DianaK

One of those weeks

It’s been one of “those” weeks. Health issues, administrative snags, missing my sister Jeni (who died in 2018), and a bunch of little (and not so little) irritations showed up on my doorstep. I indulged in the requisite wailing and gnashing of teeth. 

And I got to appreciate my appreciation muscles for the joy they afforded me.

This week I wanted to honor my sister. I have some of her art hanging up and it makes me feel connected to her. I used one of her paintings as inspiration for my creation. I painted and cried and smiled and felt her all around me. I am lucky she was and is my sister. I love looking at her art (and now mine) hanging in my living room as a testament to that love.

My watercolor (left) & Jeni’s acrylic (right)

I’m excited to share the tools that helped me train my brain to help me find joy even during challenging times. This Saturday I’m offering my first online version of Happiness in Hard Times – the Art of Appreciating (along with a laughter yoga mini-session).

It is gonna be so much fun! If you want to try out some science-based techniques that we can use to improve our lives, health, and relationships — even during a pandemic — use the link below to register. 

I look forward to seeing you!

REGISTER FOR CLASS!

DianaK

I accidentally rediscovered the power of laughter 😆

This morning I accidentally rediscovered the power of laughter. 

In my classes and talks, I teach people the power of laughter, appreciation, and a host of other science-based habits that can significantly improve our health and well-being.

And…I sometimes forget to use the tools I teach. Especially when I’m tired and/or health issues are flaring. 

It’s been a rough couple weeks for a variety of reasons (beyond the ones we are all facing right now). This morning when my bestie-roomie Sarah & I checked in, we realized that anxiety and depression have been running the show around here lately. So we sat on the couch, leaned our heads together, and held space for how things are.

After a few minutes, because humor is my go-to tool, I said, “Well, we could do some laughter yoga. We would both hate that right now!” And we laughed because it was true. 

But then…Ida (Sarah’s 5 year-old) stepped in and changed the game. She overheard me and ran over to us with a big grin on her face. “Laughter yoga?!?” she beamed. “Let’s do laughter yoga!”

And so, even though it really was the last thing either Sarah or I wanted to do, we did laughter yoga.

We only did it for about 10 minutes. Ida loved it. We loved watching Ida love it. And then, um, well, we felt a little better.

Oh, right. Just like I tell people.

And based on that little boost from our mini-session this morning, I decided to add a 10-minute session before each of my upcoming classes!

So if you want to try a little laughter (do it!), join your class 10 minutes early. I’ll be there, laughing and remembering that we are in this together.

Love,
Diana

JULY CLASSES

Happiness in Hard Times
The Art of Appreciating

Date: Tuesday, July 14
Time: 7:00-8:00 pm
Laughter Yoga mini-session: 6:50 pm
Location: Online everywhere
Suggested donation: $25

                OR

Date: Saturday, July 18
Time: 2:00-3:00 pm
Laughter Yoga mini-session: 1:50 pm
Location: Online everywhere
Suggested donation: $25

Save me a spot!

DianaK

New Classes: Happiness in Hard Times — the Art of Appreciation

2020 has brought us a seemingly endless series of worries. On top of the “usual” stress of 21st century living, now we are also worried about the pandemic of racism and violence, the COVID-19 pandemic, economy, and divisive politics. We are tired of staying home and wearing masks and we miss seeing our loved ones. 

Right now our brains and nervous systems need more support than ever. 

So right now, Seriously Happy is focused on supporting you more than ever.

We can’t control a lot of things, but we CAN rewire our brains to focus less on the bad stuff and to look for more good stuff. Making simple changes can enhance our relationships, increase our resilience, and even improve our health.

Using tools from improv, laughter yoga, positive psychology, and relational neuroscience, our Happiness in Hard Times classes will give you a chance to learn about and try new techniques you can use right away to improve your well-being. 

In our first class of the series, the Art of Appreciating, you’ll learn a variety of ways to tune in to and savor the good things in life. It’s an interactive and fun way to meet new people and try new tricks to make these hard times just a little bit happier.

