I live in the United States, in the state of Texas, in a Black woman’s body. At a time when there is much happening in my home state that could elicit a reaction in me, I find myself needing to find the pause in between hearing and reacting. At a time when there are countless reasons to be anxious, overwhelmed, and outraged, I find myself needing to be still.

Being in reactive rage is exhausting. It ticks away at life, one piece of information at a time, until it’s hard to be in peace and equanimity. More than ever before, I find myself using my tools of breath and radical presence to come back to myself and to gain more clarity around how I choose to show up to the difficult moments. I take the opportunity to locate myself on my yoga mat, and to find grounding in my breath, my body, and my reality in this moment.

It is the stillness and discomfort of the Yin Yoga practice that reminds me to pause, and then look past the corner of difficulty to what’s on the other side. What I usually find is I can reclaim a sense of freedom.

See also: How Restorative Yoga Can Help Heal Racial Wounding

A Yin Yoga sequence for when you need to reclaim your freedom

In this Yin practice, I invite you to let go of all of the places in your body where you tend to hold tension and turn your attention even further inward. Find your edge in every pose, come to stillness, and stay for time.

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