Michelle Swann Young

Have you ever wished you could cut through all the noise and chaos of life and experience just one day, or even one hour, where you felt calm, present, grounded, even joyful? Perhaps you've wondered if it's even possible. Whether it's unexpected traffic, the never-ending to-do list, our kids' incessant arguing, our daily news feeds or the plethora of other potential stressors in modern life, there is no shortage of things that threaten and often succeed in overtaking our sense of calm. And when we add to that a sense of disconnection from other fellow journeyers, we can experience deep overwhelm and even despair.

I will readily admit there's no easy answer. Life and the issues we face both in and outside our selves are incredibly complex. Several years ago, I was at a breaking point in my own life, with three small children and my husband in graduate school. My life-long habits of over-giving to others and under-caring for myself brought me to a place of incredible depletion, intense anxiety stagnating me during the day and panic attacks jolting me awake at night. My recovery from that place of exhaustion has been a long-winding path, lit by many others who beckoned me onward with their love and wisdom. And along the way I'm finding my way back to myself, to hearing my own voice, to nourishing, loving and tending to myself in a truly authentic way so that I can give my best to those I love out of fullness rather than depletion.

What about you? Perhaps you know you need to tend more to your own well-being but aren't sure how to start. There are so many voices in the world telling us what we "should" be doing that they can drown out our own voice guiding us to what we really need. Or maybe you've tried to add some self-care to your life but haven't found the rhythm to sustain it. It can be so hard to keep up a practice until it becomes habit without a helpful structure or others to encourage you and cheer you on.

I invite you to join me in exploring some ways we can begin right now to take good care of ourselves, starting with reclaiming a calm mind in the stressful moments of our days. I've put together a series of 5 simple practices you can use to bring your mind and body back to a calm state in the series Cultivating Calm, and it's available for anyone who subscribes to my monthly newsletter.

I'm also launching live practice sessions here on Patreon in January 2020 (you can join monthly or twice-weekly). The monthly session will be about 15 minutes, and the twice-weekly sessions will be 10 minutes or less so that you can easily fit them into your schedule, with a recording available if you can't make it live. I'll also be publishing monthly digital mini-workbooks with guided questions to help you explore further. We'll make sure to give time for you to discern what truly serves you well in this season of life, and you'll have the opportunity to practice the art of self-care along with other like-minded women.

The first Practice is scheduled for January 13, 2020! If you'd like to know more and get email reminders for the launch, please sign up for my email newsletter and announcements here. You can also go ahead and become a Patron by clicking the button at the top right of this page! You'll be billed immediately for the price of the tier you choose, but you will not be billed again until February 1, 2020 when monthly billing will commence. (Essentially, you're paying for January's benefits now.) Please don't hesitate to email me with any questions! [email protected]

Here's to continuing the journey of learning to love and care for ourselves deeply.

With much love,
Michelle