1. Colorado Fall, my favorite season, time for all the hiking — although I could live without all the rain we’ve been having.

2. Practice — mediation, yoga, writing, and dog. Specifically this morning I was thinking of Susan Piver and her Open Heart Project. I can’t wait to see her again in December, in person not just on the screen of my phone.

3. New thyroid medication, which seems to finally be lifting the horrible fatigue, brain fog I’ve been living with for almost three years now.

4. Down blankets. It’s been cold and they are so cozy.

5. Pop music, specifically Taylor Swift’s new song, my new anthem, “Shake It Off,” which I can’t stop listening to.

Bonus Joy: Laughing with Eric, the last peaches and watermelons of the season, quiet, how much Sam and Ringo like each other.

image by Eric

1. Teaching my first “real” yoga class. Eight of my friends agreed to come and help me practice for my final. I’m so glad that my first experience teaching a full class was with students who are wise, kind, and have a good sense of humor — and who love me.

2. Unpacking and organizing my new office. I didn’t do much, because I still am working on things that needed to be done yesterday, but it was enough to make the space feel better, not so much like an empty dorm room or storage closet.

3. Fall, my favorite Colorado season. Although, what is up with all the rain, CO?

4. Obstacles that present the opportunity to practice. The cats and squirrels who hang out in our yard and antagonize the dogs, the delivery trucks with squeaky brakes who do the same, the interns who make mistakes I get to fix, the people who judge me even though they know nothing about my circumstances, the ones who get in my way, the others who don’t consider how they might help, those of us who continue on in our confusion generating suffering — etc.

5. Quiet, stillness. I’ve needed it this week to balance the speed, the rage, the noise, the overwhelm.

Bonus Joy: My tiny family, my soft place to land.