What keeps me sane these days..
A simple somatic exercise to stay grounded when the world is on fire
As we go through life (especially with the state of the world), we keep meeting the same fork in our unconditioning path:
Are we going horizontal or vertical?
This distinction between what I experience in my body and mind when I go vertical versus when I go horizontal is what has kept me sane lately.
Let me explain:
We go horizontal when we spread outward to control the moment. This is the part of us that tries to play “god.”
We go vertical when we come inward to meet the moment. This is where we accept our humanness and let God, Spirit, or Life Force move through us.
When I choose a horizontal path, I often notice one or a few of these sensations:
my body tenses up (ribs flared and knees locked)
I go numb
I feel an argument going in front of my head
I negotiate for my rightness
I’m scattered and disconnected from myself and my surroundings.
This is when we are:
leaning on stories, people, situations, and familiar habits as a crutch
spreading our energy outward to manage, perform, overexplain, or stay comfortable
quietly reinforcing the patterns that keep us stuck and in pain
Reflection question:
What do you sense in your body when you choose the horizontal path?
On the other hand, when the axis shifts to vertical, when I stop spreading my attention outward and bring my senses back online, here is what I notice:
my body relaxes
the rush melts away
my mind goes quiet
I feel what wants to be felt the most
my grip softens (physically and/or metaphorically)
It reminds me of this song each time:
If you’ve been in my Monthly Unconditioning Practice, you’ve heard me play it. Join the next one here.
This is when we are:
choosing love over fear
returning to sensation, breath, and the information your body is giving you
listening to what’s true beneath the noise
choosing differently without abandoning yourself or rushing into polarized “either/or” sides, whether that pressure comes from inside or outside
Reflection question:
What do you sense in your body when you choose the vertical path?
When I’m in horizontal mode, my mind gets stuck in survival. In those moments, noticing my automatic body patterns helps me shift faster than trying to think my way out of it.
I first noticed this axis shift through posture work.
For me, posture of neutrality is a physical doorway into the vertical path.
It is the moment your body says:
“I don’t need to brace for what’s next.”
“I can have readiness without armor.”
“I can be here without performing.”
I can exist without overexplaining or justifying myself.
Posture of neutrality is a quick somatic reset that helps me find the next-softest, most grounded version of myself, so I can respond instead of react. You can try it here:
Thank you for joining me on the path of unconditioning,
––––––––––––––––––
Hedi Shah
––––––––––––––––––
👁️ Mindfulness Teacher & Bodyworker
🐉 Nervous system regulation, breathwork, and posture-focused strength training to target the cause of what keeps you stuck and in pain, not just symptoms.
📲 Website | Youtube | LinkedIn | Insight Timer