This is a thing I picked up from Tapas about six years ago.
It’s completely brilliant in a fractal flowers sort of way.
The idea is this:
Everything you’re choosing to do for yourself probably has some sort of purpose or intention.
But don’t stop there.
Not only can you set some sort of intention about what you want, but you can also toss in everything else you want to work on as well, no matter how unrelated it seems.
Doing some sort of healing process for your back? Acupuncture for your knee? Or maybe you’re visiting your accountant for advice or having a difficult conversation.
Throw it all into the pot.
Without having to know how it’s going to work. Just naming the want.
Healing this ankle, please! Into the pot. To have some sort of insight about this relationship that isn’t working. Into the pot. And I’d really to get back to dancing. Into the pot. What do I know about these piles? Into the pot. Letting go of this old painful misunderstanding. Into the pot!
As if you’re making soup, and the thing you’re actively working on is the main ingredient or the type of soup. And everything else is vegetables from the garden and seasoning and surprises.
Or like a giant, messy, awesome Very Personal Ad.
We do this when I teach yoga, and with clients.
That’s old Turkish lady yoga, of course.
We just throw it all into the pot.
Whatever we’re there to do (breathe, relax, stretch, be curious about our bodies, become stronger, happier and more resilient). Into the pot!
And all the things we’re secretly there to do. All the things we wish for.
The things we want in that moment, whatever they are:
Safety, peace, light-heartedness, support, companionship, solitude, inspiration, trust, freedom, simplicity. Into the pot.
And the things we want to let go of. Into the pot.
And then we look for the essence.
We look for the essence, and then we throw that into the pot, because often our starting wish isn’t necessarily related to what we really want at all, and that’s the part we care about.
For example, what’s the essence of wanting to fit into clothing?
It depends on the person, of course. But it might be something like “feeling strong, radiant and more at home in my body.”
What’s the essence of making more money?
It might be peace and security. It might be freedom and possibility.
Whatever it is…into the pot it goes.
What the pot is.
It’s the thing that contains desire.
The pot contains desire and distills it into something you can use. An insight, a metaphor, an infusion of goodness, a strengthening of your force field, a glimpse of what might be possible.
And now my job today is to notice. To notice and to release expectations.
And to keep tossing things into the pot, of course.
And comment zen for today…
Since I have extra superpowers today from being at Rally and hanging out in the Playground where everything is possible…
I have set up a very special pot for all the commenter mice, the Beloved Lurkers and everyone who reads.
And you can bring all your wishes, desires and hopes for the day or the week or for your life and drop them into the pot.
You can find the essence. You can just say the thing you’d like to feel, experience, perceive, receive or know.
You can do it here in the comments or silently in your heart.
It all counts. Into the pot!
As with any conscious, mindful, loving practice, this one can bring up our stuck. So we make room for it. We find out what it needs. We give that need to the pot too.
And, as always, we let people have their own experience and we don’t give each other unsolicited advice (unless people specifically ask, in which case, go for it).
xox
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At the beginning, I was reminded of “Stone Soup”. Then I started thinking that it wasn’t really like that at all, because “Stone Soup” involves other people putting stuff into the pot.
And then it occurred to me that Rallies and the Playground are kind of like “Stone Soup”. Everybody into the pot!
Huh.
♥
Naming the want? Excellent idea. I want to be able to make those decisions, hard or not. And to act on them. Especially writing. Want to get unstuck.
Throwing it into the pot.
@Chris – what a wonderful insight. All of us into the pot! 🙂
@Marisa – yay. Into the pot!
Let’s see. Things I am going to throw into the pot for today:
Lots of energy, please. Into the pot!
I want to have really good and useful ideas about rewriting my website, since it hasn’t been updated in like three years. Into the pot!
A solution for the Rally page (keep it on the Playground website? But then I already have all these links to the other one? Two pages to update is too much work, help, perfect simple solution, please.) Into the pot.
To really enjoy my lunch. Into the pot!
To maintain steadiness. Into the pot!
