The Myth of the Even Keel
I think it can be easy to assume, with so much of the self-help advice that goes around, that the goal of life is some perfect state of peace—a nervous system constantly regulated, never encountering a single bump in the road.
But as we say in the horse world: the only way to be 100% guaranteed you won’t fall off is to never get on.
It is the same with life. There will be bumps. You will be triggered. There will be situations that send you into fight-or-flight. That isn’t debatable; it’s a given.
The question isn’t, “How can I stop anything ‘bad’ from happening?” but rather, “How can I give myself the tools to deal with life when it comes at me with a bit more intensity?”
Finding Your “Stay Seat”
We do not arrive at some perfect place devoid of challenge. There is no “arrival” that keeps everything on an even keel. But what we can do is build a quiet resilience for when things threaten to throw us off balance.
In horseback riding, this is a Deep Seat—the strength and softness that helps you stay balanced even when the unexpected arises. In meditation, there is a similar concept: Stay Seat. It’s the practice of staying present, grounded, and still even when the ride gets bumpy.
How do we find this? We find it through time in the saddle (both literally and metaphorically). We find it through practice.
The Breadcrumbs
This is why I have put together ten practices—simple, bite-sized, and powerful. These aren’t theories I read in a book; they are breadcrumbs I picked up along the way while bumping along the trails of my own life. Some I found by getting “thrown,” and others I found by finally learning how to sit deep.
I’ve been calling them The Return.
The Nuts and Bolts
I have intentionally designed this to be the opposite of a “hectic” course. Here is exactly how it works:
The Sunday Inhale: Every Sunday morning, I will send you a brief recording (about 15 minutes) on that week’s practice. You don’t have to be online at a certain time—you can listen while you have your coffee, take a walk, or feed the horses.
Daily Breadcrumbs: Each day during the week, I’ll send a tiny “nudge”—a question or a thought to ponder related to that week’s practice. Again, you listen whenever you are able.
The “No-Catch-Up” Rule: If you miss a day, you haven’t “failed.” You just pick up the next breadcrumb whenever you’re ready.
The Timeline
We begin tomorrow, Sunday, April 5th. Easter Sunday. The perfect day for new beginnings.
If you register before tomorrow morning, you save $50. Once the first recording goes out tomorrow, you can still join us, but the price increases from $97 to $147.
Do you have any questions? I am happy to answer them.
