Facing what is Painfully REAL has the potential to release a lot of energy and bring joy and delight to the smallest moments.
It's when we try to ignore or deny reality that life gets dull and heavy and strained.
Building the muscles to face what is actually happening, and not slipping into avoidance, can let us be present with the joy that life threads through most experiences.
We hope you'll listen and tap with us:
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Enduring What's Real with a Touch of Grace
"When we get down to the real part, we stop being caught up in the drama of the fear – and that’s where the quiet sunlight can touch our faces."
Opening to What Is
"Acknowledging how you actually feel is huge."
We’re so glad you’re here with us for this exploration. Everything going on can feel heavy, but when we turn toward what’s real—rather than running from it—we discover a bedrock of grace.
We’ve both had moments of sickness, job changes, and outright uncertainty. Journals have held our rawest feelings; friends have modeled emotional realness when life got choppy. Now, let’s make room for every reaction—tired, jumpy, shut‑down, hyper‑alert—and meet it with compassion.
EFT Tapping Round — Acknowledging Unwanted Feelings
Side of Hand: Even though I don’t really want to acknowledge these feelings, they’re here right now, and I might be spending a lot of energy to avoid them. That tells my primitive brain they’re really scary and there’s not enough time, maybe that I can’t handle them. The truth is, right this minute, I am handling them, and I’m really proud of myself for showing up this way. It doesn’t feel good to feel these feelings.
Top of Head: It doesn’t feel good to feel these feelings.
Eyebrow: I want to get away from them.
Side of Eye: And they’re here right now.
Under the Eye: I don’t want to endure this.
Under the Nose: I’m tired of trying to run away from myself.
Chin: What if I’m right here with me right now?
Collarbone: What if I offered comfort to me right here right now?
Under the Arm: Instead of judging myself for having these feelings.
Top of Head: That might be really healing.
Take a slow breath. Feel the chair supporting you, the floor under your feet, gravity doing its faithful work.
Tending the Primitive Brain (with Bubbles, Breath & Silly Songs)
"Gravity is still working, no matter what else is going on."
Our primitive brains are revved—trouble we can’t see sets off ancient alarms. Some of us freeze and conserve; others pace in hyper‑alert. Either way, nothing’s wrong with us; we’re just mammals reacting to a worldwide trauma. Limiting the news‑feed, drinking water, touching blankets, letting laughter rise—they all help.
EFT Tapping Round — Thanking the Primitive Brain & Simple Actions
Top of Head: Hey primitive brain, you’re pretty alert right now, aren’t you?
Eyebrow: I really appreciate how much you care, how hard you’re working.
Side of Eye: You’re trying so hard to keep me safe, and this is a tough one.
Under the Eye: We’re already helping just by staying inside.
Under the Nose: We’re already doing a good job.
Chin: There are a few things we can do.
Collarbone: We can stay inside.
Under the Arm: We can wash our hands.
Top of Head: And we can take care of ourselves emotionally.
Let the warm feelings feel good on your skin. That tiny touch of grace says, “Body, I’m with you.”
Stable Amid Uncertainty
"How do I handle that with a touch of grace?"
Not knowing when life will change pokes every survival circuit. We can’t tick days off a calendar like an ordinary countdown. Instead, we meet the unknowing directly—just as we’d meet a beloved horse’s steady breath beneath us.
EFT Tapping Round — Inviting Stability Amid Uncertainty
Side of Hand: Even though there are uncertainties here — an unwanted reality — I’m open to accepting it. There are uncertainties and certainties. I don’t like uncertainty; I want things to be certain and good. How do I handle that with a touch of grace? I invite my nervous system to stabilize, to tap into ancestral wisdom, to be steady amid the unknown.
Feel the rhythm: breath, heartbeat, earth’s pull. Let curiosity and wonder ride alongside worry.
Closing in Courage & Curiosity
"We honor the courage you carry."
We often don’t know how long a tough stretch will last, but we do know the heartbeat of the universe is still holding us. Some days we garden and feel on top of things; other days we stare at the laundry basket and sigh. That’s okay. Together we breathe, tap, and remember: a touch of grace can find us anywhere.
Until our next circle, may your primitive brain feel appreciated, and your heart lean into what’s real—one gentle breath at a time.
We care and hope you find real grace and ease.
Cathy and Rick
P.S. We had a previous call on Getting the Most Out of Virtual Connections that is available here. Feel free to listen and share with anyone who might be emotionally supported by either of these sessions!
P.P.S We welcome your replies/comments with questions, requests, feedback, and any bad puns you like!
Ahhh, we hope you feel our realness with the sudden password added by Zoom without telling us leading us to reschedule for Thursday. Of course, minutes ago they reversed course and allowed for the removal of the password. Ahhh, REALness! And with grace it feels like keeping the password is a sweeter boundary in these days when hackers are trying to access and interrupt places where they do not belong.
Love to you and hope we can see you on Thursday. The replay will be here afterwards.