There's this idea that the opposite of overwhelm is calm; and that being calm is a sign that we have mastered a situation or ourselves.

After nearly 30 years of my own healing journey, of studying & practicing classical yoga, and after 15+ years as a yogic and somatic therapist, I am not convinced that calm is what we need to be aiming for when we are feeling overwhelmed or triggered.

What my teachers, clients & my own system have taught me is the idea of "relative ease".

When we're overwhelmed, stressed out, or experiencing something difficult or painful, what we can look for is a little bit more ease or relief. Not total calm. Not total composure. Just a DROP of more ease.

To me, more ease can feel like:

• my shoulders relaxing a bit
• my belly softening
• noticing that I'm breathing
• noticing what I'm feeling

I feel a bit more connected to myself, a bit more "here", a "bit better".

All of that to say that my suggestion to you, if you're here and dealing with overwhelm, is to think about "relative ease", or "relative better".
Bit by bit. Not totally, all of a sudden, completely calm.

Because every little bit of "ease" counts.

Every little bit.