Loops, Layers & Learning

A week of books, plays, poetry, Bollywood sparks, long walks, and ancient wisdom.

Photo by Vencislav Sharkov on Unsplash

A week of books, plays, poetry, Bollywood sparks, long walks, and ancient wisdom.

Hello friends,

I’m sending this week’s newsletter a little later than usual. Mondays at 3:33 are my normal rhythm, but today I got swept into catching up on all the things I’ve neglected since coming back from Mexico—mountains of laundry, scrubbing my kitchen and bathrooms until they sparkled, and finally tackling those household chores that had been staring at me for too long.

In between all that, I’m still happily immersed in The Page-Turner. I’m really enjoying the way the book layers in literary and pop culture references—it makes the story feel so rich and meaningful.

This past weekend was full of creative sparks and inspiration. I went to see The River Bride, a play based on a Brazilian myth about the pink dolphin, the boto. The acting, the set design, and the overall execution were just beautiful. It’s one of those performances that stays with you.

I also attended a poetry writing workshop and wrote nine short poems—mostly haiku and senryu, with a tanka and a lune sprinkled in. It felt so good to be in that flow of concise imagery and rhythm.

And then there was food—new Indian food, to be precise. I tried out a restaurant called Bollywood, which was decked out in vibrant film posters and imagery. That little spark reminded me of my long-time curiosity about Bollywood movies, so I’ve decided to start a personal curriculum of watching and learning from them. If you’re curious too, I highly recommend the film RRR. I think it’s still on Netflix, and it’s such an epic, unforgettable watch.

On Sunday, I gave myself the gift of a long, soulful walk around the lake. I wandered in loops and figure eights, pausing to notice the beauty in front of me and all around me. I listened to kids playing in the playground, felt the warmth of one of summer’s final hot days, and took time to listen, smell, feel, and breathe. It struck me that it took about 45 minutes before the walk became truly enjoyable—before the restlessness melted away and presence settled in. No destination, no rush, just the rhythm of each step and each breath.

On the personal growth front, I’m also making progress with my hypnotherapy certification. I’m just about finished with the fifth of six modules, which means I’m close to wrapping up the academic side. After that, it’s on to practice sessions and a couple of workshops before I can call it complete.

✨ Fun Fact Corner: Yoga Nidra & Hypnotherapy

Ancient roots vs. modern practice:

– Yoga Nidra comes from tantric and yogic traditions thousands of years old, with mention in the Mahabharata, the great Indian epic, as well as in the Upanishads, both dating back to the BCs.

– Hypnotherapy started in ancient Egyptian sleep temples and evolved in the 18th–19th centuries through early psychology and medicine.

Here’s to showing up late, but showing up nonetheless.

With warmth,
Cherie

reset • restore • rise

PS: When was the last time you slowed down enough on a walk (or in any moment) that it shifted from something you were “doing” into something you were simply “being”?

PPS: If you want to drop in Tuesday at 8 pm CST for Weekly RESET, send me a message and I’ll send you a link to sign up!