To trust what I know and not push. Into the pot!
I get it.
To be stronger than cold germs — into the pot!
To plan and complete the details of our college exploring trip and then enjoy this special time with my daughter — into the pot!
To have my car work brilliantly — into the pot!
To write 6 amazing songs this month — into the pot!
To be up-to-date on all bills/insurance — into the pot!
To have Japan solve the radiation issue and begin real healing — into the pot!
To give myself rest and exercise regularly — into the pot!
To keep this smile almost always — into the pot!
The essence is healing – completion – and love.
I can go for that — into the pot!
Thanks, Havi!
Brilliant idea!
Radiant vitality that thrills me – into the pot!
Tension listened to & released – into the pot!
Ease with that dream training coming to life soon – into the pot!
More understanding about allowing & feeling love, support & asking for what I need – into the pot!
And some seriously restorative & much needed sleep all through the night, into the pot 🙂
Thanks Havi!
xoxo
Equanimity
Grace
Seaweed-like Flexibility
Boundaries
Into the pot!
So wonderful, so inspriring, so honest. I often don’t have the time to dive into your blog. But whenever I di, I feel like you gave me a gift. Thanks Havi!
Finishing this short story.
Making yoga a larger part of my life.
Comfort.
Rest.
Faith in my brand of special.
Into the pot!!!
Freedom – everything that means to me now, and everything I don’t yet know about it.
I like the pictures. Now the Playground seems more like a real place to me. Hey, maybe I could really actually go there some day! 🙂
In the pot for this week:
Lots of physical and mental energy so that I get everywhere I need to go and still have enough to start some research for my Thing.
Little bit of time with my significant other, before we forget each others’ names. 😉
Little bit more comfort in emerging from lurker status on Havi’s blog.
Trust
Rest
Play
Some brilliant bits of inspiration for the various things in need of it
Clarity
Relief from my very sniffly nose (relief from spring allergies?!)
Safety & Freedom & Possibility
More insight about love and connection
Strength
The perfect pair of boots
Into the pot!
Yay Rally pictures!!! How magical!!!
In the pot, I’d like:
– Help with that one thing (you know, the thing I’m too scared to say out loud.).
– Restful sleep AND getting up. And exercise during the day.
– Some ease for my poor aching back.
– Inspiration for my final two video classes
– Inspiration for my website redesign
– New clothes. The essence of which is feeling beautiful and vibrant. Also appropriate to wherever I happen to be.
– A brilliant place to live in Portland. That I will find this weekend when I’m there, yes?
Oh, yes, I need this today — need this in a serendipitous, how did she know? kind of way.
Into the pot!
–Peace of mind
–Sovereignty
–Sense of humor and perspective
–Song ideas
–a proposal draft, savory and satisfying
–Patience
–Self-compassion
–A few good re-frames
–Energy
–Time and spaciousness
–and a bit of allspice, please, to cover everything I’m forgetting!
I very much like this game. Also, oh goodness: the Playground photos are unbelievably beautiful!
– curiosity about stuff I’ve been avoiding
– playfulness and fun with said stuff
– companionship
– healing for the people who are sniffly
Into the pot, I say!
A bath!
with more wishing time!
a mini Rally over here – finishing a good draft of my paper.
enough transitioning time between the steps of the paper (each is a different process)
enough transitioning time between the paper and the end of the paper
enough preparation space for the traveling
space to really enjoy the holidays and rest!
enjoy these days, the spring, the family, the new love!
IN THE POT 🙂
Into the pot for me today:
The cure for this scratchy throat!
Sleep magics for all the creatures under our roof!
The projects grumbling in the iguana piles in my office.
Confusion about the new federal grant thing and all the wobbly unbalanced fearful gnomes who come gibbering out of the woodwork whenever I think about it for a tiny second.
Peace, for the household, the family, the sunburn.
How to get back to playdating?
How to get back to the other journal thing?
All the pending monies to go where they need to.
Extra monies too, as long as I’m asking.
Time for the freelancing.
