Unclench!

"We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but for potential."   Ellen Goodman

This is the word, UNCLENCH, that is going to be my mantra this year. I was standing in the shower this morning doing the Tai Chi pose that I often do while I shower. It is bent knees, buttocks pulled forward, body in line from shoulder to foot, hands down at sides. I do this to take the pressure off my back and to rest it. And in doing this exercise it is necessary to unclench buttocks and sphincter.

So I thought about "unclenching" and I realized that if I unclench in other ways it would be a positive thing. So here are the ways I am going to unclench:

Unclench neck muscles when words make them tight.

Unclench stomach muscles when national news cramps them.

Unclench hands formed into fists when angry at certain people.

Unclench teeth in the night. Who am I trying to bite?

Unclench from old pain. Divorces are decades behind.

Unclench from ancient hurt.  Who did the dalliances really scar--perhaps the dallier...

Unclench from bad memories. There are good ones to replace them.

Unclench clutching hands--make them soothing hands.

Unclench eyes that don't want to see.

Unclench the scowl, unclench the grimace.

Unclench judgement.

Unclench stiff hips--dance.

Unclench throat muscles--sing.

Unclench ears--listen for the music hidden in the din.