A few days ago, I was on a trail near my house.

It's a trail I used to run when I was short on time. Easy and quick, but still with some fun ups and downs.

I knew this trail.

Or at least, I knew this trail at a running pace.

Since I am just barely able to hike and run again, this time looked different.

I ran for one minute and then walked for two or three, continuing that pattern until I was finished.

It took longer.

And parts of my body wanted to keep running. The trail was so familiar at a running pace that this new recovery walk pace initially felt foreign. Not quite right.

I honored the parts of me that wanted to get back to running this trail like I used to.

And at the same time, there was something really cool about slowing down.

Smelling the air and the trees was different walking versus running.

Feeling the tall grasses as I moved past them at a slow pace was different than at a fast pace.

Not better.

Just different.

And I liked both.

Before, this had mostly been my quick, get-a-run-in trail. I don't know that I would have ever taken the time to consider how differently my body experienced it at another pace.

Now I know both.

And I like knowing both are available to me.

I’m sure you’re not surprised that this experience made me think about healing.

Sometimes we find ourselves on a trail we've already walked.

An old emotion. An old trigger. An old trauma response. An old part of ourselves.

And we think, Haven't I already been here?

Maybe we have.

But being here again doesn't mean we're back where we started.

Our pace might be different. Our capacity might be different. We might notice something we couldn't notice before.

One experience doesn't have to be better or worse than the other.

Maybe healing gives us more ways to experience the trail.

More information from our body.

More capacity to notice.

More choice.

So today, I want to offer you a body-based tool I’ve shared before. It's also a simple way to help tone—aka turn on—our vagus nerve.

I invite you to find a spot outside or somewhere in your home.

Look ahead.

What do you see?

And what do you notice in your body—your breath, muscles, thoughts, emotions, energy?

Then...

Look behind.

What do you see?

Again, what do you notice in your body—your breath, muscles, thoughts, emotions, energy?

And maybe connect it to your own healing trail:

What can I see behind me that I couldn't see while I was there?

What feels available ahead of me from the body I'm living in today?

You don't have to decide which view is better.

Maybe just notice what's different.

Because sometimes healing isn't about getting back to where we were.

It's discovering what else is available to us now.

If you want to share what you notice, hit reply. I would love to hear about your view.

Wishing you beauty in all directions.....

Remember, ❤️

You Matter. Your Healing Matters. You Are Worth It!

​​​​