Date: Saturday, July 18
Time: 2:00-3:00 pm
Location: Online Everywhere
Suggested donation: $25

OR

Date: Thursday, July 23
Time: 7:00-8:00 pm
Location: Online Everywhere
Suggested donation: $25

To save your spot, click the link below & choose your donation level. Let me know which date you’re interested in and I’ll save your space. 😊

Save me a spot!
2020-07-18T14:00:00

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until

Art of Appreciation Class

DianaK

My anti-racist work: Being uncomfortable and saying things out loud.

Are you ready for some awkwardness? Oh, good! I have lots to spare. 

Since I don’t usually talk or post publicly about white-body supremacy, racism, and racialized trauma, I promise that I am going to be clunky about it. 

George Floyd mural by Xena Goldman, Cadex Herrera, Greta McLain and other artists. The mural is located near the spot George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020.

George Floyd was murdered a couple miles from my house in my beloved city of Minneapolis. We all know that his murder wasn’t the first one like it, nor the last. But this time more people are paying attention and more people are talking about it. Protesting about it. Acting about it.

Lots of people have been talking about and working on this for lots of years. It is long past time that I join them in their work to identify, name, and dismantle systems of racism and white-body supremacy.

Ugh. I keep starting and stopping, writing and deleting. I feel awkward and my gut feels tight. I’m going to keep going. Maybe I’ll make a list. I like lists.

  1. Systems of racism and white-body supremacy have got to go. Now.
  2. It feels scary and strange to notice and name that my chest feels tight and my breathing gets shallow when I let in the truth. The truth of our country’s racist foundation, of my complicity-by-silence, of the ways in which Black, Indigenous, and People of Color/Culture are harassed, harmed, and outright killed in the maintaining of status quo.
  3. I don’t really want to admit how much I don’t know. (Hint: it’s a lot. A lot a lot.)
  4. I super don’t want to admit that I spent a most of my life floating in a cloud of privilege and not really digging in to dismantle the system of white-body supremacy.
  5. It hurts to learn about how much advantage white-body supremacy affords me.
  6. It hurts to accept how much this system really, really hurts BIPOC. Every. Single. Day.
  7. I don’t know how to dismantle racism and white-body supremacy.
  8. I am not sure what I should be doing or what the best path forward is.
  9. Nine seems like a good number of things for a list.

So here’s the thing…

Since 2016 I have been meeting weekly with a wonderful group of middle-aged white women to talk about white-body supremacy, systemic racism, and our own relationships with them. In our group, we’re working to raise our consciousness, heal our own racialized trauma, and be more present in the work to dismantle the system of white-body supremacy.

This work has been and is heartbreaking, overwhelming, hopeful, healing, scary work, and it has become clear to me that I wouldn’t or couldn’t do this work without community. I need other people for support and for accountability. I think we all need community to do this work.

Our group wants to use our years of practice & learning to help anyone who is interested in starting their own embodied anti-racist practice group group. We aren’t experts and don’t have the answers, but we are so happy to share our experiences with you.

If you would like help starting your own embodied anti-racist practice group, please fill out this form. https://forms.gle/8dvyzrw8y7JmWH52A

DianaK

All of this. Appreciations amidst trauma.

So… all of this. 

What is happening is so big, so ever-present, and so important. There is so much for us to process, to hold space for. So much work to do. So much listening, healing, helping to do. So very much.

But amidst the turmoil, fear, rage, grief, despair and…and…and… I am so grateful to see expressions of love, hope, community, fearlessness, kindness, generosity and so much more from so many people.

And I appreciate that our allium and chives and peas are growing. Our weigela and clematis are blooming.

I appreciate that for the FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I have gotten an African Violet to bloom! (Seriously. I have failed so many times.)

On our walk today, Sarah and I saw military helicopters overhead and checked cars for license plates. I felt jumpy and sad and so aware of the privilege I carry around me like a protective bubble of white skin.

My heart goes out to the people so deeply hurt by the murder and violence from the past week. And from all the weeks-years-centuries.

But I was also really happy to walk with my best friend. I was filled with awe when we saw the most beautiful & humongous bumble bee.

And even though I was hot and a little sweaty when we got home, I relished the comfort of Ida crawling into my lap and giving me a smooch.

So, yes. All of this.

DianaK

Appreciations: Shelter-in-place week infinity 😉

I don’t need to tell you that this is hard. You know it is. For all of us. In similar ways, in completely different ways, on different levels and on different days. But THAT is not what this post is all about!

