Why Do Moments of Being Moved Feel So Inspiring?
Yesterday, in several sessions, I had the privilege of being awe-struck. Honestly, it’s happened quite a few times this week. I walked away feeling deeply grateful—grateful that people allow me into their intimate lives, into the spaces of their internal worlds.
There’s something profound about witnessing someone step into their own inner landscape—exploring their inner child, confronting ego states, speaking thoughts never voiced before, feeling movements in their body that demand acknowledgment, wrestling with dilemmas that carry long-standing impacts. The stuckness they can feel but struggle to shift. The tenderness of being human.
Our internal world is deeply intimate.
The ever-changing landscape of desires, needs, thoughts, emotions, sensations. The burdens of old wounds. The joy, laughter, and love of life that somehow still shine through. Someone recently described themselves as feeling “borderline happy,” and it made me smile. Another client is beginning to recognize, maybe for the first time, what calm and peace actually feel like.
To lean back is to see. To allow yourself to be moved, to listen, to slow down. These are the moments that make life, relationships, and human connection meaningful.
When I ask clients to lean forward, many of them feel an immediate sense of anxiety. But last night, when I asked someone to lean back, they paused and said, “Less guarded. Less anxious. My breath is shifting.”
This is what can happen when we let ourselves move, be moved, listen, and slow down.
Leaning Back: An Observing-Self Practice
Right now, wherever you are, take a moment to pause. Let your shoulders drop slightly, relax your jaw, and feel the weight of your body supported by whatever you’re sitting or standing on.
Now, instead of leaning into the moment—into the next thought, the next task, the next worry—see what happens if you lean back, both physically and mentally. Imagine stepping slightly outside of yourself, like an observer watching your own experience unfold.
Notice:
- Your breath—where does it sit in your body?
- Any tension—where are you gripping?
- The thoughts moving through—can you watch them like clouds passing rather than grabbing onto them?
As you observe, remind yourself: I don’t have to fix anything right now. I can simply notice.
Let this be a moment of presence. A moment of being moved, rather than doing the moving.
What shifts for you when you lean back?
I’d love to hear what shifted for you when you lean back. Leave a comment below.
