we access this part of ourselves?
Have you experienced contemplative practices?
Contemplative practices is a term to describe intentional activities that cultivate deep focus, self awareness and presence by directing attention inward helping to quiet the mind and explore meaning found in traditions like meditation, yoga, prayer, Reiki, walking in nature, and creating art. They involve a shift from external distraction to inner experience promoting a calmer, more compassionate way of being.The key is finding what works for oneself - and integrating it - as a practice - into one's regular routine of living.
Free Offerings
Examples of contemplative practices that have been vital to my wellbeing are Reiki and guided meditations.
I’m newly offering free guided meditations on youtube. Thanks to my friend Margaret I’ve learned how to use i-movie! (just enough). Please check them out and see if you notice a shift within you from when you start to when you finish. Do you notice increased feelings of calm? Of clarity? Of courage? Other?
Special Place Meditation (10 min)
Shelter From The Storm Guided Meditation (27 min)
Wake Up In Your Power (15 min)
Reiki Journey to the Underworld (33 min)
I’m also on Spotify - if you prefer your meditations with just words and no images - find me by searching “Root and Soar Together.”
To honor and tend this winter season of mixed emotions, and navigation of “the deep end” as a Death and Life Doula, I strive to be a guide for you to go inward and seek your own answers and digest your life. To offer experiences that tap into timelessness, spaciousness, calm and of connection. If these qualities resonate with you, come join!