Stability Is a Fragile Grace
Books, breath, movement, and meaning for the ones living in the in-between
“Stability is a fragile grace, someplace between geometry, emotion, and some spooky action from a distance.”
There are seasons when stability feels like something you should’ve earned by now.
And then there are seasons when you realize—it’s not a destination, it’s a practice.
Not control.
Not certainty.
But the ongoing grace of choosing to stay present when everything is still shifting.
This post is an invitation.
A breath. A reset.
A set of tools for building inner resilience that supports outer engagement—whether you're working in social systems, community healing, or just trying to stay upright in a world that never stops.
Begin with Breath
The Fragile Grace Meditation
You don’t need anything but a chair. And your breath.
Sit tall. Feet flat. Hands resting.
Breathe in slowly.
Breathe out fully.
Let the chair hold you. Let the floor hold the chair.
Silently say:
Inhale – “I am here.”
Exhale – “This is enough.”
Repeat for 5 breaths. Or 5 minutes.
Let your nervous system remember: you’re not alone in holding it all.
Move a Little
Chair Asanas for Grounded Presence
Movement doesn’t have to be big to be powerful.
This is for anyone—office chair, kitchen stool, mobility device. No mat needed.
Seated Mountain – Sit tall, spine aligned
Seated Cat-Cow – Inhale to arch, exhale to round
Seated Twist – Gentle spinal rotation
Forward Fold – Rest over your thighs
Side Stretch – Lengthen and reach
Neck Rolls – Soften tension
Chair Savasana – Stillness as strength
Just pick one. Or two. Let your body tell you what it needs.
Read to Regroup
Curated Booklist
Books that invite reflection, restore perspective, and offer new frameworks for connection across difference.
Where Emotion Meets Architecture
The Poetics of Space – Gaston Bachelard
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/8954/the-poetics-of-space-by-gaston-bachelard/The Art of Gathering – Priya Parker
https://www.priyaparker.com/A Field Guide to Getting Lost – Rebecca Solnit
https://rebeccasolnit.net/books/field-guide-to-getting-lost/
Stillness, Presence & the Practice of Mindful Leadership
The Healing Power of Mindfulness – Jon Kabat-Zinn
https://www.mindfulnesscds.com/The Heart of Mindfulness – Micki Fine
https://livingmindfully.org/Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook – Kristin Neff & Christopher Germer
https://self-compassion.org/the-mindful-self-compassion-workbook/
Spooky Action at a Distance
Emergent Strategy – adrienne maree brown
https://adriennemareebrown.net/Braiding Sweetgrass – Robin Wall Kimmerer
https://milkweed.org/author/robin-wall-kimmererThe More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible – Charles Eisenstein
https://charleseisenstein.org/books/the-more-beautiful-world/
Dialogue, Courage, Civic Repair
I Never Thought of It That Way – Mónica Guzmán
https://braverangels.org/monica-guzman/The Persuaders – Anand Giridharadas
https://www.anand.ly/The Art of Possibility – Rosamund & Benjamin Zander
https://www.benjaminzander.org/the-art-of-possibility/
Living with Fragility, Healing with Intention
On Being Human – Jennifer Pastiloff
https://www.jenniferpastiloff.com/The Body Keeps the Score – Bessel van der Kolk
https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/The Way of Integrity – Martha Beck
https://marthabeck.com/the-way-of-integrity/
Books to Sit With, Not Solve
Letters to a Young Poet – Rainer Maria Rilke
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/rainer-maria-rilkeHow to Do Nothing – Jenny Odell
https://www.jennyodell.com/how-to-do-nothing.htmlAnam Cara – John O’Donohue
https://www.johnodonohue.com/books/anam-cara
Reflect: A Question to Carry
One that meets you wherever you are
Where in my life am I building stability through control, and where might I build it through trust?
Where is structure helping me soften?
Where is emotion inviting a new kind of strength?
Where am I allowing connection, grace, or mystery to shape what comes next?
Write. Walk. Let the question linger longer than the answer.
Close the Loop
If this moved something in you—breathe again.
And maybe share it with someone who holds a lot, loves deeply, or leads through the middle.
This is just one small offering from the work I’m doing at The Change Lab—a place for civic courage, connection, and curiosity.
You can reply if you’d like a downloadable version, reflection journal, or a printable for your team or circle.
Until then—
Let structure support you.
Let feeling guide you.
Let grace find you, even in motion.
—David