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.
Fear of Being Seen
I know this residual fear of being fully seen—in my truth, in my body, in my voice—has kept me playing small. But next year is calling me into expansion, into more trust, into a bolder embodiment of what I've been cultivating all along on my healing journey. These mirrors I face are preparing me for what's to come.
View from the Precipice of Change
Erosion. Hmmm, that word feels like the best way to describe what life has felt like for the last two years—So many layers of my identity are being stripped down, false narratives revealed and healed, and comfort zones surrendered away.
My life mirrors this canyon landscape: each season has been carving away what no longer serves, slowly revealing what's essential.
Into the Eremos
For the mystics, the Eremos was never about isolation; it was about encounter. Even Jesus withdrew to the Eremos again and again. It was where He fasted for forty days, where He wrestled with temptation, and where angels came to minister to Him. The Eremos was both exile and embrace—the wild, quiet space where everything unnecessary fell away, leaving only God.
Rescued from the Desert
With a single bar of spotty cell service, plenty of water, food, shelter, and fuel, I decided to hunker down for the day and figure out my options. After getting a call though to my dad, who researched the problem, I welcomed my parents' invitation to drive out to my GPS location with the necessary part to fix The Beast (the name I call my Dad’s Chevrolet Suburban).
Test Me and See
This got me thinking about Joshua leading the Israelites into the promised land—conquering the walls of Jericho, not through weapons and might, but through trust and obedience. God had promised them a victory. They were to “fight” not for victory but from a place of victory. I was reminded that, as children of the One True King, we don’t have a battle to win; we have a victory to claim through faith.
Surrender, Generosity & Mission
While soaking in the tub looking out over the view of the valley, I heard the Spirit say to me, “See, I told you I would give you even more than you could ever ask or imagine. Enjoy this bath in My garden of creation.” I had been longing for my old garden soaking tub, as great as it was, but God was showing me that this longing for Egypt wouldn’t compare to what Jesus had in store for me.
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.