How do we wake up and shine like a badass in a world full of heaviness and darkness? How do we find the joy in the compost of the bullsh*t that we face everyday in this world?
These are the questions Grammy-nominated musician, author and multi-hyphenate artist Valerie June is asking, in the description of her new book ‘Light Beams: A Workbook for Being Your Badass Self‘ released September 19 through Andrews McMeel Publishing.
‘Light Beams’ is an interactive journal that builds on themes of mindfulness, self-care and authentic connection with others through instructive prompts that serve as a recipe for cultivating more harmony, healing, and balance within yourself.
And Valerie knows a thing or two about balance, given her wildly successful and varied creative career, which we have had the privilege of featuring previously on GirlTalkHQ. On top of her thriving music career, Valerie has also been an active mindfulness/wellness advocate for over 20 years and an avid follower of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings, with a robust personal meditation and yoga practice as a Certified Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT). In her book, Valerie offers readers the opportunity to try some of her unique practices that she applies to her songwriting and music-making processes.
We know we are feeling the news-feed fatigue and are always looking for lightness in such a heavy world. So we had the chance to catch up with our girl Valerie to learn more about her own daily rituals, why mindfulness is so important, and how we can get “Zen As F*ck” today! Read below for our interview with Valerie, and see an excerpt from ‘Light Beams’ at the end.
How did you come up with the idea for “Light Beams”?
I am a world traveler and totally into the fru-fru yogi life, but I’m also a HUGE fan of seeing how our practices for wellness and well-being can be integrated into the way we treat each other and the planet. That gave me the idea for a workbook that takes some of the concepts we use for manifesting personal wealth and prosperity and uses them to generate richness for the heart and soul of each person.
There’s nothing wrong with getting rich and being a successful individual, but how can that also be a means to uplifting all living beings? Is that much positivity even possible? If so, where does it start? To me, the only place to begin nurturing that type of beauty must come from the light beams we all have within.
Can you tell us more about the power of mindfulness and how it has impacted your life?
Sometimes we think of mindfulness meditation as something that must be done in a quiet space or alone sitting some place on a mountain or in a sanctuary, but I enjoy practicing mindfulness in motion. What is the benefit of mindfulness while brushing your teeth or mindfulness while folding your clothes or when you’re driving in traffic? I have found that incorporating gentle observations of the breath and checking in with myself during the mundane tasks of a day is the foundation for learning how to navigate the storms of hard times that might arise in anyone’s life.
If you’re worked up and already cussing folks out in your mind before you even step out of the house to drive in chaotic traffic, then you’re more inclined to have a fit of road rage and snap vs. learning to mind your well-being by regulating the temperature of your own life and deciding for yourself when to roar and when to whisper. It is being in the moment vs. letting the moment beat you like a palm tree in a hurricane. Mindfulness allows for observation instead of always feeling like we must dive in and control the storm. Instead mindfulness allows us to be the stillness in the eye of the storm.
How do we find the light and positivity in such a dark and heavy world?
Finding light and positivity in this sometimes dark and heavy world looks different for everyone, but no matter who you are, it is a PRACTICE. When you are learning to ride a bike or a new hobby, you often have to practice it daily or for a few days to gain the right balance. Even when you think you’ve mastered it and you’re off to the races, there are still ways that you’re only beginning and still practicing. To practice in the realm of light and positivity, you must first recognize and acknowledge the darkness.
It ain’t just peaches and cream. There is plenty of compost and mud. In the observation of the darkness in the world and in your own life and heart, you begin to practice seeing the space around the darkness. Are there any flowers? Is there any light? There must be for you to be able to see the dark side. Like finding a word in a word search puzzle, you begin to shift your focus toward those things you’ve found that bring you joy and give you light.
Then taking it a step further, you begin to shift your focus toward those things you’ve found that bring all living beings joy and give all living beings light. To go beyond yourself to a place of oneness with everything, even the darkness, is a giant step toward the brightest light beams the multiverse has ever known.
What kind of prompts does the book give to help readers cultivate joy in their lives?
The Rose Petal Ceremony is quite powerful because the petals can be dried and left in secret places like journals or books or a sock drawer. When you open the book or drawer years later, you are reminded of the word of affirmation that was meant to attune you to joyful thoughts and states of being. Light beings must always be leaving sweet little gifts around for their hearts to find. In time you begin to see a grand synchronicity that reveals your gifts and treasures back to you right when you need them the most.
What is one of your favorite journal prompts in the book?
I love the Tree Therapy Spell. As plants are our greatest teachers, it is a contemplative walk through any space with trees (city, farm, or forest) to inspire reconnection and right relationship with nature. It is an exercise that allows us to listen to the ancient tree language of soft whisperings.
Can you tell us more about your own daily practices and rituals?
Every practice and prompt in the book is one that I use as needed, but my daily must haves are: Dance Daily, Yoga, Jog, and Mindfulness Meditation. Even if I just do 5-10 minutes, I find that these things prepare me for whatever a day might hold…good or bad or in between. That’s even in the book. It’s the 10 Minute Rule prompt.
Mental health is one of the most important aspects in our lives, and for creating a better world. How do you hope “Light Beams” will play a role in this for people who buy it?
Luckily, in modern times, life can be a choose your own adventure opportunity. While it can be for play or work only, it can also be a deep dive into our connection with nature and each other beyond the surfaces of race, class, age, or beliefs. We are stardust and the mental health and awareness we cultivate within can be used to brighten and serve all living beings in positive ways. Only YOU know which activities and adventures will be the best for rejuvenating your bright beam battery! As we take a look at what we have within, we can begin planning something that awakens the sweetness in our hearts and cultivates kindness for others.
The following is an excerpt from ‘Light Beams: A Workbook for Being Your Badass Self‘ by Valerie June Hockett. Published September 19, 2023 by Andrews McMeel Publishing. Copyright © 2023 by Valerie June Hockett. Excerpt from the chapter “Zen as F*ck”, pages 38-40.
