Loto Journal
Through personal storytelling and letter writing, follow our Founder, Jennifer Axcell, as she travels the 🌎 globe as a digital nomad and Desert Mother, exploring cultural expressions of rest and Self-care.
Including thoughtfully created blog content about somatic healing practices, nervous system self-regulation techniques, and faith-based spiritual practices, Loto Wellness Collective’s blog focuses on the art and science of rest and renewal, drawing inspiration from the life of Jesus, monastic wisdom, and modern science.
Reader’s Note: In the Loto Wellness Collective blog content, except for direct quotes, the pronouns often used for God are They/Them in reference to the genderless personhood of I AM. When referencing Jesus specifically, the pronouns He/Him are used.
Wisdom of the Forest Dweller
North Americans spend over 93 percent of their waking hours indoors or in cars (and the other 7 percent is spent walking between buildings and cars). And while there is an extraordinary exuberance and diversity of wild plant and animal life dwelling in our midst, still the urban environment is inhospitable to the majority of species on our shared planet. Regular—or any—experience of deep wilderness is missing from most of our modern lives. Without such contact, our radiant mental and physical intelligences are being diminished.
The Slow Path Back to God: Why Contemplation Still Matters
Contemplative prayer flips that whole dynamic. It’s less “Lord, do something” and more “Lord, show me what is already true.” It’s less striving, more surrender. Less performance, more Presence. Less noise, more spaciousness.
The Returning: The Way of the Ascetic
The Ascetic pathway is for those who encounter the Divine not through abundance, but through simplicity. Not through stimulation, but through stillness. Not through addition, but through the sacred work of subtraction.
Finding My True Self
From a depth psychology standpoint, these perspective shifts have helped me to die to my false self, my egocentric way of living, sleepwalking through my life on auto-pilot. My experiences with these medicines have helped me spiritually awaken to my True Self and engage with the indwelling Holy Spirit in new life-giving ways.
Walking in The Way of Jesus: The Desert Mothers and Fathers
The Desert Fathers and Mothers were early Christian mystics and ascetics in the 4th and 5th centuries AD, who lived in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Arabia, renouncing the world to follow God's call. “Desert Mother” is a feminist theological neologism that compares these women to the Desert Fathers.
Contributors & Collaborators
Loto Living and Loto Journal, would not be possible without the ongoing support and generous contributions from an incredible team of writers, artists, healers, editors, creatives, and pastors.