Time for the things I’m not thinking of.
Time to dance.
New sneakers, whence and wherefore?
Oh and all the wonderful springness of spring, it is going right into this soupy pot. It’s going to taste like green stuff and like magic.
(I do love this post!)
Oo in the pot!!!
Releasing fear of being judged at work
Trusting I can speak my truth and not step on anybody’s toes
Filling up with that sense of I am enough inside and out
To feel rested and revitalised and healthy
To do less because doing so much is not sustainable and I am really tired & spent
To create more supportive structures so that I don’t feel this tired and can go to bed knowing that I will get stuff done
Massage – a treat, do I need a treat?
Trust for new systems
Not judging the struggle
Not holding on to the happies
Being the Notice Doctor
Finding my inner peace button again and pressing it as and when required
Getting some creative work finished but doing it all with love and ease…trusting I have time baby, I have time, what’s the friggin rush….So frustrations in the pot to dissolve and transform please to some tasy morsel or quality
Not catching the flu from my husband, thus causing me to miss the workshop I’ve been looking forward to… into the pot!
Releasing my fears about not being good enough to do “the thing”… into the pot!
Letting go of my desire to measure myself by other people’s yardsticks… into the pot!
Recognizing that I can not worship at the altar of productivity will not make me productive… into the pot!
Accepting that sometimes “taking care of myself” can mean baking and eating a batch of cookies… into the pot!
Loving myself unconditionally… into the pot!
Forgiving my husband if I *do* catch the flu from him… into the pot!
Recognizing how far I’ve already come… into the pot!
Ease
Energy
Resolution
Understanding
Inspiration
Into the pot!
To be honest to myself that I’m posting my insides here! Into the pot.
An openness about approaching the first step in climbing out of my stuck – which has been resistant for almost two weeks after I declared a move out of it.
Acceptance. Radical acceptance. More of it.
To feel that I have time to do all the ordinary things like showering, dressing, sleeping enough, physical activity.
Good sleep at good times.
Into the pot!
A really good starchy/sweet snack.
A yoga practice to spring out of nowhere fully formed and appropriate for 10.30pm (!)
Enough light in the room where I want to work, and warm feet.
Into the pot!
More of this gentle smiling feeling. Such a surprise, when there were walls and weights about these things.
Acceptance of the flow of things forward and back.
To get up in the morning and feel the sun. Or the clouds.
Into the pot!
A meditation session in my program, and a star on the fridge.
750 words on 750words.com.
Feelings of yes, I’ve done itness.
Into the pot!
Knowing what to do in the sunshine! Into the pot.
Not knowing what to do, but doing it anyway.
Having a routine and a flexible self around that routine.
Having an onwardness openness and a head down to the on.
Weaving off into the on.
Not being scared of weaving off into the on.
Into the pot!
The ability to think big in terms of small.
Starting my degree in October (in a very scary place) well-equipped.
The willingness to think big in terms of small.
The faith that small will make big.
Into the pot!
Not getting lost.
Or enjoying lost. Not being scared that lost is lost, because the fear makes me lose my way.
A compass.
A fire.
A lot of blankets, and my love by my side.
Into!
the!
pot!
*
…
oh my goodness.
I love soup. Especially with a warm buttery crusty bread roll. Nom.
Into the pot, I chuck forcefield. I want to remember what I’ve forgotten (or maybe didn’t know) – I’m not sure. It feels like I forgot something, or there are gaps.
A costume for housework, which I may start calling shining things. Or something like that. Because the housework thing is not happening. Never has, never will. Even my cat thinks the carpet smells icky. Time to find a way around it. Essence of that? Comfort in my environment, looking after myself, and maybe because I want to live in the Playground, after seeing those pictures. Lots of colour and stuff and interest but also lots of white space and non-clutteriness. Or maybe I want my place to magically morph into that overnight without me having to go through any processing. Yeah, probably that.
Hugs! I put hugs in the pot for all. They’re like herbs, only huggier.
