DAY 2
It doesn't have to change.
Yesterday, you began paying a little more attention to something that's easy to miss:
How much effort might your body already be using during ordinary moments?
Today, we're going to add something important to that.
Because once you start noticing, it's very easy to turn noticing into another way of measuring yourself.
Did my shoulders drop?
Did my jaw soften?
Did my breathing get easier?
Did it work?
And before long, something that started as curiosity can become another thing you're trying to get right.
Today's short video
Sometimes you'll notice what your body is doing and something changes.
Sometimes you'll notice...
and absolutely nothing changes.
I want you to hear why both can be useful—and what you might try during those moments when you've gotten so caught up in your day that it's difficult to even find your way back to what your body is doing.
There's nothing you need to get right. Follow along as much or as little as feels appropriate today.
There's no "good" response today.
Your body isn't working from the same set of circumstances every moment of every day.
You may have slept differently.
Your day may be more demanding.
Your mind may be somewhere else.
Your body may simply have more—or less—available to it in that particular moment.
So if you notice your shoulders and they soften, that's information.
If you notice your shoulders and they stay exactly where they are, that's information too.
You don't need to convince them to come down.
Be careful of the second layer.
Sometimes the original tension isn't what creates the most difficulty.
It's what comes next:
Why isn't this changing?
I was doing better yesterday.
I'm too tense today.
This isn't working.
Now we're adding effort to effort.
If you catch some of that happening, you don't have to fix that either.
See if you can simply recognize:
"Oh. I'm judging what's happening."
And leave yourself a little room.
If you've lost your bearings...
There may also be moments when you're so caught up in thinking, working, rushing or dealing with life that noticing your body feels almost impossible.
That's why I showed you the wall in today's video.
It's not a technique you have to master.
It's not something you're supposed to do every time you feel tense.
Think of it simply as a little support that's available if you need it.
Lean.
Feel the support that's already there.
Let yourself get your bearings.
And see what you find.
Nothing has to happen.
Carry this question with you today
If you happen to catch your body using more effort than you expected, stay there for just a moment:
What is my body doing right now?
And maybe:
Does this moment require this much effort?
Don't search for the right answer.
Don't make yourself soften.
Just see what happens.
What happened when you noticed today?
Did something change?
Did nothing change?
Or did you notice yourself wanting something to change?
All three are worth noticing.
Share if you'd like. Read along if you'd rather. Participation is completely optional.
That's enough for today.
You don't need to remember everything we did.
Go live your day.