Day 4:

Breathing in, I calm myself; breathing out, I smile.

I shift out of reactivity and allow myself to accept and feel what is in my body; I embrace what is present.

Disidentify from changing phenomena.

Rest in centered, calm awareness.

Day 3 Themes: That which we welcome cannot bind us. Welcoming presence. Using neutral positioning to calm the nervous system. Enacting the will. Developing resiliency. Fostering curiosity.

Day 2: Today was a really emotional soak for me. Connecting to the lessons learned coming through almost 8 years of post-concussion syndrome. Feeling so thankful for my teachers and family and these practices.

Themes:
Relax and release.
That which we welcome cannot bind us.
Life is only unbearable when we demand it change.
We have the right response to every situation.
Notice the second arrow of suffering.

Experimenting with ice cold soaking. Watching how the body reacts and learning how to stay conscious and neutral while experiencing passing discomfort.

I’m discovering that there is a stage that feels similar to the burn of lactic acid when cycling/running/exercising. If you stop too early, you miss the stage after the burn when you get to a new level of growth and development.

Post-ice bath, I am doing yoga, horse stance, and other exercises to warm the body. Still feeling the chill.