Halloween Reads

Heather Sanderson's Blog, page 6

March 7, 2023

Full Moon + Writing With The Plants Workshop

Happy Full Moon!

Yesterday was a very full day with many different commitments. Perhaps you can relate? As I was rushing to get ready for a dance class in the city the water dish I filled for the cat I was tending to spilt on my jeans. No problem. Then the water bottle I had filled and put in my bag for class wasn’t done up properly and by the time I got to the subway my shoes, cash, hat, all soaked through. 

I laughed. 

Sad, of course, to not be able to wear my dance shoes, but not a big deal. 

A former version of me would have not laughed. It may have felt like a big deal. The daily interactions we have, and how we enter into a relationship with them, speaks to oh so very much of our health, psychology, mindset, state of being. None of it right or wrong, of course…and, just as water shapes the land around us, it also shapes our inner landscape. The ebbs and flows, tidal waves, rivers that our emotions and energy ride upon–the fluid body.

This morning I laughed more, realizing it’s the full moon!

I laughed because water tables and tides rise on the full moon. Everything is heightened at this time, including our emotional bodies (and responses to ourselves and others we encounter). And I laughed because the water around me yesterday was rising! It found a way to rise, even in the concrete confines of New York City where the sacred rivers that the original people of this land knew still flow way beneath the streets. Even from my water bottle. 

I laughed because this was a good reminder for me to remember the elements are always present and have their own power. A reminder to honor that power and to work with it.

If you are curious about additional ways to connect with your own watery ways, join us for our last Zoom yoga nidra class of this session tonight at 7:15 pm EST, and check out the plant/tree books that have particular affinity for the moon and water. They are Dreaming with Mugwort (also available in Spanish) and Dreaming with Willow. Water is also often associated with creativity and the new book Creative Being: A Conversation with Gérome Barry is coming out on the Spring Equinox (March 20th!) so stay tuned for more on that or pre-order your copy today!

You can also join me for a Writing with the Plants: A Virtual Workshop, coming your way on March 25th! 

Photo credit: Stuart Garber of HeadRest Healing Arts, artwork by Justin Winslow taken at the opening of Blended Beings: The Exhibition, curated by Janet Morgan and Susanna Plotnick with ArtFront Galleries.

View more on Heather Sanderson's website »
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on March 07, 2023 07:33

March 1, 2023

February 1, 2023

January 22, 2023

Dreaming with Rhubarb + The Return of the Light

Last night I noticed that the sunlight lingered slightly longer. Here in the wintery north it has been grey, snowy, or rainy across many lands. We hear and talk a lot about this time being one of hibernation, staying inward, dreaming, resting and those are all valuable parts of life. They can also lead to feelings of desolation, hopelessness, tap into pools of depression, or any other range of sensations in the body, mind and spirit. 

How do you find the balance? 

So much in the “healing arts” is about not clinging–knowing that everything is temporary and will come and go. At the same time we are active participants in choosing what to accept and when, what works for us, and when we are able to, making decisions and changes. Inventing, innovating, iterating. 

It’s a dance for sure and one that constantly evolves as our circumstances, relationships, and own inner landscape change from one minute to the next.

I stopped before writing this sentence and my heart smiled as I felt into the energy of Rhubarb and her new book, Dreaming with Rhubarb: A Plant Spirit Short Read which launches today on the first new moon of 2023!

My heart softened to think of Rhubarb’s hardy energy calling upon me to write this book. She first appeared, as if tapping me on the shoulder, over a year ago and I said no. Then she became insistent in October of last year, so I started to write and I’m so happy I did.

This is the first plant spirit book to come out in 15 months! I had thought the “Dreaming with the Plants” series was complete, but book number 22 wanted to come into the world. Not only was it a delightful process, it reawakened a light in my heart–one that became a bit buried. Even as I call upon it now, the light in my heart bumps up against some internal debris before glowing. Yet, once it glows, I feel radiant and have a sense of confirmation in the process. I feel connected again to the plants and to myself. Something I forget, even after so much practice and training. We all forget sometimes, I imagine. 

Forgetting this feels akin to loss. In every possible way.

So thank you, Rhubarb, for helping me remember my way and my heart’s path. Perhaps she can help you too! 

Rhubarb holds the energy of enterprise–collaborating often with humans to create new industry and support entrepreneurial endeavors, whatever they may be. Her spirit will ensure that you continue to have faith in yourself as you move through the cycles of “failure” and “success” and even sheds light on redefining those concepts.

To read more about how to work with Rhubarb, as well as her spirit, folklore, medicine, and to go on a journey with her, consider buying her book via the links below:

eBook available for Amazon Kindle (device, app or laptop):

US, CA, UK, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, JP, BR, MX, AU, IN

Paperback available:

US, CA, UK, DE, FR, ES, IT, JP, AU, NL, SE, PL

What makes your heart glow? Do you spend time resting in that light? Or write it off?

As we approach Imbolc at the beginning of February we can also honor the return of the natural light here in the north! This is the midway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. So if you draw upon that external energy for support, it’s shifting and the light is returning. To honor this, I’m offering my first in-person workshop in three years (almost to the day!) on February 5th: Return of the Light, which will focus on Imbolc, Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra. More information visit the events page or register via this link.

I hope you are receiving the nourishment you need at this moment and that these offerings can add in some way to your own heart’s journey.

