Social Work invites you to show up in your full humanity. It’s an embodied practice which
requires nurturing of your mind, body and Soul. This assignment is an opportunity to attune
to self. A coming home of sorts.
It has three parts.
(1)Over the next 12 weeks you will implement 2-3 daily habits/behaviours that are
wonderfully nurturing and soul reviving . Consider movement practices, nutrition, spiritual,
trsnition from to/from work or between client practices, or sleep practices. Keep it simple i.e.
walk 1000 more steps than you do now,no screens an hour before bed, drink 250 ml more
water than now, add 3 fistfuls of vegies to your meals, 30 minutes of intentional daily
movement, play, connect with a friend 2x/week, or pray each morning etc. My suggestion for
you is to think about an area of your life that could use a little TLC and then think about 2-3
daily practices that would feel nourishing. If they feel awesome after 2-3 weeks keep doing
them and then move on to another area that needs love.
Life can sometimes feel like a lot – school, work, family, community responsibilities all in a
system that wasn’t built for racialized bodies . When that happens there is a deep sense of
overwhelm and our sense of ease seems out of reach.
(2)Glimmers, coined by Deb Dana, are tiny fleeting micro moments of joy. Catching these
momements connects us with feelings of safety and connection(nervous system regulation).
Glimmers are all around us and often spark a light that sets you at ease ….grandmothers
perfume, rainbow, toes in the sand, baby giggles, warmth of sun on your skin or noticing the
sunrise are all examples
5
Daily Practice: Notice the glimmers as they appear, then notice what happens inside your
body, hang out with this feeling and then capture the Glimmer on a small piece of paper, fold
it and place in a jar. Do this multiple times a day. Choose one time each week to spend
opening the jar reviewing the weeks glimmers and notice what happens if anything . For
added fun, personalize your jar with decorations and rember to notice glimmers with all five
senses – what might you see, hear, taste, touch, smell.
A maximum five page reflection on this experience including a plan for continued wellness
practice will be handed in at the end of 12 weeks.
My best hope here and always is that you may create a little extra room in your nervous system
for flow, ease, possibility, vitality…a step or two towards healing.
We will have three small group circle check in opportunities to encourage one another in
our soul care practices.
Considerations for Maximum Points:
Part 1: 10pts
Identification of 2-3 daily practices
Daily Practice Tracking
Intentional Pivots with trial and error in establishing practices
Part 2: 5 pts
Captured minimum of 100 glimmers
Part 3: 15 pts
Participate in one small group encouragement circle
Five pages
What does soul caring mean to you?
What was soul caring like for you? What did you notice inside?(Body)
Connecting the experience to Africentric ways of knowing, being and doing
Indication of how your practices have changed or stregthed and plan for continued
intentional practices
I will attach my soul care habits as well as a list of my glimmers.
Keep in mind if you use resourses please make them canadian base. Also I’m african Nova Scotian living in Canada. if you can use an afrocentric
per·spec·tive that would be great
