9: The Fear Is Here. So Are the Cherry Blossoms.

When dread becomes the default, your nervous system isn't broken. It's just gotten very good at one thing. Here's a gentler way through.What do you do when your nervous system is stuck in future-tripping — scanning for everything that could go wrong, even when nothing is actively threatening you right now?In this episode, I'm sharing a practice I've been leaning on heavily in my own life: glimmer hunting. It's a gentle way of widening attention when survival mode has narrowed the lens — and it doesn't ask you to be positive, fix anything, or feel grateful on command.We'll talk about why "just look for the good" can backfire when you're anxious, what your nervous system actually needs instead, and how neutral — yes, neutral — can be genuinely healing.I'll also share what the cherry blossoms here in Portland have been teaching me about making real, somatic contact with the present moment, even when dread is sitting right alongside it.This one is for you if you've been feeling that particular kind of weight — the constricted, future-oriented, what-if-it-all-goes-wrong kind. You're not alone in it. And there's a way to be with it that doesn't require you to bypass a single hard feeling.In this episode:What glimmer hunting is (and what it isn't)Why neutral counts as much as beautifulA guided practice you can do sitting, walking, or commuting — eyes openHow to hold fear and the present moment at the same time, without pushing anything awayEpisode length: 15 minutesChapters00:00 Introduction to Glimmer Hunting03:14 Understanding Dread and Anxiety05:56 The Practice of Glimmer Hunting09:11 Neutrality and Its Importance12:08 Embracing Both Fear and Joy15:12 Closing Thoughts and Invitation🎧 New here? Download my free audio series — Unwind & Unblend - 3 Short Practices to Soothe Your Nervous System — and get started with small, steady support right away.