December Recommendations

“Heart Reacts” podcast: Sarah Jaffe is a fabulous leftist writer and journalist; I’m both excited and trepidatious to read her new book about grief. She’s recently started an advice podcast with a friend, and as a longtime lover of advice podcasts (I miss Danny Lavery’s Big Mood Little Mood CONSTANTLY), and leftist, this is a real treat. Thoughtful advice on how to navigate all kinds of love and desire, through a lens that actually acknowledges systems of power!!I want to listen to advice that will sometimes say “well actually what you are experiencing is sexism and being nicer will not help” or “the problem is capitalism; have you considered unionizing?” I am a very picky podcast listener, since I am not such a listening sort of person and prefer to read, so I need engaging conversations to be happening! I aspire to be a girl who can appreciate Krista Tippett’s soothing voice, but in reality I need hosts to be more…yell-y for me be able to focus on a podcast. Heart Reacts PROVIDES.

Yivarechecha by Batya Levine: I have been waiting for Batya’s second album basically since the day “Nechama” dropped as a single from the first album. Yivarechecha is equally soothing and joyful, and met me exactly where I needed it to. Listening to it feels spiritual, but also fun – a goad and a delight all at once. I’ve had “Ani L’Dodi” on repeat.

Flexible routines: My relationship to routines often involves a few weeks of “perfection” and then one day of missed habits followed by several weeks of giving up entirely and feeling vaguely gross and guilty. But I love a good long peaceful morning of skincare, morning pages, tea, sunlamp so I am less depressed, davening, breakfast. And I am working on separating out the pieces so I can have an imperfect morning that still grounds me. If I am running low on time and skip the journaling, I can still daven and have that Hashem hangout time. If I have to head out the door, I can make my favorite tea in a travel mug. I can even – get this!! – do my morning pages later in the day if I feel like it! I am very much in the early stages of balancing flexibility and firmness in my morning habits, but so far I like it.

i normally drink my morning tea in bed, but here i am visiting family and drinking tea on the couch with ollie instead. flexibility!!

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