Shannen

Zine Review: “Processes: A Meditation” by Terra Olvr

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Zine Review: “Processes: A Meditation” by Terra Olvr

There are many different ways to meditate that have been proven to calm your anxiety, depression or other mind obstacles, and to ground you. Some people like guided ones, where a person is speaking for the entire time and tells them what to do or visualize. Others enjoy practicing in silence, and simply letting the mind journey and wander to wherever it needs to explore. “Processes: A Meditation,” a zine by Terra Olvr (she/they) that I bought at their San Francisco Zine Fest table in 2018, is an inbetween option.

For each set of pages, there’s one philosophical sentence on the right-hand page that seems to both acknowledge daily mistakes and struggles, and to encourage taking healthier choices of self-love. And on the left-hand page, there’s a drawing representing what it would look like in a meditative physical form or “how the verses live in the body,” said Olvr.

Make Your Own Self-Affirmation Flag Banner with Janie Johnson

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Make Your Own Self-Affirmation Flag Banner with Janie Johnson

Janie Johnson is a survivor of sexual and domestic abuse, and creates self-affirmation flags to help her healing process.

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Tell us about your self-affirmation flag banner.

My affirmation flag started in an art therapy group I participated in last fall. We were encouraged to create our own affirmations or choose from a list. I found the process of choosing resonant affirmations and creating something nurturing for myself incredibly therapeutic. On top of that, at the end of the process I was able to take the project home with me, allowing me to revisit the feelings of self-nurturing whenever I needed to. I kept my favorite affirmations on a list, and I continue to add and modify them. My flag is in my bedroom, and I also keep a digital version on my phone so I can access it wherever I go.

4 Meditations to Heal Your Energy System

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4 Meditations to Heal Your Energy System

Our energy system is made up of our aura (biofield that starts on our skin and extends outward in an egg shape for a few feet), meridians (channels that run through our body) and chakras (energy centers in our body). When our system is clear, we feel balanced with oneself, but throughout life, we collect experiences – our own and of others – that builds density in our energetic system. It is important to practice managing our energy system so that we can rid of any energy we don’t need, and feel happiness. One way to practice this is by meditating.

How to Self-Massage as an Act of Self-Love

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How to Self-Massage as an Act of Self-Love

Self-massage is one the greatest forms of self-love. Set aside time for date night with yourself, get naked (I’m not kidding), and simply use your fingers to knead and caress your skin from your scalp to your toes while talking to your body. Ask your body how it’s feeling, what it needs, what it wants, and tell your body thank you and I love you. I like to start standing up, and work my way down to my feet so I’m in a forward fold with my hands on top of my feet (see this link). Hang there and breathe in relaxation, bliss and love. You can use coconut oil, massage oil, or essential oils such as lavender to calm, or peppermint to open and bring down inflammation.