Let’s see…
Taming the insomnia–getting an uninterrupted 8 hours of rest on a regular basis. Sleep, glorious sleep. Relaxation, restfulness, calm, safety.
Into the pot!!
Insight on what I need to get my classes going. Interestingly enough, this shares a lot of qualities with my first ingredient in the pot…along with some understanding, inspiration, and freedom in there for good measure.
Into the pot!!
To solve the doggy dilemma in a way that is favorable for the dog involved. Grace, understanding, love, patience, honesty.
Into the pot!!
Insight on that always looming question. Trust, understanding, freedom, safety, love.
Into the pot!!
Thanks, Havi. 🙂
Continued progress on decluttering and organizing.
Weekly billpaying and recordkeeping.
Filling out the tax forms.
Keeping up with the salads & more vegetarian meals.
Starting a journaling practice.
Make a list of actions for the household projects folder.
Getting started on the yard and garden.
Set start dates for several other planned activities.
Into the pot!
The essences connected to these are spaciousness (white space with splashes of color so you see the spaces), suspension of anxiety, flow, pausing (Paws!), security, sovereignty.
Into the pot!
Letting go of
All-morning laziness.
Staying up too late.
Late-day caffiene!
Snacking carelessly.
Not examining monsters (failing to acknowledge them).
Into the pot!
Don’t we need a poster, or a T-shirt, with an appropriate design and the title “Into the Pot!”?
courage for newness
freedom
sovereignty
time for shivanata
warm weather and sun
patience
a stronger force field
compassion
A great idea for a thesis project
ITP!
OMG!!! The photos!!! How could a space be so magical and wonderful?
I wish I could go, but I live in the UK.
Thanks for the “Pot” advice, will give it a try.
I’m making mulligatawny soup. Just because I like to say that word.
Into the pot:
Worrying about how I’m getting to the event on Friday
Worrying about how the gallery will get set up for Saturday when I won’t be around to help (read: control it)
Annoyance at people who have bailed out on me this week
Taxes!
Wanting comfort and security with money
Fear of boredom
Questioning everything I’m doing
Wow, good thing I have a big pot.
Words, speech, writing
Action, productivity
Movement, un-stuck-ness
FLOW
CourageFearlessness
Confidence
Certainty
FAITH
Surrender
TRUST
To allow myself to fall into that which I fear knowing that it is actually my friend. I KNOW this, it is a FACT.
A security blanket
A teddy bear
A CONFIDENT teddy bear who assures me that everything is going to be alright
(A metaphorical teddy bear, probably).
The fine, red thread, stronger than all get-out, that connects me to the soul of my life.
To FEEL it (it’s there).
To make those things that help me feel it the number one priority
(fitting my own oxygen mask first aaarrrgghghgh)
Insight into why the idea of self-care first is so terrifying, shame and guilt-inducing.
Clear memories, the old stories to stop muttering – so I can HEAR them and rewrite them. (Not get RID of them, just REFRAME them, retell them, do a more useful translation).
Signposts and things to trip over that remind me that self-care first will actually empower me to be MORE generous, MORE giving, MORE productive, MORE useful, MORE loved
Oh, geez. I asked for insight and there it is….
Self-care last = people will love me.
Thanks, insight…
Okay, into the pot I am throwing:
Rewriting the old story that people will only love me if I give and give and give and give and never, ever, EVER put myself first.
Because I’m bored being stuck in the middle between that story and my inner-rebel who says f*** you, I’m staying up late, eating crap, avoiding the self-work and spending the money! HA!!
YAAAAAAWWWNNNN
Genuine self-CARE, not rebellious teenagery self-INDULGENCE.
INTO THE POT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xxxxxx
PS rally photos looks gorgeous. xx
safety.
