I notice when I'm resisting the present moment, there's almost always a tightness right behind my sternum, a subtle clenching. That clenching... it's a familiar roommate. For me, it’s not just resistance to the moment, but a fear that if I fully relax, the bottom will drop out and I'll be swallowed whole. I'm learning to trust that the ground is solid, even when it trembles. That clench is the gatekeeper. It's not just fear of the bottom dropping out, but fear that if I let go, I'll realize how much I've been carrying, and the work of actually setting it down will be too much. Better to keep it braced than to face the exhaustion of release.