what else is here?
a simple way to settle yourself when you feel untethered
I head off on book tour this week to chat about A Brain That Breathes, meet you and answer your questions. There’s still tickets available to the following events:
February 10th, Fullers Bookshop, Hobart
February 11th, Better Read Than Dead, Newtown
February 12th, Constant Reader, Crows Nest
February 17th, Readings Emporium
I’ll also be chatting live on substack with Courtney Adamo on February 17th at 10am AEST (finding breathing space in motherhood) and with Bri Lee for her summer series, Touch Some Grass on February 18th at 6pm AEST.
It’s darker when I walk in the morning and the leaves are just starting to turn. The apples trees? — they’re heavy with fruit. If we pay attention we notice the shifting of the seasons before the calendar tells us it’s time and by doing so, we feel more connected.
It’s raining now, light drops to wet the grass that has become straw in colour and texture. The hills are crisp, this yellow palette that makes the sky and the sea seem even more blue. But today the clouds and the rain has softened this small part of the world and there is a quiet that has descended now that school is back and the tourists have returned home. We exhale.
Our baseline state as humans is one of instability; we’re always on the lookout for threats (and right now it feels like they are everywhere). Knowing this is incredibly helpful because when we’re discombobulated we understand it is not a failure; we know we’re not broken. The simple truth is that there’s a severe disconnect between our biology and our environment. Take any animal out of their natural habitat and they will feel on edge; unsafe, flighty, reactionary. We’re not designed for a hyper-convenient, sedentary, screen-based existence so every step we take back to nature is a step back home.
I often think of the word ‘untethered’ when I describe my body and mind in periods of stress and unease. When my nervous system feels frayed, I need to find a secure place to moor myself. Maybe you feel the same?
As always, I think it’s most helpful to turn our attention to today - just today. The whole world loves to schedule the month and outline five years plans but all we really know is this moment in our small and ordinary lives. We find security when we settle in place which often requires us to draw ourselves back to now with our breath, our sighs, our feet planted on the ground, preferably a cup of tea in hand and a breeze through the window.