The World Feels Heavy. You Still Need a Thing

When everything feels like too much, movement and breath can help you hold on.

Plucking Stars, captured around 2016 at the Stone Wind Retreat

Some mornings I wake up with a weight in my chest. I haven’t even looked at the news yet, but my body already knows.

I’m not depressed (I know all about that). But there’s this low-frequency hum of dread that won’t go away. Sometimes I just lie there, not ready to face the day, already tired from the weight of it all.

I’ve been practicing qigong, tai chi, and Zen for almost 30 years—and I still feel this way. So if you haven’t practiced as much as I have, and you also feel something like this, maybe give yourself a little grace.

What’s going on out there affects what’s going on in here. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

I keep hearing from students that their therapist or guru told them it’s just a mindset problem. I hate saying this because people hate hearing it—but that’s called victim blaming.

You can’t just visualize harder to escape the very real suffering that’s happening all around us.

When someone denies the weight of the world, they’re not wise—they’re dissociating. And they’re asking you to do the same.

The Buddha would acknowledge our suffering and teach us how to meet it—with compassion, and with practice. Zhuangzi would laugh—not to dismiss the pain, but to show how clinging to control only deepens it.

And I think both of them would agree: it’s not your fault—but there is something you can do.

What you can do is take care of yourself. Call it self-care if you want, but I’m not talking about bubble baths and vision boards.

I’m talking about having a thing.

For me, it’s tai chi. That’s how I hold on. That’s my thing.

I practice tai chi every day to take care of myself—to wash off some of the suffering, to apply a salve to the daily cuts.

What’s your thing?

Maybe it’s yoga. Maybe it’s singing badly to ‘80s power ballads. Maybe it’s digging in the dirt, walking the dog, or hitting a heavy bag in your garage.

I think all of those are great choices. I do some of them myself.

If it shifts your nervous system, then it counts.

That shift—however small—is why you need a thing. Because can you imagine what happens to the body and the mind if you let that stress, that fear, that tension accumulate?

Some of you may sit in meditation. Good. But let me gently suggest this: even if your sitting practice is strong (respect), your body still needs to move.

If your nervous system is stuck in survival mode—if you feel unsafe, or heavy, or anxious—you probably can’t sit your way out of it.

Modern trauma research backs this up. Somatic practices are often more effective at shifting us out of survival mode.

You don’t just need to sit and breathe. You need to move and breathe.

Movement is how we come back to ourselves.

So find a thing that moves your body, shifts your nervous system, and eases some of the weight.

The world will still feel heavy—but having a thing will help you carry it. That’s what I’ll be doing.

There’s a way through all this. I can’t say what that looks like for you, but I believe it starts with finding your thing—and not letting go.

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About me: I’m Sifu Anthony, a longtime teacher of qigong and tai chi, and a bestselling author. These arts pulled me out of depression and chronic pain when nothing else worked. Now I teach students from all over the world, mostly online. I live in New Mexico with my dog, my garden, and a stunning view of the Sandia mountains. More about me →

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Free & Low-Cost Resources

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