THE GIFT OF GRIST

Those of us that were reared in the mountains of North Carolina might hear the term ‘grist for the mill’ and have very literal representations spring to mind for meaning on that. The Old Hampton Store and Grist Mill c 1921 is at the base of Grandfather Mountain and a spot I hold in my memory, perhaps in part because of its generative presence and importance to the survival of earlier mountain communities. It was also a stop on the original Tweetsie railroad, but most memorably the turning water wheel that ground local corn and wheat and nourished the lives of many, is not only a throw-back, but also always a design with a rhythm of great enchantment (made all the more alluring in a time of rapid phrenetic pacing) that our nervous systems so deeply resonate with. These days you can find local & regional pottery, crafts, pickles, jams & jellies, preserves, country ham, bbq on homemade sourdough, live music, and gristmill products.

I heard the phrase ‘grist for the mill’ the other day and was immediately transported- hearing the creak of those wooden floors and the sweet and salty smells of nourishment itself. But I also got to thinking about what is generative. About how we take the flavors of a life and make them into something of sustenance which isnt always the easiest of taks. I feel grateful beyond belief that that waterwheel of transformation is an echo I hold deep to my interior and an orientation I choose always to organize around (not without mannnnyy micromoments of forgetfulness, but nonetheless).

And in fact, Appalachian and Southern vernacular is full of colorful idioms and expressions pointing at exactly that generative quality- most of which were born out of hardship and strife:

‘Making lemons into lemonade.’

‘If the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise.’

‘She’s tougher than a two-dollar steak.’

‘Every tub’s gotta sit on its own bottom.’

‘Even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while.’

‘You can’t stop a rooster from crowin’.’

‘Keep your britches on.’

‘Don’t let the tail wag the dog.’

‘Well, you can’t fall off the floor.’

‘I’ve stepped in worse and come out smellin’ like roses.’

‘She’s got enough grit to sand a floor.’

And the good ole hillbilly triage- ‘Duct tape it, pray on it, and see what happens.’

These are just a few of the sayings that rise to the fore when I stop to think on it- things we often heard as kids that convey resilience, optimism, and find the good in bad situations. And with a playful wink to boot. These sayings weren’t just decorative speech—they were survival tools, passed down across generations in hard-working communities that had to find joy, humor, and faith in even the leanest of seasons.

This orientation- this spinning of yarn from the lamb’s fleece, so to speak, is a lot of what we do in one-on-one work. Let’s be honest, life can be rrrrrrough. But there is real artistry in spinning fodder into gold- or straw if we want to pull a Rumpelstiltskin. And that isnt to say that real deep acceptance isnt a part of the poo pie, but we can also make a mosaic of broken pieces that is the most stunning thing anyone has ever set eyes upon. The art of your particular rearrangement resonates and speaks to others in ways that no one else’s can, and the how of that is often enhanced when we do it relationally. Life design- or coaching to use the more modern descrip- is a time to zoom both in and out, to apply the artistry of rearrangement, to get out of well-worn grooves- but we do it together and there is power in that. It is always stunning to see what arises, wants to be expressed, and makes its way home. It digs into the particulars but interdigitates with planet and collective. Never in isolation but at the crossroads of so many forces- individual, cultural, epigenetic and always body based, nature informed, trauma aware, consciousness curious, and beauty bound.

For a poetic description of what we lean into, see the ‘design your life’ page on my website, but know also that as feminine (creative, amorphous, archetypal, intuitive, metaphorical) as I like to be - and that is a LOT, I also like to be extremely practical, linear and tack things down into doable, digestible, palpable, spreadsheet-able chunks, so you can count on that too.

I will curtail my hemming and hawing and get to it already….

BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL:

* I have added some additional slots for the coming weeks that are pay by donation! *

Yall know that the movement classes I teach have a sort of ‘basket by the door’ philosophy with sliding scale and trade available to those that don’t fit in that range. It is always my aim and curiosity to build out an economic structure inside of capitalism that would not have things like yoga or even 1:1 work, something available to only a portion of the population. And these next weeks are an opportunity for anyone at all to sign up (typically 185) and create the space for deeper diving, no matter the bank account. All done on phone which I have found to be a particularly generous way to work- voice only and without visual distraction lends itself to something not otherwise found.
You can sign up for one session to be executed any time in the next couple months. Sign up calendar will be available until the end of next week. Jump on it if interested as number of spaces is finite. Details for how to reserve in link below.
Feel free to forward along to anyone in your world that you think might benefit- the gift of grist that keeps on giving and was meant to share.

It would be a deep honor and pleasure to stand with you side by side and lean into the mystery/ creation/ inquiry and see what wants to emerge/ land/ braid/ weave/ rest/ revamp/ rewrite/ renew/ restore.

RESERVE YOUR SESSION

So yes, sometimes life just straight up blows, aannnddddd it can all be grist for the mill. For the meal. Cornbread anyone? (cast-iron skillet kind only, please and thank you ;)). There’s magic in that there kernel.

I look forward to leaning in with you.

Lovins,

Julia