09/10/2026
How well can you stay with yourself?
A plank is a funny thing.
At first, you're simply holding a position. Then the shaking starts. The discomfort builds. Your mind begins negotiating.
How much longer?
Can I keep going?
This is hard.
Everyone else is still holding.
I can't.
And suddenly, it's no longer just about physical strength. It's about your relationship with yourself.
Because isn't this what we do emotionally, too?
When discomfort arises, how quickly do we try to move away from it?
When sadness surfaces, do we push it down and distract ourselves?
When anger rises, do we react before we notice what's driving it?
When anxiety creeps in, do we rush ahead of ourselves to find certainty?
When vulnerability appears, do we fortify our armour?
So often, we learn to push through our emotions, talk ourselves out of them, think our way through, keep busy or find ways to make the uncomfortable feelings disappear.
But what if the invitation isn't always to make the feeling go away?
What if it's to stay?
To notice what's happening within us without immediately needing to change it.
To allow ourselves to breathe and feel.
To get curious about what our emotions might be communicating, rather than judging ourselves for having them.
To recognise that discomfort doesn't always mean something is wrong. Sometimes, it means something within us needs our attention.
And perhaps most importantly, to learn that we can experience an emotion without needing to act on it, fix it or push it away.
This is part of what it means to return to centre.
Not to hold on at all costs.
Not to push through until we break.
Not to abandon ourselves when things become uncomfortable.
But to remain connected to ourselves in the experience.
To listen.
To notice.
To understand.
To choose.
Sometimes strength is holding the plank for another breath.
Sometimes strength is knowing when to surrender.
And emotionally, sometimes strength is allowing ourselves to sit with what we're feeling, long enough to understand it, rather than immediately reaching for a way out.
Because the goal isn't to become someone who never feels discomfort.
It's to become someone who knows how to stay connected to themselves when discomfort arrives.
The real practice isn't how long you can hold the position. It's how well you can stay with yourself while you're in it.
Not More, Not Less, Just You. 💛
— Mars 🫶
