Readitations

What's your relationship with the phrase "self care?"  In this episode on the cuttingly funny collection Wow, No Thank You. by Samantha Irby, explore the idea of self care and what that means apart from the commercialized versions we see every day. Go inward to find simple, realistic self-care strategies that actually work for you, unlike the Instagram vitamins that Irby bought but never takes. Real self-care isn't what the glamorous lifestyle blogs show us it is; it's about what truly improves our quality of life, and the only way for us to know what care we need is by getting still and becoming mindful of ourselves. Try this meditation to do just that: scan through your body, mind, and spirit and hear what they are telling you.
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Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.
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Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.

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Read the poem here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/53500/ballad-in-a
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Read the poetry guide here (one of my main sources of information for this episode): https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/146063/cathy-park-hong-ballad-in-a
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Do you exist with your mind in the present or do you live mostly in the future or the past?  In this episode on the nearly-univocalic poem "Ballad in A" by Cathy Park Hong, hear Hong's critique of America's artificial nostalgia for a past that never existed and dive into the brilliant formal devices that she uses to keep her readers and her characters in the present moment. 
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When we exist in the past or the future, we are living in a myth. Take a leaf out of Hong's book and learn tools to tether yourself to the present moment instead. This idea of presence is central to her poem and central to our own fulfillment.   Try this meditation to pull yourself mindfully into each moment and really feel present with yourself, your emotions, and your surroundings. You'll leave this episode feeling the kind of peace that only comes from living in the moment.
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Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!
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Email me at [email protected] to tell me what you're reading, send cute cat pics, or let me know what you'd like to hear in future episodes. It means so much to hear from you and I respond to every email.
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Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.
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Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.

Support the show

Do you treat yourself like a friend? In this episode on the wickedly funny collection Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh, explore the process of what it takes to become friends with yourself and why it's worth the effort.  Get quiet, hold your own hand, and allow yourself to acknowledge all the parts of you that come to the table. It's hard to be supportive of yourself sometimes, and Brosh's understanding humor makes her the perfect companion along that journey. Try this meditation to welcome yourself home with gentleness and reassure yourself that no matter what comes, you will be here for yourself. 
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Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!
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Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.
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Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.

Support the show

What's your relationship with the word "faith?"  In this episode on the dryly humorous essay "Jesus Shaves" by David Sedaris, explore the sometimes-challenging concept of faith and its companion, uncertainty.  Dig in to find simple, grounding sources of faith, no matter what you believe. "Why bother struggling... if each of us didn't believe that, against all reason, we might eventually improve?" Sedaris writes. That spark of hope is at the heart of faith. Try this meditation to sit with the paradox of faith amidst uncertainty and ground yourself with feelings of safety and support.
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Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!
•
Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.
•
Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.

Support the show

How do you feel when a plot twist takes a book (or your life) in a different direction than you  anticipated?  In this episode on the cozy mystery Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, immerse yourself in Christie's twisty novel and allow yourself to let go of your expectations for how things will go. "The impossible must be possible in spite of appearances," Christie reminds us—words that can guide us to greater ease and discovery than we can imagine. Try this meditation to release attachment to expectation and open yourself up to whatever revelation comes next.
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Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!
•
Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.
•
Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.

Support the show

When was the last time you allowed yourself simply to take pleasure in your life?  In this episode on the autobiography My Life in France by Julia Child, surround yourself with Julia's sunny joie de vivre and allow yourself to take pleasure in existence and follow the things that bring you joy. "Allow some things to slip past you," as she would say, and notice the many pleasures of life. Try this meditation to let busy thoughts slip away and soak up the rich pleasure that awaits you in each moment. Bon appétit!
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Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!
•
Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.
•
Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.

Support the show

When was the last time you got really quiet?  In this episode on the poem "Keeping Quiet" by Pablo Neruda, immerse yourself in the poet's imagining of a world where, for twelve seconds, we all became still and quiet. The earth would flourish, our relationships would heal, and we could finally hear what our inner voices are saying to us. Try this meditation to drop into a space where, for a few moments, you can rest in deep quiet and feel its healing powers.
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Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!
•
Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.
•
Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.

Support the show

What is your relationship with your inner pain? Do you resist it or listen to it? In this episode on the poem "On Pain" by Kahlil Gibran, hear how the poet frames pain as a bitter medicine from a divine source. Then try the meditation to drop into a space where you can witness your pain with detachment, attention, and even gratitude.
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Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!
•
Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.
•
Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.

Support the show

How do the people you love shape your life? In this episode on the novel A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman, hear how the people in Ove's life are his saving grace and how the characters bring color to each other's lives. Then try the meditation to be present with deep gratitude for a person in your own life.
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Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!
•
Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.
•
Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.

Support the show

How can you let go more fully? In this episode on the short story Early Autumn by Langston Hughes and the poem "the lesson of the leaves" by Lucille Clifton, compare how characters in Hughes' story suffer as they cling to the past and how the leaves in Clifton's poem embody grace and divinity by letting go of their attachment (literally). Then try the meditation to help bring yourself into the present moment and practice letting go of the past and the future for a little while.
•
Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!
•
Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.
•
Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.

Support the show