the art of allowing - the one you feed podcast
Finding Ease Through Deep Listening and Restorative Yoga
I had the opportunity to share some thoughts on The One You Feed podcast about how we can reconnect with ourselves, regulate our nervous systems, and cultivate a sense of balance through the power of rest and conscious relaxation.
Listen now:
Deep Listening: The Art of Allowing
For me, deep listening is an invitation to meet ourselves as we are. It’s about staying present with what arises within us—whether it’s physical tension, emotions, or thoughts—without judgment and without trying to change anything. When I first started practicing yoga, I approached it the way I did everything else in my life back then: with the desire to “fix” things, to stay positive, to get rid of the “bad” parts of me. I wanted to starve what I thought was the “bad wolf” and only feed the “good wolf,” the one that represented light and optimism. But over time, I realized that in order to truly heal, I needed to make space for both wolves.
Deep listening is not about ignoring the difficult parts of ourselves or pushing them away. It’s about making room for all of it—the tension, the fear, the joy, the longing. It’s about allowing ourselves to be who we are in each moment, with curiosity and compassion. This kind of presence helps us soften, relax, and find the wisdom that lives in even the most uncomfortable feelings.
Restorative Yoga: A Practice of Conscious Relaxation
Restorative yoga is one of the ways I’ve found to practice this kind of deep listening. Unlike more active forms of yoga, restorative yoga is about doing less, not more. It’s about lying down, letting go of unnecessary effort, and allowing our bodies to be fully supported by props. It’s about inviting a state of conscious relaxation where we can feel safe enough to let go of the tension we may be holding onto without even realizing it.
So much of our modern life trains us to stay busy, to always be doing more, achieving more. It’s no wonder we feel disconnected from our bodies and burnt out. Restorative yoga offers a counterbalance to this culture of busyness by giving us permission to rest. To just be. And to truly listen to what’s happening inside.
I often describe tension as the “stress response finding a home in the body.” It’s our body’s way of holding onto fear, stress, or old emotions. When we lie down in a restorative pose, fully supported, and give ourselves permission to relax, we create the conditions for that tension to start softening. It’s not about forcing anything to change; it’s about making space for change to happen naturally, in its own time.
One of the key insights I’ve learned along this journey is the difference between “letting go” and “letting be.”
For so long, I thought the goal was to let go of everything that felt uncomfortable. I thought I had to push those things away, to be rid of them in order to find peace. But I’ve come to realize that this can create even more resistance.
Letting be is a softer approach. It’s more like making space for the discomfort, acknowledging it, and allowing it to exist without fighting it. I often share an analogy with my students about saltwater: If you have a tablespoon of salt and place it in a shot glass of water, it creates a very salty solution. But if you take that same tablespoon of salt and put it in a bucket of water, the salt is still there, but it’s much less concentrated. When we let ourselves soften, relax, and make space, we become like that bucket of water. We don’t need to get rid of the salt; we just make more room for it, so it doesn’t overwhelm us.
Moving Forward with Deep Listening
Deep listening, restorative yoga, and somatic practices offer us a way to come back to ourselves, to come back to our bodies, and to come back to a place of calm. They remind us that we don’t need to fix everything. We don’t need to be perfect. We just need to make space for who we are, to be kind to ourselves, and to allow ourselves to rest.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or like you’re carrying a lot of tension, I invite you to explore these practices. Try lying down in a restorative pose, allow yourself to be fully supported, and see what arises when you simply let yourself rest. The journey of deep listening and conscious relaxation offers profound benefits for both the nervous system and our emotional well-being. It’s a way to come home to ourselves, to find our own grace under pressure, and to navigate life’s ups and downs with more compassion and ease.
Continue Your Relaxation Journey
You can explore these practices with my free weekly Deep Listening Meditations and seasonal online practice series. My online studio membership includes access to over 275 meditations, practices, workshops, and mini-retreats to meet you wherever you are and support the unfolding of your personal journey toward ease and relaxation. Whether you are just beginning to explore somatic practices or are a seasoned practitioner or yoga teacher looking for deeper guidance, these resources will help you build resilience, nourish your nervous system, and cultivate a deeper sense of connection with yourself and everyone you come in contact with. I invite you to join our community, find your own rhythm, and discover the benefits of meeting yourself and others with compassion.