On time, weaving, summer portals, and beyond knowing

On time, weaving, summer portals, and beyond knowing

In this reverie, I share some thoughts inspired by the novel On the Calculation of Volume (Book I) by Solvej Balle, a story about a woman living the same day over and over again. The book has me thinking deeply about time, our relationship to the future, and the ways we spend so much energy trying to understand and control what may or may not come next. Beyond this, my thoughts wander through the following questions, curiosities, and inspirations that thread this reverie together: • What if time isn't as fixed as we imagine it to be? • Why do we spend so much of our lives living in tomorrow instead of today? • The strange freedom that comes from admitting we don't actually understand very much at all. • The difference between curiosity and control. • A growing desire for a "summer portal" rooted in creativity, play, spaciousness, and self-expression. • The metaphor of weaving, and the possibility that our lives themselves are the tapestry, the artwork, we are weaving moment by moment. • Returning to the loom as a daily devotion, a practice of presence. • What it might mean to live each day as both the first and the last day. Mostly, this is a wandering reflection about presence, creativity, uncertainty, and the invitation to meet life as it is unfolding right now. — Links to some of the things I mentioned: • On the Calculation of Volume (Book I) [https://bookshop.org/p/books/on-the-calculation-of-volume-book-i-shortlisted-for-the-2025-international-booker-prize-solvej-balle/39837e132ef254c6?ean=9780811237253&next=t&next=t&affiliate=287] by Solvej Balle • My Summer Artist Residency 2026 [https://open.substack.com/pub/journalrash/p/my-summer-artist-residency-2026?r=lwafi&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web] Substack newsletter by Estee Zales [https://substack.com/@esteezales?utm_source=account-card] that has inspired the idea of a summer self-led artist residency • The Artist Residency in Motherhood [https://www.artistresidencyinmotherhood.com/how-it-started]project by Lenka Clayton [http://www.lenkaclayton.com/] which inspired Estee Zales article Get full access to Practicing Presence at practicingpresence.substack.com/subscribe [https://practicingpresence.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Feasting on enoughness

In this recording, I sit in my studio on a December afternoon and reflect on what it means to be “enough” in a season that so often asks us to do more, be more, and enjoy more. I share about getting sick in November and how devoting myself to rest opened the door to deeper noticing and presence. From there, I explore the idea of “feasting on enoughness” instead of chasing constant improvement, productivity, or peak happiness. I talk about the buzzing feeling of never quite doing or enjoying life enough, especially around the holidays, and what shifts when I let this moment, exactly as it is, be enough. A thread that runs through this conversation is my return to a daily poetry practice. I share how writing one simple, poem a day helps me metabolize my life, move feelings through my body, and stay closer to what is real and present. If you feel that familiar hum of “I should be doing more”, I invite you to experiment with the possibility that this moment really is enough. Notice where you are, what you see, what you feel in your body, and what is alive around you right now, in this moment. As always, if anything here resonates, I would truly love to hear your thoughts. — A few of the things you'll hear me share about: - Slowing down after being sick and reentering life gently - The mantra “I am enough and this is enough” - The idea of “feasting on enoughness” instead of striving for more, as discussed in Labyrinth with Kening [https://keningzhu.com/labyrinth] - The pressure to make the most of every moment, especially during the holidays - Presence without force or urgency - A moment from the novel Snow Falling on Cedars [https://www.davidguterson.com/work/snow-falling-on-cedars] - Daily poems as portals for noticing and metabolizing our experiences - Small, ordinary moments of beauty, like a sunrise over the river after school drop off — You can find my daily poems in The Spiral Library [https://findingstillness.one/library-home] on my website. Subscribe to the Practicing Presence [https://practicingpresence.substack.com/] newsletter. Learn more about Integrative Coaching [https://findingstillness.one/integrative-offerings] offerings. Get full access to Practicing Presence at practicingpresence.substack.com/subscribe [https://practicingpresence.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Your courageous life is calling

A reverie on courage and the practice of being seen. I speak about the vulnerability of sharing our hearts and work, the stories that once kept us small, and how fear and trust can walk side by side. I touch on Week Four of The Artist’s Way (recovering a sense of integrity) and read David Whyte’s “My Courageous Life” from Still Possible—a poem that invites us toward the next brave, alive step. In this episode: - The tender risk—and privilege—of using our voice - Letting outdated safety strategies soften - Holding fear with love while choosing courage - Returning to what feels most alive and true A gentle prompt: What is one courageous step your future self is asking you to take today? Poem credit: “My Courageous Life” by David Whyte, from Still Possible. Shared here with deep gratitude. Get full access to Practicing Presence at practicingpresence.substack.com/subscribe [https://practicingpresence.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

I am a pausing person

A gentle reflection recorded by the ocean during a solo retreat. I share about the practice of pausing. How it can feel uncertain, what it reveals, and the permission it gives us to move at our own rhythm. Find out more about The Finding Stillness Studio [https://findingstillness.one/] Learn more about Building A Home Within [https://findingstillness.one/building-a-home-within] Join the Practicing Presence substack: practicingpresence.substack.com [https://practicingpresence.substack.com/] Get full access to Practicing Presence at practicingpresence.substack.com/subscribe [https://practicingpresence.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Emerging ⛲️🐚🌀🦢🪩

Tomorrow our online shop opens and we are all kinds of excited!!! (Hence the over use of exclamation points!) STILLE — A wellspring of support for tending to the inner tides. A carefully curated collection of objects, tools, and delights to aid you on your journey. This has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl and I couldn’t be more grateful and excited to share it with you! I share lots more in the rambly recording above, so take a listen and keep an eye out for another email tomorrow with a link to the shop. With much love and excitement,Raina P.S. Stille is the German word for quiet, peaceful, stillness. Get full access to Practicing Presence at practicingpresence.substack.com/subscribe [https://practicingpresence.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]