The light in me sees and honors the light in you.

With love and magic.

View more on Heather Sanderson's website »
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 22, 2023 05:23

January 1, 2023

Top 22 Majestic Wisdom Books of 2022

Do you ever forget that everything that you do first started out with not really knowing how? I do! Facebook kindly reminded me on December 30th that it was one year ago to the day when I started writing a new kind of book.

At that time, I had no idea how the book, Envisioning New Ecosystems: A Conversation with Stewart Hoyt would come together. Yet, as one section was birthed into reality, formed and solid, the rest followed. Then a new series of books was born. The Future is Possible series emerged in 2022 and from those early, tentative seeds, now has four books in the world and more on the way. Now, writing these books is a part of what I do, as if I always have. While each one brings good problem-solving and thoughts for me to work through, the foundation is now strong.

I forgot the timing of this first chapter—a new year seed planted. The seed was planted, tended to, supported and, throughout the year, became sustained.

What seeds are you planting this winter? And what supports do you need to help them grow?

If you seek additional resources, this year’s Top 22 Majestic Wisdom Books of 2022 are filled with all kinds of ways to help you nurture yourself, your creativity, intuition, and discover (and cultivate) connection. It’s my hope that they help you remember your magic and bring it into the world.

The 22 most popular books of 2022 are:

Dreaming with Mugwort Building the Future Now Through Reiki: A Conversation with Nathalie Biermanns Dreaming with Nettle Dreaming with Lavender Dreaming with Rosemary Dreaming with Willow Envisioning New Ecosystems: A Conversation with Stewart Hoyt Holding Space to Heal: A Conversation with Holly Ramey Dreaming with Violet Dreaming with Redwood Dreaming with Dandelion Yoga Nidra for Everyday Life Dreaming with Hawthorn Dreaming with Holly Dreaming with Oak Dreaming with Sunflower Dreaming with Birch Dreaming with Apple Dreaming with Elder Dreaming with Red Clover Dreaming with Heather Dreaming with Sumac

Thank you for reading and dreaming with the plants and imagining the infinite possibilities of the world. It truly is a dream come true to share these works with you.

For a list of all available and upcoming titles, click here and you can sign up for my newsletter over at www.journeythroughyoga.com to join classes, workshops, and hear about new book releases. 2023 has a bunch of new projects already in the works!

View more on Heather Sanderson's website »
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 01, 2023 08:12

December 21, 2022

Happy Solstice + Rebalancing + New Nature Sanctuary Book

Happy Solstice! 

Here in the north, we’re honoring the longest night and in the south, the longest day–a peak or a valley (however you may look at it) of the ongoing cycles of seasons, time, connection, of which we are all a part. This can sometimes feel like coming to  the edge of an extreme before turning back and going the other way, returning to a center, and then finding another extreme. A key component of any healing modality is to find balance. And then to find it again. Nothing is static and even balance changes as we change, as the seasons change, as the environment changes. Balance one day may be grieving whereas another day it may mean dreaming with the plants or working really hard in your job or taking care of another.

Balance is not a fixed state, but a dynamic condition, and one that we step into afresh again and again and again…

What does balance look like for you today? For the ecosystems of which you are a part? Be it a family structure, a work system, and/or the plants, animals and energies that are in your village, town, or city. 

The new book (launching today!!), Nature Sanctuary for the Future: A Conversation with Marina Levitina considers these questions and more! In it you will hear about the vision and creation of Lough Grainey Nature Sanctuary (located in county Clare, Ireland), meet the land herself, hear about re-wilding and nature restoration, the essential role of women in healing with the land, unique education for children (and adults) that Marina has developed in concert with the land, and the rich history, legend, and connection to ancient goddesses of this very special place.

There are also exercises for you to try as you explore your own belief systems around nature, the world we live in, and possibilities for the future. As you read you can also imagine what a project of this kind does to help facilitate balance on an individual and collective level. 

While this book was inspired by a podcast episode from two years ago, the conversation has been completely updated and includes many new sections to aid in your journey of discovery, thought, and action. 25% of each sale will be donated to Lough Grainey Nature Sanctuary to aid in their efforts of regenerating, rebalancing, and healing with the land.

To get your copy or read more:

eBook available for Amazon Kindle (device, app or laptop):

US, CA, UK, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, JP, BR, MX, AU, IN

Paperback available:

US, CA, UK, DE, FR, ES, IT, JP, AU, NL, SE, PL

What if the future is entirely up to us to co-create and build? Are people equipped to think beyond the fatalistic mindset of worst-case scenarios and the tendency to imagine the end of the world as the only option that lies ahead? What if the future is actually possible? From envisioning new ecosystems to nature conservation to building new ways of being through creativity, and healing arts and sciences, each short book in The Future is Possible series incorporates wise ways of living for modern times.

These books are designed to bring you into conversations on the many ways humans can grow, learn, heal, inspire, and embody a future where all beings not only survive on the planet, but thrive. They also include activities you can try, commitments to make, and ways to take what you read off the page and bring it into the world. As we shift in consciousness, these short reads empower the belief that the future is, indeed, possible and it starts now, with you.

There are four books available and two coming out in 2023! See the whole list here.

View more on Heather Sanderson's website »
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 21, 2022 08:55

December 1, 2022

November 4, 2022

November 1, 2022