On Affirmations
by Sara Flitner
“Let me wear the day
Well so when it reaches you
You will enjoy it.”
- Sonia Sanchez
This is haiku, a style of poetry that reaches into the present moment, the natural world, the heart of the matter. I love its brevity, its force, its directness. I love that I can submerge into it without drama or a big commitment. I can wear it.
Agnes Bourne, a writer, poet, designer, creative, and spreader of joy, will lead our July “Mindfulness Works” program at Teton County Library (Tomorrow! July 9 at 9 a.m.). She will teach us how to use haiku as a mindfulness practice, a creative way to develop attention in the moment, and to really have some fun together.
It’s a perfect time to introduce a few weeks of Daily Acts that are inspired by haiku, by the power of short, intentional phrases to lean on through our busy summer days. At Becoming Jackson Whole, our team is always curious about ways we can pivot, or refocus, or share something we’ve been helped by, in an effort to bring more ease and balance into your busy, unique lives.
For the next few weeks, we will work with short affirmation practices designed to rewire the brain from its inherent “negativity bias” to a more healthy, productive stance. Since mental negativity tends toward self-criticism, doomsday scenario-making, and other thought patterns that erode mental wellness and stall problem-solving, we’re offering affirmations that build on the powerful neuroplasticity of the brain to promote higher levels of satisfaction, progress, and connection in our daily lives. Plenty of research underscores how small changes to behavior, like an affirmation practice, can result in big shifts in health, from diet, to exercise to attitude.
Don’t take my word for it. When I was first introduced to the field is positive psychology, I thought it sounded unserious. My affirmation at the outset was something along the lines of, “I will never be as weird as you.” But, I read some more. I got off my high horse. I gave it a try. What I found was not that surprising, really. It turns out, I actually felt different (worse) when I criticized (“…weird as you”) than when I put my attention somewhere healthier. “I can learn and change,” became a good one for me.
Try it. I hope it helps. If it does, keep doing it. If it doesn’t, we’ll try something else for you next month.
Until then, be well. Come see Agnes in action tomorrow at the library. 9 AM. (Also available on Zoom!)
Agnes Bourne will lead our Mindfulness Works session, exploring haiku, on July 9 at 9am at Teton County Library and on Zoom (click here for information and the link).
A specialist in color and planning, Agnes has been working in design for more than 60 years and is the namesake of her own furniture collection, in galleries and production in San Francisco and New York. She has been awarded medals of distinction from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), The Smithsonian Institution, Cine Arts, and more, and has been named among the most influential designers of modern times. She’s served as a trustee to national, international, and local boards supporting the arts and design, and as a resident of Jackson, she has been practicing mindfulness with Becoming Jackson Whole since its founding.
Agnes recently published a Daily Haiku Journal, for which she wrote a haiku every day for a year, creating 52 (weekly) chapters. Copies are available at Valley Bookstore in Jackson.