how’s July going for you so far?
i feel like the month of July is moving pretty quickly and for this i am grateful as i look forward to Leo season and August, my birthday month. no set plans for either time just yet, but i do feel that those are my favorite times to shine. with Leo season beautifully overlapping into August.
i’ll be 44 this year. i think it will be a quieter birthday for me. i may go to the beach for a couple days, or the mountains, or even to the west coast. i haven’t decided yet.
this morning i woke up around 5:45am to get to the Y in time for my 6:30am swim lane reservation. after a few weeks off, i’m back into a consistent swim schedule. i am always amused at the urgency with which the folks in other lanes swim laps. back and forth in perfect rhythm, swimming in different styles. they are there to get shit done solely to exercise. and me, i am there to bask in the still newfound joys of feeling safe in the water. i may do a few laps from one end to the other with a kick board. otherwise i float and loosely practice an elementary backstroke. i’m smiling and going underwater to enjoy the view from that perspective. things look so cool underwater. there’s a blue tint to everything that’s kind of gorgeous.
and yesterday, when i was in the pool one of the lifeguards opened up panels in the ceiling to reveal a skylight that i don’t think i knew existed. and i smiled like hell as i just happened to be floating on my back when they opened. what a lovely surprise!
there’s just one other person who i’ve seen in the swim lanes that is just there for a good time in the water. i don’t know his name. he is an older man, Black and larger-bodied. his skin is the color of nutmeg and he always speaks. he floats the entire time from one end of the pool to the other with no sense of urgency. his is a quiet joy and contentment, and i find it refreshing and aspirational. i’m not saying the lap swimmers enjoy the being in the water any less. i think their means of enjoyment looks different. maybe they move more slowly in other ways. as a new swimmer, i am still in awe of how good i feel when i am just existing in the water. i’m noticing how my body feels when submerged and marveling how it relaxes and surrenders so the water can hold it. i like the sounds of movement that echo under water. it feels like such a blessing.
ok that’s all i really wanted to share. just some thoughts i had while swimming this morning. i don’t have a whole lot going on right now, which i’m enjoying. my main focus has been re-establishing my studio practice and creating a clear Collector Journey for new and current collectors of my artwork called Dear Collector. you can check it out here. it is my aspiration to continue offering accessible ways for lovers of my artwork to become collectors. i already have a growing circle of art lovers who have joined Dear Collector, and would love to welcome you if it feels aligned.
oh, and my books are open for private yoga lessons and creative play workshops, both virtual and in-person (if you are in the Charlotte & Statesville areas). also, reiki healing is available in person. book here.
i hope this month is good to you. i hope it is rich and full with your desired outcomes.
as always, i wish you peace, love, ease, balance, and liberation. thank you for being here.
still here, still making
Tiya
i love that you're enjoying floating both in and out of the water. the dear collector's page is fire!!