Skin. I have thin skin. I don’t have the same sort of barrier between myself and the world that a lot of other people do. I’m porous. I startle easily. I have a tender heart. Part of it is that I’m a highly sensitive person (HSP). The information I get from my five senses is intense and my nervous system is often overwhelmed. It’s hard for me to maintain my awareness of being separate from other people and the world because I’m so open to all of it, like living in a house where the front door and all the windows are always open, where there are no walls. I am deeply affected by other people’s emotions, by the energy of a space, even by the weather. Add to that being an introvert (or maybe that’s why I’m an introvert?) and I have to spend a lot of time by myself, quiet and still and alone, just to be able to process everything, to settle down, to find myself again.

Air. Space and breath. I find these things in my practice: yoga, meditation, writing, and dog. When I practice, I slow down, pause, relax into myself and the moment. I am still, simply making space and breathing, allowing whatever might arise. Through practice, I am nourished and can move into my life off the mat, off the cushion, off the page, and off the leash with more ease, more compassion, more confidence, and more courage. It’s as essential as air.