Plunging into 2026
Last July I asked this newsletter community for examples of ways you all gather in community that feel meaningful. One of the responses was from Amy Woodruff about group swimming in the ocean under the full moon (in Alaska!). As someone who grew up jumping into icy high mountain Colorado lakes - this deeply resonated and inspired me to create the first image in the 2026 We Gather series- We Plunge.
Intrigued by Amy’s group I asked if she would share more about her experience. It was so beautiful, I wanted to share with you all:
“Over the last few years I have built a rhythm of ‘dipping’ with some of the women in my life. A few days before the next new moon or full moon, someone in the group will bring our minds back to this ritual. “Friday at high tide? Should be around 2.” The back and forth juggling of schedules ensues, trying to find a time when as many of us as possible can set life aside for an hour and gather at the shore of the sea or a lake. Some of us opt for solo dips when schedules demand or we seek solitude, but we all come back to the group. There’s something beautiful about the ritual of stripping down to our suits together on the sand and wrapping up in fleecy robes or a towel to ward off the cold. Lighting a candle to call in our focus to this moment. Walking into the water, some of us shrieking or whooping, others silent.
Summers find us dunking our heads, lingering in the water even when it isn’t all that warm, laying in the midnight sun to dry off. Winters are another story. We’re just eager to get into the water and back into our clothes and then the warmth of our cars. Last week, with temperatures in the teens, we gathered and braced ourselves for the cold. The sand had a layer of ice where the waves had frosted it just minutes earlier at high tide. We slip-slided down and waded in, bracing against the cold and trying to move into acceptance of the sensations and sit in awareness of our bodies. “Remember to breathe!” said a friend as a passing wave brought the cold water up to my collarbone. Pain shoots a warning through my legs and we scamper back out of the water, dressing as quickly as we can to cover trembling fingers and toes. Choosing the cold water puts me back into my body when so many thoughts pull me away from myself. Choosing to walk into the sea, when every step on the long low beach means the water raises only an inch or two, reminds me that I can do hard things. Choosing to gather together, to support each other in this practice, reminds me that hard things get easier when we are together.”
A friend of mine was inspired by Amy’s story and is organizing a group of us to do the same in the (warmer?) Bay Area shores on the full moon January 3rd!
I know cold water dips/swimming are not for everyone, but I love thinking about this concept as an initiation into the new year. When I do a cold water plunge- like Amy- I forget about everything except the intense sensations I am experiencing. I am present in my body and return to the shore feeling refreshed and renewed and more able to deal with whatever comes at me. So here are some questions to reflect on this month:
What are you putting your attention on? When do you feel present in your body?
What are you shedding that no longer deserves your attention?
What allows you to reset? How are you prioritizing this?
As I did last year, I am offering limited edition screen prints of each month’s We Gather piece. We Plunge is hand screen printed on gorgeous light blue paper with non toxic deep blue, turquoise, and white ink. Pre-order here soon for mid/late January delivery. All prints are signed, numbered and are easily framed in a standard 20”x 20” frame.
Here’s to 2026 may we be refreshed and resourced to handle whatever it may bring!
Warmly,
Jen
P.s. We Plunge greeting cards just dropped and are available here!
P.p.s. 2026 calendars sold out mid December but I’m raffling the last one at 5pm TODAY to support an organization that is near and dear to my heart. Get a raffle ticket and learn more here.