Lately, I have been stressed out. Experiencing a deep feeling of “unsettledness” inside. Lots of worry in the chatterbox of my thoughts.

How do the movement-breath-sound combinations we practice together work? What’s happening inside that changes?

The other day I was chatting with my teacher, Julie. Just a regular conversation about the morning, they sky…

Are you satisfied? My meditation teacher, Lama Lena Yeshe Kaytup often speaks about this Dzogchen teaching. Last time I heard her say something about it…

I am not quite sure where all this is going to take me. I have hopes and preferences, and I may end up landing in another place entirely.

One of the most remarkable things about the somatics I continue to learn and practice is how it takes me directly to a state of ease. It happens for the clients I work with, too.

My teachers start every teaching by saying something like, “Let Yourselves Be Comfortable.” “Make Yourself Comfortable.” “Let Yourself Relax.” Even my Tai Chi/Qi Gong teacher is always reminding us to relax all our joints so we have access to full power of the movement.

Lately I have been getting questions from my clients that basically are all a version of something like: How do I take care of myself when the external ground—the shape of the world, the country, the region, local community in which I live—keeps shifting…

Gosh, it’s been awhile. Since I have sat at the keyboard and written about practice for my Blog. Not sure how it feels yet, to put myself out into the Internet space after several months of focusing on cultivating my internal spaces.

The other day, my Tai Chi teacher, Linda Brown, was observing me and the other students in class. Her feedback to us was: “Be in the moment because that’s where the power is.

A few weeks ago I noticed, in a very direct way, how I often look outside, to experts for the “right” answer. Discounting myself in the process. What happens when the outside experts aren’t there for me?

In Zapchen Somatics there are several playful things we do when we don’t wanna. I call them Practices of Objection. Funny Talking, Blowing Raspberries, Talking Tough, to name a few.

Lately I’ve been having the experience of feeling stuck, like things aren’t moving the way I want them to, or fast enough, or I can’t get traction. In these moments, it’s difficult for me to practice.

Let Yourself Be. Each of my embodiment teachers—no matter the lineage—emphasizes this. The pause. Resting. Relaxing. Letting yourself be. 

A big part of me returning to my experience of my bodily self has been developing my relationship to my bodily self. What supports me in that are somatic practices that tone my pulsations. Includes link to Getting Up & Lying Down video teaching!

I’ve been noticing what occurs when I keep trying. When I press on with my agenda. When I insist on a path forward instead of abiding while things unfold. Includes link to video teaching of Zapchen Sighing practice!

“Gotta get things right.” “Gotta get things done.” “Gotta get things how I want them to be.” “Gotta keep going so things don’t go wrong.”

How fortunate I am that I stumbled into these potent practices, and the wonderful teachers that developed them and who continue to teach me. I thought it might be nice to introduce some of them to you in this blog post. 

“Some circumstances will always be easier.” When I hear this inside my head, I think, “yeah, it’s true: some circumstances always will be easier.” Includes link to Somatic Breathing video!

When I’m inhabiting myself fully, including my edges, I often experience a sense of wonder, like I’m a glistening soap bubble dancing in space.