NOVEMBER - flowing with life
“we have to know our limits and find a healthy balance between being in touch with what is terrible in life and what is wonderful. we need to know how to water the good, positive seeds within us so we can bear the more distressing things. —Thich Nhat Hanh
dear friends, dear community,
warm greetings from 🇯🇲. it seems that we are in rainy season now. as i re-enter life here after being away for 5+ weeks, i am reminded that change can be very disorienting and i am seeing the importance of going slowly and allowing space and time for the new interior landscape to become the new normal as well as space for emergence, self care & replenishment. after a period of offering care and navigating busy city life, i get to return back to my humble abode, go within to filling up myself again with things that offer nourishment. resourcing. i get to eat the foods of my ancestors. i get to enjoy the familiar sounds from my environment: birds songs, roasters crowing, dogs barking, rain on the rooftop while sleeping, etc. …all soothing and nourishing for my soul. i get to move at the speed of my body as i slowly re-engage with life. why do i do this? this is my gift to myself, my ancestors and to the world. when my cup is full, i naturally, effortlessly offer from a place of abundance without expecting anything in return.
“a fruit tree doesn’t bear fruits all the time —Kenyatta A
Ghan usually says, the first object of compassion is compassion to oneself. i am giving myself permission to self-care and i am trusting life.
a spiritual orphan
there was a morning, recently, that i woke up and realized that the 3 people (Thich Nhat Hanh, Ghan Chee, Joanne Friday) who gave birth to my spiritual life and nurtured me in my infancy and terrible teens are now ancestors. wow! the number 3 seems important to me. i didn't realize i had 3 of them standing behind me. each of these beings were special in their own way and challenged me in different ways. the experiences i had with them was a privilege. i am now a spiritual orphan who must carry on without their physical presence. i can’t run to be with them anymore when things get really rough. i must now seek them within as they live inside of me now. i have been grieving this change in addition to ancestral grief and the world we have… i am tending to the manifestation of grief in my body. i feel quite ok in this process as i'm in my resilient zone.
“when a vessel becomes full with water, the water simply overflows the vessel. the vessel does not try to keep the water from releasing. in this way, both the water and the vessel are free. neither suffers or bursts. do you see, dear soul? we are talking about you and your tears. you are designed to cry so that your vessel does not suffer. so that it can regain equilibrium and regulation. overflow is how you maintain wellbeing. and your tears, once released, water the garden that is this world. many of us have been conditioned to hold our water, to keep it captive. this is against our divine design. you are a holy vessel filled with a holy water. this water is meant to move through and then out of you. it has purpose in the garden beyond you. when the water builds and rises to your brim, set it free. let it flow. — Jaiya John
wellnest centre update
slowly resuming my work, here in Jamaica, that paused while i was away, i get to look again with fresh eyes as i continue to follow the breadcrumb trail…
✨i am in the process of registering a not-for-profit in Jamaica. an organic team is starting to form that will take on various roles: board, secretary, advisors, etc. although this work has already begun with the engagement with the local basic school and building the relationship with the staff and children, it requires more support than myself.
“one Buddha is not enough —Thich Nhat Hanh
✨realizing that i am called to this work and there may be others with similar calling or simply would like to support this work, i have been praying that the universe help us make the connection. i have been inviting many of you to come join me on the ground here for a short stay. for those i haven’t invited yet… if this initiative (see the bigger scope here: UMOJA) speaks to you and would like to get involved, please join me. the current focus continues to be on play, attunement and nurturing of the children. there is organizational support needed as well, please see below.
✨at the beginning of the school year, the children were delighted to play on their refurbished swing thanks to the contribution of VM, Shane Jones, Emprezz Dyana, Regine Laroche, Sr Peace and Selvi Ram. the swing is in much demand these days and it presents an opportunity for the children to learn to care and share with each other. there is some funds remaining that will either go towards refurbishing their broken seesaw or to build a new one (unless you suggest otherwise). for transparency, view the breakdown of the money spent here: FINANCES. once i resettle, i intend to continue to post regular updates on my IG and facebook pages (@playthemusique). in addition to the seesaw, the annual christmas treat for the children is upcoming.
✨during my time in Canada, i was in conversation with a sangha friend who intends to develop a nature-play-based curriculum infused with mindfulness. we plan on collaborating. she will implement it in Canada and i will explore it here with the children after school or possibly during summer camp. i am really excited about this 👏🏾🙌🏾👏🏾.
✨i would also like to share that Ghan’s passing did not only impact me personally but it also has an impact on the progress of our fundraising. she was one of my biggest supporters and she didn’t have the chance to deliver the pledged contribution before she passed away. as a result, the current raised amount has been adjusted.
✨finally, please consider making a one time, monthly, quarterly, or yearly contribution of any amount. recurring contributions will support the long-term stability and sustainability of the work of our baby foundation that is in the process of being birthed.
organizational support: fundraising*, social media communication, monthly newsletter communication, legal, accounting and finances, website creation and maintenance.
*you are either an experienced fundraiser or developing your fundraising skills and would like to volunteer or you know someone who might be interested.
to cultivate a permaculture farm & wellness centre that will be a safe restorative space for children and adults across Jamaica to heal the trauma of enslavement, colonization and patriarchy - a path to unity, justice, and the common good as well as a moral imperative for a just, harmonious and equitable society.
i would have liked to write more on the topic trusting life (why and how) as well as cultivating inner courage and i am seeing that i am reaching my capacity. i am trusting this and stopping here. if these or other topics are of interest to you, please let me know and i will share in the future, if conditions allow.
thank you for taking the time to read and share my process🙏🏾.
from my heart to yours,
take good care
Kenyatta A🫶🏾