This is a package we made when we first went into lockdown last year. Fellow Victorians, we’re thinking of you and re-sharing this resource as we wade back into the deep.
Less than two months ago, when so many of us were feeling alarm around the bushfires and wider climate emergency, we shared a resource for turning that alarm into much-needed action. Now we are in the midst of another emergency that is forcing us into varying states of economic distress, isolation and anxiety. We are united in our vulnerability and our courageous attempts to think and live differently as the fragility of the economy reveals itself to us.
There is a deep desire among us to find freedom and imagination in this moment. Much of the work, of course, is in cultivating the resources within to help weather the storm. As we at Dumbo Feather navigate the turbulence and uncertainty of this time, and strive for moments of clarity, peace and a re-imagining of what’s possible, we are committing to sharing ideas that are helping us find refuge. We will keep adding to this list as inspiration strikes and new resources come our way.
THINGS YOU CAN DO
- Be in nature and observe life, maybe spend time with a particular tree and enter a regular conversation with it
- Stay present to what you’re feeling, your emotions are probably changing on an hourly basis; observe them, be curious about what’s triggering them
- Celebrate the wins for the planet as a consequence of this de-growth period. Join in its relief. We are part of nature, after all
- Plant seeds and grow a garden (even if it’s pots on the balcony)
- Create a routine for your day. Include break times, walks, coffee chats with loved ones via Zoom
- Order books from local bookstores – many bookshops are offering free delivery to surrounding areas. Buy food from local businesses and grocery stores
COOL STUFF THAT’S HAPPENING
- Audible is doing free audiobooks for kids and are accepting story pitches for fiction and non-fiction
- Yale is offering their online Science of Wellbeing course for free
- The poet David Whyte is doing an online series called The Courage in Poetry every Sunday morning (PWCT) for three weeks. Recordings will be made available
- The Weekly Service have transitioned their weekly Saturday morning events to Zoom, with all the same ingredients: storytelling, intimate chats, meditation and group singing
- Check out these 10 Creative Courses you can take online for free
- Embrace these stay-at-home recipes, gardening tips and community care ideas from the legends at Milkwood
ACE MEDITATIONS
- It’s all there for you at Insight Timer. They’ve got a dedicated section to meditations for anxiety in this time. Favourites include Facing Fear with Compassion – Elizabeth Gilbert, Compassion in the time of Coronavirus – Jack Kornfield, and All You Need to Know – Mindfulness & Coronavirus, Dr Judson Brewer
- Always gold from Tara Brach, Sylvia Boorstein & Jack Kornfield
ARTICLES TO BRING CALM
- A New Yorker essay in praise of phone calls and the human voice
- 10 Ways to Ease your Coronavirus Anxiety from the New York Times
- An interview on how anxiety is a contagion from Mindful magazine
RESOURCES FOR STAYING INFORMED
- Up-to-date facts for the general public
- The latest information for parents, teachers and employers
PODCASTS FOR WISDOM
- Dharma teacher Catherine Ingram (of DF issue 61 fame) has a new podcast out: Coronavirus Courage and Calm on wisely managing our attention during this time
- The legends at This Jungian Life podcast have a brilliant episode “Facing the Fear of Coronavirus” – if you’re not already onto them, enjoy devouring their entire back catalogue (you’re welcome)
- Brené Brown just released a podcast! Unlocking Us
- And there’s lots of rich content from The Future is Beautiful and Emergence Magazine Podcast for re-connecting with hope
POETRY TO GET YOU THROUGH
GOLD FROM THE DUMBO FEATHER VAULT
RESOURCES FROM OUR CONVERSATION SERIES
Hi everyone – we will populate this article with all of the resources that are shared in our Zoom Conversation Series (Monday at 12:30pm every week).
Monday May 6 with Arne Rubinstein
Monday April 2o with Catherine Ingram
Monday April 13 with Lydia Fairhall
Monday April 6 with Hugh Mackay
Monday March 30 with Berry Liberman
