From bracing to embracing

The connection between physical tension and emotional resistance

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Wait. There it is again. I’m standing at the front door, kissing my husband goodbye before he walks to the coffee shop down the street.

I think I notice just the tiniest flicker of something familiar. But the sensation is fleeting, evaporating before I have the chance to fully recognize what I just felt.

“I’m sorry I zoned out for a bit. What were you saying, my love?”

“I was just saying that next week I’m gonna get this book…” my husband continues, showing me the cover photo on his phone.

There. There it is again, that motion. This time I catch the involuntary response in action. An almost imperceptible backward shift. A leaning away.

I notice how my head slides back, my jaw tightens, my forearms contract and my neck stiffens. This time, I can finally place the movement:

I’m bracing for impact.