We’ve had another great week here at common art and Boston Warm.  Wednesday we had our October meeting for Can We Talk? — a time for members to openly share their stories without feedback or judgement. One of our members shared a couple of his poems, while another member shared a speech she’s working on for a city council meeting in a few weeks. This hour is always a great time to hear what is on people’s hearts and hold what is said in community with one another. Like last month, I was able to lead the closing exercise and chose to do another mindfulness meditation, which I will share with you all. 

Loving Kindness Meditation

May [I, you, we] be safe.
May [I, you, we] be happy.
May [I, you, we] be healthy.
May [I, you, we] live in peace,
no matter what [I, you, we] [am, are] given
May [my, your, our] heart be filled with love and kindness.

This meditation serves as individual and communal grounding and helps us extend grace toward ourselves, as we do for others. Additionally, this exercise is a healthy grounding and regulation tactic for when we feel anxious or dysregulated.

I am also excited to report that I will be facilitating a knitting group on Fridays during Boston Warm! During program time on Fridays we lay out donated clothes on a table for members to take. Now that the weather is turning, many members search for beanies, scarves, and other knit goods. Because of this need, I wanted to offer the time and space on Fridays for members to learn how to knit and make themselves something warm that they can carry with them throughout the winter. In addition to the practicality of the craft, knitting also has many therapeutic benefits. The repeated motions that are involved in knitting and crocheting are helpful in regulating our nervous system and can soothe an anxious or overworked mind. It is a sensory-rich activity that engages your body. The learning stages of knitting help build resiliency and problem-solving skills due to trial and error. You will definitely mess up, but you will also learn how to fix it! Lastly, it is a dignifying act to make something with your own hands that you can wrap around yourself for comfort and warmth. So, for my fellow fiber artists reading this, you already have some therapeutic techniques within you!

All this is to say, we are always looking for more yarn.  If anyone has discarded yarn laying around, we would happily take it off your hands and put it into our own! You may drop off yarn in the main sacristy on Sundays or in the (basement) common cathedral offices during the week.

Alex Shoemaker