There's a story we tell ourselves about rest. That it's earned. That we'll slow down after the list gets shorter, after things settle, after we've done enough. But the body doesn't wait for after.

There’s a moment in this meditation where everything softens. Thoughts don’t disappear, they just lose their grip. I return to something quieter underneath, tending a small inner ember that grows warmer the longer I stay.

We’re five days away from Christmas.

The lists are long. The pace is fast. And even when we love this season, our nervous systems can feel it.