Accept and allow first, before moving forwards (read that again, as it’s the most important) -
Brush your arms and legs down gently, removing somatic, toxic debris,
Chant, or use affirmations for practising positive psychology,
Don’t wallow for days - give yourself ten minutes and then once it has,
Elapsed choose to laugh about how close-minded you were ten minutes
ago,
Focus on finding your people, but if you can’t then enjoy the ones you have!
Gently swirl your neck around, from side to side,
Hope is our tonic to self-soothe - what is it that you want? Set the intent and envision it,
Ideas - recall all those you once had & choose one to focus on: paint, dance, learn french, study philosophy, or join Vocal,
Joke with yourself - the more you learn to laugh at yourself - the greater your self-compassion,
Kiss your dog!
Laugh - even if you have to make yourself. You’ll invariably start laughing about laughing,
Massage the back of your neck with the palm of your hand,
Night-time rituals: aromatherapy, bathe, read, gratitude journal or whatever makes you feel good,
Ommmmmmmm - a time to meditate,
Plan a fun activity with a friend or family member who doesn’t drive you crazy,
Quest: go on your own inner hero’s quest & come back with unique knowledge to share,
Roam the great outdoors: walk, run, breathe in the fresh air,
Shake off all negative energy with some repetitive, slightly aggressive flicks of the wrists,
Tell yourself you are okay right now - this is just something you’re working through,
Use your voice any which way you can: shout, write, sigh & sing,
Vacation, go away, even if for a few days, or a day trip outside of yourself,
Wonder what life would be like if you did away with your evil inner-critic,
Xanadu - journey to your own mind’s dreamy & magical destinations,
Yoga poses & stretches to calm, strengthen and release tension,
Zen - find or rediscover yours & relish the serene with enthusiasm.
🌧 🧘🏽♂️ ⚔️ 🐕 ☀️
*Written for the Vocal Abecedarian poetry challenge, 2024.
Quick note: I obviously don’t have it all figured out I assure you, yet many of these have been helpful for me at various times. Unfortunately, my long lines didn’t transfer well into the vocal formatting, yet I know my alphabet, I swear! 😁 Cheers for reading!
About the Creator
Grz Colm
Film and TV reviews, 🎞 as well as short stories and free verse poems.
A Flower Song
Apparently the Aztecs, Toltecs, Chichimecs and other Mexica were crazy about poetry. Despite the book-burning, slaughter, and epidemics that characterized the early stages of the Spanish conquest of the empires of Mexico, some hundreds of poems from the height of their tradition come down to us in Classical Nahuatl, preserved by Nahua and Spanish scholars of the 16th century. One of the most famous poets, Nezahualcoyotl, was a sage-king who opposed the cult of human sacrifice associated with Tezcatlipoca, God of the Smoking Mirror, and favored Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent. Flowers and feathers were the favorite offering of the Plumed Serpent. Moreover, flowers and feathers are a metaphor for poetry. Individual words, scattered petals, the down of tropical birds. The temples of blood sacrifice could be transformed into temples of flower and song. A sublimated offering to the Heart of Earth and the Heart of Sky encapsulated in the Classical Nahuatl kenning for poetry: in xōchitl in cuīcatl, meaning, "the flower and the song." The following poem is part of a longer work, and is in a state of flux, so take the waters as they flow:
By Rob Angeli2 days ago in Poets
Standing Still
There are very few moments in life where time truly stands still. When your breath is taken from your chest and your body hangs weightless in that moment. Just long enough for it to stay with you from that day onwards. Deep in the red sands of the Australian Outback, I found that moment and clung to it forever.
By Kevin McLaughlin2 days ago in Wander
Comments (25)
Somehow I missed reading this excellent Abecedarian poem! Really like… ‘ Kiss your dog! Laugh - even if you have to make yourself. You’ll invariably start laughing about laughing,’ Puppies & laughter… both such good medicine 🤩✅
Wonderful and wise. With the insight of lived experience you have a unique gift to speak not just to those with mental illness. Your advice has universal appeal. People with contemplate and self question - ‘Hey I think this is me?’ Thank you so much for writiing this. ‘Hope is our tonic to self-soothe’ Pauline 🌸
I needed this! All wonderful advice. I admit to kissing my dog and singing silly songs about whatever I’m doing. Today I sang a song about my big salad. The chorus goes “Big salad, BIG BIG salad” - made me forget my bullshit for a minute 😊 I gotta get back to yoga!
How did I miss this? Love it! Sage advice.
🔥🔥🔥👌👌👌Grz This Island Is Made Entirely of Gemstones https://vocal.media/01/this-island-is-made-entirely-of-gemstones
ABCedarian away we go. Such great advice, I have been doing a bit of these now and then. So glad to see you, go on with your positive bad self. Hope your weekend is going great. Wake up and live yeah-Bob Marley song.
Xanadu! Nice find 👌
Love how practical this advice actually is, and how helpful these tips are!
This made me thoughtful and made me laugh. I can't do K unless I grab a strange one in the street but all the others are open!
Awesome Abecedarian poem!!! Great advice!!! Used many of them myself!!!❤️❤️💕
I found this delightful!!!
Grz, I LOVE THIS PIECE! Yes to every single one of these action steps. This is advice to print and read daily—You should make a poster out of it! I’d buy it and hang in my yoga room!!! Beautiful job and incredible advice! 💫🙌🏽💫💞
Beautiful, calming. Nicely done.
The ABC’s of self-help therapy. Nice! I agree with Dharr, this could be printed and shared in so many settings. Also, I’ve always love the word Xanadu. Nice use of it here.
Learn French, huh? I know, I know. My neck was giving its crunching assent while I read the lines mentioning her :-D
This needs to be printed, laminated and handed out to everyone! Like this was a whole package of good advice! Are you sure you're not some kinda secret monk? Lol. Loved your poem!
I really did read the first one twice before even noticing that you recommended it! Lovely poem with some great advice!
great advice
Good advice. P might be tricky though 🤔
The line about hope! So good.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom Grz. I've been doing yoga for decades now. I enjoy the calming effects and how every part of my body is relaxed.
Fantastic!!! Love it!!!💞💕💗💖👍
Oooooooommmm. This was great
You may not have it all figured out yet, Grz, but you're well on the path. Thanks for sharing these.
Brilliant & Fabulous! I especially loved X-Z! Awesome work!