Noticing glimmers
Micro moments of calm and joy
My back has been in pain this week. It came on slowly and by Thursday evening I struggled to put on my pajamas. Working hard to dress myself scares me. It makes me feel weak and old. The soreness increased after putting the younger kids to bed. I couldn’t help but start to feel sad for myself which led to a rise in the pain sensations. Pain is connected to sadness, anger, and stress in my body, a longer essay for another time.
What I want to share about now is one of my steady practices for accessing calm and joy while in pain. This practice has supported me through many tender days, months, and longer pain cycles. I call this practice “noticing glimmers”.
I first learned about glimmers from author Pam Houston while on retreat at Esalen many years ago. For Houston, glimmers are a tool to support her writing practice. She gathers glimmers from her life, a moment that catches her attention or features of the world around her. Houston writes her glimmers…