You’re not bad at relaxing. Your body just doesn’t trust you yet.

There’s nothing wrong with you. I know it may feel like there is, but there's a miscommunication happening at the moment.

Even if you’ve tried to slow down, you've started saying no to create some stillness but it just gets filled with something else because your body didn’t follow. And you feel that driving need to "do something".

Even if you laid down for a meditation and your thoughts got louder instead of quieter. You felt like you were being bombarded with to-do lists, other things you "should" be doing, all the things.

Even if “rest” feels more like irritation than relief. (Because no one else is going to get that to-do list done ...)

You’re not bad at relaxing.

Your body just doesn’t trust you yet.

What most people don’t realize is that if your nervous system has been living in survival mode…stillness doesn’t register as safe.

It registers as unfamiliar. And our bodies want the familiar. Even if it's the devil we know. The familiar has patterns in it that our bodies know.

Unfamiliar to the body can feel like danger. There are no patterns to cling to, not habits to fall back upon. New territory also means new patterns, habits, thoughts, emotions, etc.

So when you finally stop moving, stop scrolling, stop distracting yourself…

Your system doesn’t melt.

It scans.

It braces.
It tightens.

It asks:

“Is it safe to let go right now?”

And if the answer has historically been no—

Your body won’t override that just because you want it to.

And btw, "not safe" doesn't only mean physically. It may not be emotionally, mentally, or energetically safe. The stories you tell yourself about needing to be productive make it not safe for your body to not be productive in the traditional sense. If you feel unworthy of rest, your body doesn't feel safe to do so.

Trust isn’t built through force.

It’s built through repetition. The same repeitition that taught your body that productivity matters more, that taught you that you are unworthy ... that same repeitition builds the new patters of safety in rest.

Through gentleness. While resting, your thoughts and emotions are compassionate. Rather than berating yourself for being lazy, love on yourself for taking the time to nourish and resource yourself.

And we do this through experiences your body can actually receive.

So today, we do this differently.

Not deeper.
Not better.

Just… different.

🌀 Today’s Ritual

Instead of trying to relax—

Try making contact.

Lie down somewhere comfortable.

Place one hand on your body.
One hand on the surface beneath you.

And instead of focusing on your breath…

Notice support.

The ground holding you.
The weight of your body being received.

Let your awareness rest there.

No need to change anything.
No need to calm anything down.

Just notice:

You are being held.

Stay for a few minutes.
Or as long as your body allows.

—

This is where trust begins.

Not in forcing stillness—

But in letting your body experience safety.

—

If you want support building this relationship with your body…

I guide this inside Earth Medicine Yoga.

But for now—

Just start here.

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Reply and tell me:
Does stillness feel safe or uncomfortable for you right now?