R I T U A L

Full on turkey, mashed potatoes and apple crisp, my family and I sat down to watch the highly recommended Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher. I was floored. The documentary tells the story of a film-maker suffering from feelings of burn-out and detachment from his family and purpose, who vows to freedive (in freezing, tumultuous waters) every day for a year in the kelp forest footsteps from his seaside bungalow in Cape Town. Every day for a year, he returns to the same place; a place he explored as a child; a place that did not require him to travel. Rather than succumb to boredom or fatigue, or give in to a temptation to cover more ground, he slowly expands his lung capacity, endurance for cold water, and knowledge of this beautiful kelp forest and the species that exist within. Without a wet suit or oxygen tank to come between him and the underwater habitat, he begins to feel part of the forest. He eventually bonds with an octopus who calls out a new kind of awe and compassion in all of us. In coming to know this natural, wild world and octopus so intimately, the film-maker reconnects to himself, his surroundings and his purpose.

This film dropped into my life at the most relevant time, and I know I'm not alone in feeling this way nor am I surprised by how things work out. I'm inspired by the film maker's commitment to return again and again to the same place until he knows it so deeply he is changed. There is an opportunity here for all of us to learn from the film-maker's example. No, I'm not suggesting we freedive under the world's largest swells, but how can we turn these ordinary days that easily feel like Groundhog Day into extraordinary experiences. When we attach intention to acts of repetition, ordinary words become mantras, everyday practices or journeys become rituals or pilgrimages. We may not have kelp forests outside our doorsteps to immerse ourselves in, but there are an infinite amount of possible rituals to practice, mantras to chant and pilgrimages to make as a means to ground and reconnect to ourselves, each other, and our surroundings.

I highly recommend the movie if you haven't seen it yet. It draws on all your senses. As always thanks for reading, and since you've gotten all the way to this point, make sure to read what's coming out of the blue this week. I'm particularly excited about the first blurb below!

Missing you all,
Georgia

For the past several months, Blue Light and Contigo Kitchen have been collaborating to create Ritual - Nourishing at Home, a 3-week alliance of individuals committed to nourishing themselves through rituals in stillness, food and movement. Membership to the alliance will go on sale Sunday, December 6. Jenny and I are deeply excited about this offering and it feels particularly relevant to announce its launch in the wake of watching My Octopus Teacher as we all look for ways to ground, grow, connect and find greater capacity for compassion and awe from our homes.

S C H E D U L E
Monday CAKE 9am
Monday Studio Time 10am (ask GA anything)
Tuesday Blue Light Yoga 9am
Wednesday CAKE 9am
Thursday Blue Light Yoga 9am
Friday CAKE 9am

Our next Blue Light Book Club discussion is Wednesday, December 16 at 630 PM. We will be discussing The Story of More by Hope Jahren.

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