Hello beautiful,

I might not want a life on the open sea myself, but I was raised on pirate stories and appreciate the ethos of freedom, treasure, and adventure. What better time to embark on a fantastical journey of imagination than summer?

If you've been around, you will know I revel in a seasonal mood board, bullet journal spread, or bucket-list type reminder of what I'm up to, goals to do, be, and feel. If you're new here, welcome to this flight of fancy, designed to inspire, and keep scrolling if you're just looking for mindful movement, yoga, and dance updates.

For myself, I grouped my summer seasonal objectives this year around 3 piratical themes: Freedom, Treasure, and Adventure. Already knowing that I wanted to create a swashbuckling BuJo Spread of inspiration (below), share a poem I wrote a few years ago, the “Pirate’s Freedom Song,” music and articles, continue to dance and write and create, be by the water and in the sunshine, ride and sail, take naps, getaways, and Artist’s Dates, as well as create safe(r) spaces for folks to be themselves, whatever kind of magical character they may be, these all found a place in my pirate's agenda.

There are also a few tasks in the collection that even pirates need to complete to count and manage their spoils, such as filing my German taxes and business strategizing, completing a midyear refresh, wrapping up June & Q2. Then I included some related reading, listening, and viewing to round it out.

A quick head's up that starting in August, Yummy Gentle Yoga will be on Wednesdays at 7pm/19:00 CEST, rather than Tuesdays, just let me know if you'd like to sample and join in any online classes or coaching sessions this summer.

​Read the Jolly Roger July & a Piratical Summer – being freedom, treasure & adventure article here​

My other creations, recommendations, and questions for you are:

Listening:

• My A Pirate’s Life for Me - Music to be Free YouTube Playlist is my latest compilation of tracks around the theme - what would you add?

Viewing:

• ​June BuJo Flip & Reflection Video on YouTube: my favorite month for so many reasons: PRIDE, the Summer Solstice, the end of the school year, my birthday, this is a look at June in my Seasonal Bullet Journal book, media published & personally consumed, high & lowlights and special events.
• Finished season 3 of "White Lotus," whoa.
• I admire ​Ecofriend Lia​'s simple, light, and low-waste approach, curiosity, seasonal travel and swimming in summer.

Reading:

• Completed The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez, personally preferred the first book I read by this author, Part of Your World, due to that small town setting being somehow more diverse and accepting in terms of sexuality than the very heteronormative LA crowd in which this first in a series finds itself. Still plan to read the books that follow due to the compelling realistic characters, how they deal with very serious topics, trauma and tragedy, not just romance and comedy.
• Picked up my hard copy of Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome while at home in the spring, the whole series of which my Dad read to me as a child and adolescent and which I want to re-read as an adult and share with Ela. Also found out there is a film version that I'd love to catch after
• More on Non-binary Awareness Week from gialu.mx​

Practicing:

• ​Shared leadership in ballet class like @annamorgandance
• I certainly find that a Smaller wardrobe can make you happier as does Joshua Becker
• ​Returning to Childhood Hobbies with Carly Riordan
• Zines are a particularly piratical form of media, here Kel Belter shows How to make a Zine in under 1 hour​

Practicing Together LIVE / Adult Movement Classes this week:

• In-Studio Adult Beginner Ballet, 6-7:00pm CET Mondays, Tanzschule Tanzraum Nippes, Cologne, Germany creates a strong, body-friendly, and graceful foundation for dance with drop-ins and Eversports access available (German)
• Online Yogalicious Gentle Yoga. 7-8:00pm CET Tuesdays (7-8:00am HI) provides a delicious mindful movement feast which balances strength, balance and coordination for mind, body, and spirit adaptable to all levels and conditions (English) NOTE: in August, Yummy Gentle Yoga will switch to Wednesdays at 7pm/19:00 CEST
• Online Balletlicious Gentle Adaptive Ballet Barre+, 7:30-8:30am CET Fridays (Thursday p.m. HI) consists of mostly barre with a little dancey centre work, building a strong, body-friendly, and graceful foundation for dance at home or anywhere in the world (English)

Inquiring:

• What shivers your timbers?
• Which tracks are missing from my piratical playlist?
• What fantasy character will you adventure as next: a pirate, mermaid, prince/ss, unicorn, dragon?
• How will you romanticize your life this season?
• What tools will you use to stay present to your priorities & projects?
• How may I support your journey?

Gladly share your response to the questions above or provide other updates by replying to this email or on social media if you are active there.

Thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact. Take care of yourself, pay attention, and keep moving mindfully!

Love, Blythe

Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach: dance through your difficulties
and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life

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