The Doorway in the Grocery Aisle

Yesterday, I caught myself rushing down the grocery aisle—a familiar hum of hurry in my shoulders. Without thinking, I placed a hand to my chest and paused, letting my breath come a little deeper.

The world around me—the colors, the sounds—softened a notch. I noticed the coolness of the cart handle, the quiet kindness of a stranger’s smile. My body felt a bit more at ease, as if I’d stepped through a doorway into presence, right there between the quinoa and the oranges.

Somatic awareness doesn’t require grand gestures or silent retreats. Sometimes, it’s as small as an exhale, a pause, an invitation to notice the life unfolding in the midst of everyday living.