Rebuilding what we neglect
Sometimes I confess that I (Sally) let my yoga practice go. I don’t work on my core strength. I sit at my desk for hours without stretching or checking in with my body. I’m “too busy” — there are always more urgent things to do. And then, one day, something gives way. Pain floods in. And a part of me judges: Why haven’t you been looking after yourself?
But I’ve learned something essential: even if I haven’t been consciously working on it, I still have core strength. It’s there, waiting to be called on. Just like Self energy (see Part 1 for a description) — it might be quiet, underused, or hard to access in the moment, but it never leaves. And each time I access it — even just a little — I strengthen it.
Nature reminds me of this truth. The land doesn’t try to “stay connected” — it just is. The horses here at Tula Vida don’t question whether they’re supported by the earth or their herd — they just are. They don’t ask whether they should step in and support the people who come here – they just do. Self energy feels like that to me. A hum of life that’s already carrying everything.
That’s why we created Tula Vida the way we did. Because we long for that immersion too. It’s what we need — to be surrounded by quiet reminders of what it can feel like to be truly strong for, and gentle with ourselves. So we can learn to access it more.
When a part panics
Sometimes, a vulnerable part of me surfaces. A non-logical feeling of panic, abandonment, helplessness — a survival alarm without clear words. And I breathe. I listen. I stretch inward. I let that part feel the presence of something steadier. Something that doesn’t demand answers or solutions. Just support.
That small shift — the sense of being held — is a healing. The contraction eases. The panic lessens. And the system can move again.
Sometimes it takes a few days, or longer, but it always does pass. It takes a lot of trust to stay with it and allow it – but the only way out is through.
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Every breath counts
Healing isn’t dramatic most of the time. It’s a breath. A millimeter of space. A softening where there was once only tension.
Whether it’s a seized-up muscle or a frozen part of our inner world, the path back to wholeness is the same: gentle presence, deep support, and trust in the movement that’s possible — even if it’s only a fraction today.
You don’t need to be at full strength. You just need to remember: it’s already inside you. Let it meet what hurts. And let the softening begin.
And if this feels out of reach, the horses and the land here can teach you.
With love from the land and the herd,
Sally @ Tula Vida