Claire – I have a very similar inner-rebel who stays up late 🙂
Things I am putting into the pot:
Creating spaciousness
Patience for me and my family
Compassion for G
Being able to speak about X without coming across as judgey
Steadiness
Peace
Ideas for increasing cash flow
Perfect dress for my sister’s wedding
$$ for June trip
Plane tickets for June trip
Completion of new blog post
Paying attention to what is mine and what is old and what is present day
Unclench over May trip
New dryer
Windows
Floors
Furniture
New clothes that I really like and feel comfortable in
Movement
Claire and Lisa Late Night,
Interesting! I just made a decision to look for ways to make going to bed earlier more attractive. I “should” go to bed earlier doesn’t work at all. Noodling about a relaxing and fun bedtime routine that I look forward to and that feels like I’m getting a treat; that’s more like it. Don’t know what it is yet though.
I tried the into-the-pot thing for my reflexology appointment today. Magic!
Oooh, a relaxing and fun bedtime routine sounds lovely and INDULGENT! That should appeal to the teenager!
Hmmmmm…. 🙂
I get email updates from the Fluent Self. Today I also got a Soul Note from Bridget, in which she talks about the feeling of wholeness. So that’s the first thing into the pot!
A feeling of wholeness — into the pot!
A thing that my husband and I have been talking about for a long time, and have not done anything about — into the pot!
The well-being of my son and his family — into the pot!
Freedom and opportunity — into the pot!
Comfort — especially my swelling feet and painful shoulders — into the pot!
Rearranging my personal space — into the pot!
Beautiful weather — into the pot!
I mis-read someone’s reference to the significant other, I thought it said “magnificent other.” I’m sure that was a special message from my inner self! More insightful mistakes like that! — into the pot!
Playful lightness — into the pot!
Vitality and ease in all my activities — into the pot!
Success with my Thing as I get ready to launch it.
This is such a relief. I’m so used to thinking that I have to focus on Just One Thing at a time, so it’s great to know that I really can work on everything at once.
I was reading this thinking. “damn, I want a pot.. wow I reallly want a pot” and then you gave us a pot!! Huzzah!
Healing my knees, neck, back and shoulder, into the pot please!
This new venture with teaching, into the pot!
Letting go of painful memories, the ones that dictate my day. Into the pot and please don’t return!
A concise, easy-feeling introduction and discussion for my thesis, please; into the pot!
Soup dragon!!!! -makes grumbling noise of the soup dragon from the Clangers-
I call for tranquillity, trust in my own abilities, peace, support, connection, laughter and simplicity. Into the pot we go!!!
The search for essence…
Confidence in myself, feeling that i’m helping people, potential, freedom to learn and love and laugh!… and into the pot it goes.
And finally, to season, a dash of gratitude for havi for providing the pot, commenter mice for adding ingredients and may everyone get the soup they want ^_^
Thank you very much for this pot. This is what I’m going to do tonight, throwing things in the pot.
Oh, yay!
Clear mind, with hanging fuzzies all identified and cared for
Clear eyes, no more gunk
Into the pot!
Smoothly catching up
Doing the scary taxes
A rushing flow of blog posts
Into the pot!
Love and problem-solving with sweetheart
Time for everything
Into the pot!
Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to see the Playground for real!!!
This is SO delicious. And timely. Ahhhh…..
Into the pot:
A lot of Big stuff!
Being tired all the time
Frequent migraine headaches
Deepening my baby mediation practice
Not ducking out on learning some simple yoga
Cultivating Radiance and Compassion
Being in my body
Getting my finances into a more secure place
Regaining my health and fitness
Finding more joy
Playing 🙂
That my beautiful mare stays sound and healthy
Getting my personal space declutterred and organized.
My Intention–peace, calm, security, contentment, radiance, compassion
Havi, this is Brilliant! Thank you :-)))
Mary Jane
I just had to come back here and say what magic this whole Into The Pot thing is…because throwing all my stuff into the pot totally worked the other day.
The iguanas settled down and turned into productivity gnomes (I was as surprised as they were).
My scratchy throat got better FAST.
Sleep magics appeared.
An answer about creativity and writing appeared, too.
