PUT IT DOWN

One of the definitive signs of our modern neurosis — this attempt to forge an identity out of thin air — is tension.

We say we carry it in our shoulders.
We say it lives in our back.

And yes, after a long day, there is stress. It’s hard to relax. Hard to breathe and put the weight down.

But if you sit honestly and open to your direct experience, you might notice something else in a spiritual sense:

The tension is in your hands.

There is a lot of grasping there. A lot of holding on. Trying to keep what’s “yours.”
Trying not to lose yourself in a fast-paced world where identity feels fragile and everything seems to clash.

So today, practice something simple:

Breathe into your hands.
Open them.
Release your grip.

Put it down.

Just for a moment.

Notice what happens when your hands are free. They are free to interact. Free to meet what appears. Free to participate in the dance of life — the intermingling of everything you encounter with the creative energy you bring to it.

But that can’t happen while you’re clinging.

As long as you hold on for dear life to what you think you want, what you think you need, nourishment never arrives. Life only exists in interaction.

So before you begin your day, let go — even briefly — and see what unfolds when you engage freely.

Have a wonderful morning.

#zen #dailyzen #sotozen #zenpractice #letgo #nonself #mindfulness #somaticpractice #presence #compassion #identity #practiceinlife #oneriverzen