​Ever notice how pressure can pull you out of the moment, right when you want to be most present?

​Your brain goes blank, your heart races, and breathing and speaking get difficult.

​Sometimes it's a workout, a performance, a presentation. Other times, it's a difficult conversation, a deadline, walking into a new space or community, or a season where everything is changing faster than you can keep up with.

In this 90-minute experiential session, we'll reflect, connect with others in the room, and practice exercises we can use the next time pressure lands.

​"I appreciate the reminder to slow down, be aware, and choose."
- Participant, September 2026

Who this is for:
Anyone who performs, leads, competes, or carries a lot, and wants practice rather than one more thing to read about. Knowing does not equal doing.

What you'll leave with:

• ​Language for what you look like at your most and least effective under pressure

• ​A plain explanation of what happens in our bodies when pressure hits

• ​Two mindfulness exercises practiced together, and a sense of which one works for you

• ​A list of exercises to keep practicing

​"A lot of people tend to be aware of the practices that were in this session, but we don't really take the time to do them, and especially don't do them collectively. There's something very beneficial to the community aspect of this."
- Participant, August 2026

​Why I practice:
As a trans person, I know what it's like to step into an unknown space and question my safety. Embracing my own practice of resourcing myself to show up at my best has been liberating.

​I've trained CrossFit for eight years and coached for the past two. I've ridden my bike 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles seven times, played trumpet for audiences of all sizes for almost 30 years, and led high-performing teams and workshops for 14 years.

​I still have moments where pressure lands and I lose access to what I practiced. I've found it isn't something to outgrow. It's a practice.

​"I've done a lot of things like this in more esoteric settings, and this was really well done. I love the invitation to write about our least and most effective leadership."
- Participant, September 2026

​Every participant provided feedback in the September session, rating it a 9.1 out of 10, where 1 = not valuable and 10 = inspirational and actionable.

​This is an experiential session. It's interactive. Engaging with the activities will give you the best results. You'll be invited into breakout rooms for part of it, so join from somewhere you can talk out loud, if you can. No prior experience needed. Show up as you are.

​I'll record the session to improve my facilitation, but I won't share it anywhere.

Cover art photo source: Fabian Møller on Unsplash