“How to Unclench” by Jonny Miller

Not sure if I followed the author properly, but “unclenching” seems to basically mean letting go — somewhat similar to Letting Go or Let Them.

Except here, I think, letting go is only the first step. You notice where you are holding unnecessary tension, stop fighting whatever you are feeling, and then hopefully have enough freedom to actually do something about it.

Which makes sense.

For some reason, though, I finished the book wondering where the actual list of practices for unclenching was. Maybe my Kindle version was cut off? Maybe I read them and they just didn't stick? Apparently they are there, so perhaps this says more about what I got out of the book than about the book itself.

Anyway, I'm sure there is useful advice here, especially for someone encountering these ideas for the first time. But after reading quite a bit about psychology, motivation, meditation, emotions, letting go, nervous system regulation, etc., I don't think I got much that felt genuinely new.

Except the word “unclench.”

I actually really like it.

“Let go” can mean almost anything at this point. “Unclench” immediately makes me notice that I'm physically or mentally gripping something that I probably don't need to be gripping.

So yeah. Maybe I didn't get a new philosophy out of this book, but I did get a new word for an old idea.

And I do try to unclench more now.

That's probably worth something.