Could 5% Less Be Enough?
So far, we've mostly been noticing what your body does and when the effort begins. Today, we're going to experiment with something slightly different.
We're not trying to relax your body.
We're not trying to get rid of tension.
We're simply beginning to discover whether your body sometimes brings a little more effort to a moment than the moment actually requires.
“Is all of this effort needed right now?”
If the answer seems to be no…
Don't let everything go.
Don't try to become completely relaxed.
Just experiment with what 5% less might feel like.
Think of a dimmer switch.
We're not going from ON → OFF.
We're exploring something more like 100 → 95.
Maybe your grip gets slightly lighter. Maybe your jaw does a little less. Maybe your shoulders don't need to help quite as much. Maybe you simply allow a breath you've been holding to finish.
Or maybe nothing changes.
That's information too.
For today
Once or twice, if you happen to notice yourself using more effort than a moment seems to require, ask:
“Is all of this needed?”
If it seems like the answer might be no, experiment with 5% less.
Then move on.
You don't need to keep the change. You don't need to check whether you're still doing it five minutes later.
We're not trying to become better at relaxing.
We're beginning to recognize how much effort a moment actually needs — and discovering that sometimes another option may be available.
Once or twice today is enough.