the savor project
we grow the good and play with our food
SAVOR weekly digest
Welcome to the new SAVOR digest – an appetizer plate of what I’ve taken in or discovered* over the past week, gleaned from research, community resources, and current events.
I’m now loosely organizing content into three categories (HEAL, GROW, and SAVOR), to better align content with The SAVOR Project’s mission:
- HEAL supports mental health treatment and trauma recovery.
- GROW are additional healing modalities, to include art, social justice, therapeutic horticulture, and mindfulness practices.
- SAVOR because we know that #takeinthegood and positive emotions boost overall health.
However, the reality is that most of these categories overlap with one another and all contribute to mind/body/community health.
Also, before you wade in, I’d encourage you to engage in a brief mindful check-in (and here’s an example) to assess what you might need in this moment. When I completed professional trainings in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, I remember instructor Jon Kabat-Zinn asking: “Why are you here? Why are you really here? Why are you really, really here?”
What are you hoping to gain from this digest? Can you take a few minutes to first connect with your own experience and inner wisdom regarding what you might (really, really) need in this moment?
HEAL:
Getting a good night’s sleep: How psychologists help with insomnia
In a recent meet-up session recording, trauma-sensitive mindfulness leader David Treleaven, Ph.D., reviewed a number of mindfulness apps to assess how many include a disclaimer about the possible benefits and risks of mindfulness practice; a self-assessment; trauma-sensitive resources; and specific information relevant to COVID-19. While not considered an endorsement of any apps, the following scored highly on all or most counts: My Life, Simple Habit, and Am Mindfulness. (I’ll be honest, I find anything that tethers me to my Smartphone to be aversive so I’ve resisted most, except occasional use of Insight Timer. However, I played with My Life and also Shine, a BIPOC-developed and -centered app, this past week. And I decided to purchase a one-year subscription to Shine).
Three radical facts about Martin Luther King Jr. and how to honor his full legacy
NAACP: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
GROW:
OSU Extension Composting with Worms (Vermicomposting)
Practice a Yoga Nidra exercise from Pdx-area Gentle Hatha yoga teacher Alix Northup
SAVOR:
Letters from Two Gardens by ROSS GAY and AIMEE NEZHUKUMATATHIL
A video our family watched this past weekend from a local Filipinx restaurant, Musang, after we purchased their meal kit to make chicken afritada (SO delicious) at home.
*Disclaimer: Resources shared in these SAVOR weekly digests are not meant to be a professional endorsement, or a substitute for medical or psychological treatment. Always seek consultation with a licensed healthcare professional if you believe that you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition.
Dr. Dawnn McWatters, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist (WA), adult educator, and long-time edible gardener. She currently lives in Seattle, Washington, with her transracial, interfaith family, mountain dog and tuxedo cat, and a wild, constantly changing assortment of plants.
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