Also, this pot reminds me of the Alchemy Pot, which fellow gamers will know from the Dragon Quest games. The alchemy pot is awesome because it lives in your traveling wagon, and it has wings and floats, and bubbles very industriously. You put two unrelated things into it, and some time later you hear a magical smile-inducing DING! sound and voila — you have a new item made from your bits of feathers and rocks and metal and whatever.
So, yes. Alchemy Pot, soup pot, cooking pot, delicious little round place of stewing and fixing and magicking. I love it, and it is so so helpful.
Restful sleep, and being able to deal in the meantime without it.
Getting my mind away from emergency mode, and into pleasure mode.
Continued weight-loss, brought about by amazing homemade smoothies, stir-fries, Shiva Nata, yoga, African dance, and mystery.
My back needing a massage (which will happen soon! but not soon enough!). Ankle pain. Headache pain. Emotional pain.
All the stuff I am behind on. School, organizational, financial, ect.
Getting ready to move.
Letting go of the desires to do things that are harmful to me or others.
Needing to drink more water.
It’s all going into the pot! Yay!
Into the pot goes:
My wish to have my broken heart healed finally.
To have this depression lift and stay lifted.
To have more energy.
To produce more video art to put out there.
To make new friends.
To find a healthy and happy new home – even if it means
moving to a new state.
To get direction from the universe on where to go.
To feel more confident and goal oriented.
To become more sure in my goals.
To become open to healthy romantic love again.
To get organized and all nice and clean.
To get a new car.
To make better contact for my video art than I have in the past.
To get somewhere with the above finally.
Thank you for this exercise! I love it. Simplifies the whole process of focusing on one thing at a time too much and then getting overwhelmed. I will now visualize it as all in the pot working out together for the better of myself and those I affect.
And thank you for all the ideas I forgot to add into my own pot. I am inspired by the contents of other pots! May you all have your pot’s desire!
Wow. I was reminded of this post today. I cna remember being the person I was when I last commented. Crazy!
Here are the things that I am throwing into the pot while I work today:
-I want to make taking care of and preventing my pain a priority. Instaflex! Ankle braces! Investigate those things that I’ve been thinking about!
-I want to continue to do the very best job that I can do, and to remember that what my co-workers think of me is none of my business, especially when my bosses are so happy with my work.
-More water! I want to get back to drinking all the water!
-I want to have the superpower of Being So Nice To Service People That They Want to Help Me Get What I Need Done. I often have it but I have some specific situations where I’m gonna need it.
-I want to get a running car in October, right after my paycheck on the 15th.
-Sovereignty. I need a whole bucket full of that. I know that I have it, I just need to access it.
-I want to create a list of non-harmful, relaxing, and cheap methods of rewarding myself at the end of the day. Especially Weds and Thurs nights.
-I want my short hours of sleep to be the best, most restful gorram sleep ever.
-Happy, peaceful children at work, who are fun to play with and who are eager to learn.
-Continued hope and fun Gwishes about my Escape Plan.
-Finding time/money/ect to get an eyebrow wax.
-An end to all of my allergy symptoms.
-Time, energy, and creativity to finish and record the song for my new band.
-Continuing to learn how to manage my money well. In the least shame-inducing way possible, please.
-I want to know every kid’s name at both of my school sites.
-More time alone, and more time with my Gentleman Friend.
-I have more that I’m gonna do in my head.
This is maybe a tad late *grins* but I’m badly needing some potting energy (both literally and figuratively!), so…
Energy. To attend upcoming hardcore appointments. To attend and engage and be fully present in upcoming significant family functions. That all just happen to be squished into two days and would be hard for a person WITH lots of spoons, eek! — Into the Pot!
Support. That is Present, Engaged, Heartfelt. That offers the gift of Time. — Into the Pot!
The Radiance of Just Right and Needs Met superpowers! — Into the Pot!
Touch. The Just Right type. The Melt Me type. — Into the Pot!
To find the in-between between mind-numbing freizeitstress and relaxing aka doing nothing at all aka crashing into depression. To dance again.
Into the pot.
MAY IT BE SO!