Softening

Soften.

Soften.

Soften.

Telling a tense person to soften is like telling a stressed person to relax. It is ineffective and only creates more tension and stress. I can recall many warm, caring teachers and friends asking me to soften in the pose, the moment, to what is happening. For so long, I felt unsafe all the time. Things happened to create this feeling of being unsafe even when the conditions were safe. Hardening, building walls and protecting myself was effective. I felt safe and isolated.

It wasn’t until I felt the feelings of being unsafe that were the residue of past experiences that I began to feel safe when safety abounded. Once I felt safe, I realized there was connection all along, it was beyond access though. There was a sense of loss and grief that moved through me.

Today, I feel so soft towards life - both my life and the life that surrounds me. Now I nourish this sense of safety and trust that I am cared for rather than protected.