Yesterday, I joined a Transformational Breath session in Juno Beach, Florida with my dear friend, and who I call my spiritual therapist, Lily. I’ve done breathwork with her before on retreats, and each time it’s been both challenging and beautiful. This kind of breathwork is like taking mushrooms with a strong intention, but without the shrooms. Just breath. A specific pattern. In and out through the mouth. That’s it. And yet… it takes you somewhere deep. Beyond the self. To a magical place just beyond a physical touch.

There were ten of us in the circle. Lily led, also holding space with her two grown sons with their ancient knowledge and calm pressence. As part of the opening, Lily asked each of us to speak our intention out loud, affirming what we were calling in for the session.

As we went around the circle, a theme started to emerge:

Better health.

Releasing fear and doubt.

A longing for life to just feel easier.

And it made me question, does every human on this Earth shares the same quiet wish? Maybe we’re all carrying this hidden weight, hoping for just a little more lightness.

I used to think my life was harder than everyone else’s. I’d look at other people and think, “They have it easy. Why is it always so heavy for me?” But the truth is… I don’t think anyone has it easy all the time. And if they do, maybe ease comes in chapters. Maybe we’re meant to touch it, remember it, and return to it again and again.

Lance, Lily’s oldest son, said something that got me thinking:

“What if life is easy? What if we’re the ones making it complicated? What if God gave us a blank canvas and we’re the ones turning it into chaos?”

“Siiiiiiii!”, I said in my head.

I started looking at my life. And yes, it’s complicated again. Hello, stress, with all these rescue dogs in a small space. But no one created that stress but me. Back in the States, my life was stressful in a different way. I battled depression for years on and off. I believed life was hard. That belief became my lens, and I couldn’t find happiness through it.

So, I moved to a new country. I wanted a fresh start. I followed my son’s joy, hoping mine would follow. And it did.

But then… I complicated it again.

This time with animal rescue.

With taking on too much.

With forgetting that I came here to enjoy life.

To be present with my son.

To live simply.

Sure, life itself definitely feels overwhelming at times, especially with all the responsibilities we carry as adults, parents, or caretakers. Providing income, preparing meals, keeping the home in order, whether we’re doing it alone or with a partner, the weight of it all never seems to fully lift.

There are days when life feels undeniably hard. The stress, the lessons, the constant demands… many of them we never consciously signed up for. Or did we? Maybe, in some deeper sense, we chose this path, with the promise of freedom, growth, and love.

Still, I can’t help but ask myself: What if life was meant to be easy? What if the struggle isn’t the only way?

So I sit with that question.

How can I meet the hard days with more ease?

What would it look like to choose grace instead of stress?

What can I let go of, and what can I lean into?

Maybe ease isn’t the absence of responsibility, maybe it’s the way we carry it.

I often have to remind myself that what we experience is often a mirror, showing us exactly what we need to see in order to change for the ease of life.

So maybe the real question is:

In what ways am I making life harder than it needs to be?

Filling my days with noise, instead of space to allow and just, be?

Maybe life is meant to be easy. Maybe it isn’t. Maybe it’s something we aren’t suppose to figure out at all but to just surrender. Even on the days you want to give up or feeling lost.

What I know for sure, not every day will feel light, and that’s okay. On the hard days, give yourself permission to pause. Eliminate what isn’t serving you, even if just for a moment. And Remember, ease often begins with letting go.