Is there something you’re closing your eyes to in your life because it’s just more comfortable to ignore or avoid than to actually look at it?
I want to nudge you to sit with this question.
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It’s not the first time, and I’m sure it won’t be the last, that I was staring into this realization on my yoga mat.
Eyes closed.
Turning off the outside world in an effort to focus my attention inward and connect with myself.
Or so I’d thought.
What I really realized was that I had taken it too far.
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My mind was actually wandering aimlessly through my thoughts when my eyes were closed.
I had been wanting to avoid seeing my life or something in it.
This little nod of awareness has challenged me to open my eyes this week during my practice.
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To re-focus on what yoga calls a drishti, or gaze point, instead.
What is it that I may not be wanting to see in my own life?
What am I quietly wanting to hide from being an active participant in?
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I can actually come up with a rather extensive list of possibilities without much effort.
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I’ll let whatever needs to show itself in the moment be the thing I notice and bring awareness to, rather than ruminating over it.
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There’s this fine line between closing your eyes to go inward and closing them to avoid the world around you.
Stay with me now, Reader, even if you’re not a yoga person yet, I’ll bring it all together for you so you can relate.
In Yin Yoga and some forward folds and postures of surrender, especially Savasana (Final Relaxation), eyes closed is a perfectly natural way of exploring your inward territory.
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Doing so helps you notice inner sensation easier.
Enhances your awareness of physical touch or sensation.
Or deepens presence with your own self.
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When it becomes the habit in all postures in an active practice, though, it may be a message from your bodymind that something’s amiss.
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Your nervous system is acutely intelligent and realizes things before your mind has an opportunity to catch up. Its main goal is to keep you safe, even if you don’t think you’re in danger.
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So why does this matter to you?
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Even if you don’t practice yoga, there may be times when you’re closing your eyes physically or metaphorically to the uncomfortable in life.
A way of distancing or disconnecting.
Of avoiding rather than owning.
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Yoga says that focusing on a drishti helps the mind concentrate, creates calm, and supports a sense of balance in life.
Closing your eyes to the drishti changes the way you perceive life.
Perhaps keeping you from seeing and digesting life fully.
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What if, the next time your nervous system sensed danger, you instead found a focal point and used that (along with breath) to soften into the discomfort?
Eyes open, just being with the uncomfortable.
Instead of enduring it,
surrendering to it,
softening to it.
Even if you’re not consciously aware of what you’re not wanting to see,
👀open your eyes,
🦶notice the ground beneath you,
🎯find a drishti,
🎞️and let life show you what it needs to show you.
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Sometimes it takes talking through what’s happening in life for you to become aware of what you might be missing.
This is exactly what I do in 1:1 Somatic Coaching sessions. It may not always happen with eyes open, but we gently uncover the places of discomfort without re-activating trauma, then integrate what we find into your whole self.
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Everyone has things that feel a bit edgy and uncomfortable to talk about or process.
Holding onto those things, pushing them down or ignoring them, creates internal stress that will show up as dis-ease down the road.
I have a couple spots open for 1:1 Somatic Coaching right now. If you’re ready for someone to hold space for you to open your eyes intentionally and guide you in facing some of those hurts you’re holding onto, reply to this email with the words “Somatic Coaching.”
I’ll reply back with a question or two, and we’ll determine if working together is a good fit.
🙏💚
Cheers,
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I digest life as it comes to me – keeping only what’s essential for my health, harmony, and happiness, and easily letting go of the rest. And so it is.
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WANT TO JOIN US FOR CLASS OR WORK WITH ME?
Register for studio classes here.​
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Studio Classes:
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SATURDAY – Yoga + Breath Work
8:30 AM • All Levels Welcome
​This class is generally blend of a flow-based practice and a restorative/yin practice.
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MONDAY – Restorative/Yin Practice
5:30 PM • All levels welcome
​A restorative class with longer held postures & mindful breathing to build stress resiliency & bring balance to your fast-paced life.
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WEDNESDAY – Yoga + Breath Work Flow
8:30 AM • All Levels Welcome
​Active, flow-based practice integrating strength, balance and mobility. Intentional breath work practices included.
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THURSDAY – Somatic Reset – NEW CLASS!!
5:30 AM • All levels welcome
​​Somatic Reset blends gentle somatic movement and yoga to support awareness, release tension, and reconnect with your body.
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THURSDAY -The Weekly Breath Reset (Virtual)
8:30 AM • 30-minute virtual breath work
​Your breath has the power to change how you experience stress. Harness that power of your breath to start your day with intention.
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Group & 1:1 Somatic Sessions:
AT YOUR CONVENIENCE – Personalized Somatic Coaching & Stress Resilience Training
TBD • At your location or at the studio
​In these sessions I guide groups through practical, embodied practices—like breath work, mindfulness, gentle movement, and/or emotional awareness—to build stress resilience. Each session offers simple, effective tools to help participants reset, regulate, and respond with greater calm and clarity in everyday life.
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Special Events:
THURSDAY, APRIL 23 – Nurtured by Nature Women’s Wellness Retreat
5:15 PM • Cordova Park Classrom • All levels
1378 Highway G28 • Otley, IA 50214
J​oin Cairn Yoga & Wellness, Mindful Nourishment Matters, and the Marion County Conservation Department at beautiful Cordova Park for an evening of connection, relaxation, and renewal.
Enjoy a peaceful nature hike, a repurposed craft, and a gentle yoga session, all designed to help you nurture your well-being and deepen your appreciation for the beauty of spring.
Reconnect with yourself and the natural world in this relaxed Thursday evening experience.
Learn more and register here.​
SATURDAY, JUN 20 – Solstice Celebration of Rhythms
4:00 PM • Rural Knoxville
​​Step away from the hustle and into nature’s rhythm with this evening retreat designed to help naturally caffeinated women slow down, release, and reset. You’ll experience yoga, sound healing, cacao, creative expression, and more, all while enjoying nourishing refreshments on a beautiful private property in rural Knoxville.
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Leave feeling lighter, clearer, and more connected to yourself and the season ahead.
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​Space is limited—register now.
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