My JAWS Moment: Jill’s Story
Jill’s Story
How she alchemized resistance into freedom and found beauty in her fear.
My Jaws Moment
At a formative time in my life, I saw the movie Jaws. My dad loved it and watched it over and over, and while it was a family classic in our household, it left me with an unexpected legacy: a fear of the open ocean. It may sound small, even silly, but for me, the ocean became a place of mystery tinged with danger.
Fast forward to just a few weeks ago. I was in Marathon, Florida, celebrating my husband’s 50th birthday with a bucket-list trip — a way of honoring his time living there with his dad before his father passed. The trip was all about the boating life: fishing, spearfishing, lobstering for dinner, diving into underwater wrecks, and immersing ourselves in the saltwater world.
And yet… I felt resistance.
The thought of jumping off a boat miles out in the ocean with just a bikini, fins, and snorkel made my chest tighten. For days leading up to the trip, I questioned whether I should even go.
My mind whispered “no,” but my heart quietly pulsed “yes.” So I chose to listen to my heart. I packed up my courage and my adventure mindset, and I went.
Leaning In
The only way through resistance is to lean in with curiosity. So I jumped. I entered the wide blue with nothing but my breath, my focus, and my willingness to soften.
Instead of scanning for threats, I practiced opening my awareness. Instead of fighting the water, I allowed the salt to buoy and hold me. I whispered thank you to the ocean, to the lobsters, to the fish, to my new friends of the deep.
At one point, a nurse shark glided under me. For a breathless moment, I didn’t know what kind of shark it was — only that it was a shark. My instinct was to kick back toward the boat, but first I pointed it out to Steve. His eyes lit up with excitement, and I got to share that moment with him before letting myself exhale.
The Alchemy of Resistance to Freedom
As the week unfolded, something shifted. My nervous system began to relax, and I could finally take in the gift of where I was. I even went on night swims — yes, the very thing that terrified me most, thanks to the opening scene of Jaws! Each dive into the dark water was an initiation: edgy, yes, but also exhilarating, liberating, and deeply healing.
By the end of eight days, with 80 mosquito bites and a pulled calf as souvenirs, I realized what had truly happened: I had alchemized resistance into freedom. Not by controlling the situation, not by avoiding it, but by leaning in. By staying curious. By anchoring within myself — with long, slow breaths — and trusting that I was safe. And I was.
It ended up being the trip of a lifetime. Instead of dread, I now feel gratitude and eagerness to return — to see my new sea friends, to feel the embrace of mama ocean, and to keep softening into freedom.
Breathe Into Resistance
This, to me, is what we are practicing together at Shine Living Community. Instead of shutting down or clinging to control, we are learning to breathe into resistance, to stretch beyond our comfort zones, and to discover who we are on the other side of fear. In doing so, we not only free ourselves — we become better mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, leaders, and friends.
We are mastering the art of knowing ourselves more deeply. And in that mastery, we find not just freedom, but joy.
Thank you for being here, for walking (and swimming!) this path together, and for choosing to live in the alchemy of resistance to freedom.
Find Your Alchemy
Join us in-person or livestreaming for Freedom Movement this September 2025 to continue to explore alchemizing resistance to freedom.
Or, join us anytime in the Shine Living Community digital studio. With your membership (or 7-day free trial!) you’ll find:
Unlimited access to a library of somatic movement, breathwork, dance, and meditation sessions
Monthly themes and guided practices to align your inner and outer worlds
A growing global community walking this path with you
Simple, potent tools to restore your radiance from the inside out
In love and light,
We are Jill & Jessica – the Shine Sisters – your guides to living your shine every day.
With our 40+ years combined experience in certified dance, yoga, reiki and nutrition ~ we are here to build community, empower from within and help you live your best life!
