“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” — Dalai LamaIn these distressing times, kindness and gentleness can be an antidote to stress, a balm for body and soul. When someone is kind to us, especially when we’re feeling vulnerable or it’s unexpected, it feels like Grace. We breathe a sigh of relief and begin to release accumulations of tension that have built up throughout our tissues. We can even feel ourselves expand from a contracted state and resume our natural shape, come alive in our senses and become more fully present, more fully who we really are. As we release inner tensions, air and blood circulate more freely throughout our bodies, bringing fresh nourishment to our cells and removing toxic debris. If lack of nutrients and the presence of toxins are the two sources of all disease, tension and stress increase both. No wonder stress is linked to so many diseases. Dis-ease is the absence of ease. Ease comes with that sigh of relief that we are not deserving of…