This post is about those moments of sunshine, settledness, and serenity that can be found in the nooks and crannies. And I think with the exception of Q1 of 2013 (Pat’s cancer, Gracie (our dog) dies, Cimmie (our cat) dies, my heart failure starts, finances tank, and divorce talks begin), I have never appreciated knowing about appreciating more than I do right now.

So here are a few of the things that I’ve appreciated during the past few weeks…

So. Many. Flowers. In our garden, in the neighborhood, everywhere I look. Makes tolerating the worse of allergy season worth it. So much prettiness.

The sweetest, sweetest friends! We got a May Day basket and a socially distanced chat with Sara & her family, whom we’d not seen in, you know, about 2 months…

Surprise balloons & signs on the day of and then socially distanced surprise Mother’s Day picnic (Tuesday) with Katie & Cina. Wow, do I love those two. ❤️

More distance visits with the girls. Queen Ida of the wind and rainbow sunglasses. And outside singing with the family.

Cleaning up my inbox and action folder…and having enough energy left for a grin. (Ooooh, and sporting my new dopamine/seratonin earrings).

Putting our masks up on the living room wall!

DianaK

Appreciations: Shelter-in-place week 7

This week held lots of downs & ups for me. It’s so hard to be isolated from friends and family, isn’t it? I count my blessings daily that I get to be sheltered-in with some of my favorite people…but I miss being with my other favorite people!

Here are this week’s highlights…

Happy birthday / happy Sunday celebration – complete with 2 kinds of cake, socially distanced greetings planted in the ground, and melty, melty candles!

Curbside pick up of Great Harvest Bread! Not only did I get to drive somewhere, we got to stock up on delicious bread (which we were nearly out of!)

Writing songs with Ida. Her newest song, “Why are You Afraid of Me” is spectacular. This filled my heart right up. 🎶❤️🎶

Ida’s emoji art: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️🐬🐬🦄

My sweet and darling friend, Terri, who sent me this comic on a day when I really, really needed to see it.

You are doing great.

DianaK

Appreciations: Shelter-in-place week 6

Learning to be okay with not being okay

Impromptu ballet performances of Swan Lake (complete with lily pads, swans, and flamingos) in the middle of one of those down days. I’m so fortunate that my down days include some amazingly bright spots. I even got 5 handmade, autographed tickets to the show. After it happened. 😄

New noise cancelling headphones (sublime!) from my dearest, darlingest Sarah. Plus Ida’s ingenious new storage solution for them!

My bony old lady kitty, Luna. Still hanging in there, still ready with purrs and snuggles.

DianaK

Appreciations: Shelter-in-place week 5

Spending so much time in the house together has led to some fun creative collaborations. These projects are helping us stay centered and connected. And yes, even though we are together All. The. Time. — we need to find ways to connect rather than simply sharing space.

And since we Purple House folks are all introverts, we’ve begun building in more “alone” time for each of us, with various sub-groups out walking or doing a project elsewhere in the house while one of us revels in the quiet.

Every day I appreciate my profound privilege in being able to stay safe at home and still get work, education, play, and basic needs met. And every day I send my prayers out to everyone who doesn’t have that luxury. ❤️

Making tracks….”Railroad Run”

Making masks

Making more masks 😊

Cranes, lists, love, and other art
DianaK

Appreciations: Shelter-in-place days 24-31

I feel like I’m continually adjusting these days. I sort of get the hang of a thing (online school, online work, online shopping) and then it changes, so I have to play catch-up.

And while the hows and whens of things keep shifting, there are a few solid anchors in the Purple House for which I am profoundly grateful.

  • Humor. No matter how nutsy things get, we are all ready to laugh at the foibles of being human — and at ourselves!
  • Humility. We know we are going to bug & be bugged by each other. So when it happens, it’s neither surprising nor a big deal.
  • Love. Underlying everything we’re doing is a solid foundation of deep, abiding love. I have never felt that more securely than I do right now.
  • Friendship. We not only love each other, we genuinely like each other. I absolutely appreciate how lucky I am to be part of that.
  • Good stuff big and small… like going out to howl at the super moon, washing dishes family-style, Ida adoring her new stuffy, video chats with our extended framily, and the sweet joy of Ida finding Easter eggs hidden by our darling friends. ❤️