Putting Down the Oars

A meditation for the second half of a working life, when the arms have been rowing longer than the mouth admits and the next stroke can no longer be found inside the muscle. You'll practise letting the breath leave at its own pace, loosening the grip on the oars, and noticing what the boat does when you stop forcing it forward. The technique is simple: breath, attention to the hands, and a slow recognition that the river was carrying you all along. A practice in earned rest, not surrender.