| Sent to my email list on Friday, June 26, 2026 |
| Last Saturday was my monthly fasting day, and most fasting days involve a hike or time in nature. (Hint: fasting is much easier when you’re not at home staring at food.) We decided to hike Eagle Rock near San Diego (not to be confused with the Eagle Rock neighborhood in Los Angeles). The “hike” itself is more of a stroll, making it a perfect fasting-day activity. I’ve learned that long, strenuous hikes while fasting don’t sit particularly well with my system. As I scrambled toward the top, I found myself melting into the rock. Every foothold required me to become smaller rather than bigger, shrinking and softening into spaces it offered instead of trying to overpower it with brute force. The warmth of the stone comforted me as I sat quietly, taking in the expansive view. |
| The winds that day were strong, sometimes enough to push my fasting body off balance. It was there that I decided to practice Eagle Pose.Interestingly, Eagle Pose isn’t expansive at all. It’s a posture of wrapping inward: arms entwined, legs intertwined, the body gathered toward its center. It took me several attempts before I felt steady enough to embrace the posture.I chose a spot where, if I started to lose my balance, I could quickly unwrap my arms and reach for the rocks beside me. Knowing I had somewhere to land gave me enough confidence to pause and breathe, even as the wind whispered doubts. Later that evening, I revisited the mythology behind Eagle Pose, and something struck me.The posture itself asks us to draw inward before we expand. We gather ourselves first. We become steady. Only then are we ready to soar. That feels surprisingly relevant to modern life. We’re often taught that growth means constant expansion – doing more, creating more, saying yes more, achieving more. Shrinking, on the other hand, is often viewed as weakness, fear, or failure. But what if shrinking isn’t the opposite of growth, but part of the process? I’m someone who naturally leans toward expansion. I want to create, explore, teach, write, connect, and touch people’s lives. Shrinking has always felt like the opposite of who I am. Somewhere along the way I came to equate shrinking with “taking up less space” and silencing myself. Much of adulthood has become an exercise in reclaiming my voice. Yet the older I get, the more I realize that seasons of drawing inward are just as necessary as seasons of expansions. Maybe shrinking isn’t failure. Maybe it’s saying no to one invitation so you can say yes to yourself. Maybe it’s resting. Or fasting. And simplifying. Maybe it’s making your world temporarily smaller so your life can eventually become bigger. Just as sleep and the darkness of the night sky make daylight possible, perhaps periods of shrinking make genuine expansion possible, too.Curious to hear your thoughts. Enjoy your weekend, friends, and thanks for reading. |
About the Author, Aria Morgan
Aria Morgan is an Teacher, Writer, Mom and Advocate. As a certified yoga teacher, Reiki Master, retired Doula, and Mindfulness Life Coach, Aria draws on over 27 years of daily practice in yoga, Qi Gong, meditation, mindfulness, and energy cultivation. She passionately believes that when we awaken our body's innate intelligence, anything is possible.
