SDEpisode22: Hope W/Guided meditation

Hope is one of the most powerful forces we carry. It helps us keep moving forward during difficult seasons, find light in moments of uncertainty, and believe that healing, growth, and change are possible.

In this episode, we explore what hope really is, why it matters for our mental and emotional well-being, and how we can cultivate it even when life feels challenging. Join us as we share insights, reflections, and simple ways to reconnect with the possibility that tomorrow can be different from today.

Whether you're navigating a transition, working through a struggle, or simply looking for a little inspiration, this conversation is a reminder that hope is always available, even in the smallest moments.

 Tune in, take a deep breath, and remember: where there is hope, there is possibility

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome back, Yogis, to the Soul Deep Yoga and Healing podcast. I am your host, Kimmy, and next to me I have my co-host.

SPEAKER_01 0:11

Brittany.

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Woo! It's been a great week. Yeah. We're really kicking summer off. Oh, yeah. It's been busy, but it's been good. It's been very productive for us so far. Uh, what'd you do this week?

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Well, um, we went to Lagoon. Nice. That was fun. We did so for Christmas, we did um season passes for Christmas gifts. And so we're gonna take advantage of it. The plan is to go weekly. Heck yeah. So that's determination right there. I really want to get use out of those passes. Well, yeah, you might as well, really. Yeah, yeah, get your money's worth. It's been great, and we're gonna try to go again on Thursday, and um Crust Club closed last week. Last Saturday was my last day at Crust Club. Um, they decided to close the doors, which is fine. Um So you have Saturdays back? So I have Saturdays back, and um I'm navigating that. I went home yesterday from hot yoga and did yard work. Like it was it was it was weird for me. It's the first time you had off in a long time. Very long time, probably like over two years. So cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Yeah. Well, yay, I'm glad that you're you're not working a Saturday job anymore because you work a lot, so I do.

SPEAKER_01 1:32

Yeah, and I am sticking with that boundary with myself because I think I just like work so much to cope with life. Yeah. So um, it's an it's an easy distraction. So 2026, taking it easy. I'm here for it. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Prioritizing rest. That's a good goal.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

Um, what did you do this week?

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Oh, I've been hanging out, you know, classes, all the fun things. Um, I did get to go boating um again this week with some friends, so that was super fun. Coda, Meg, and Kat came up to come boating with us, so it was super fun. Yeah, we spent all of Friday just out on the lake for you from like one o'clock until I think we left at 8, 8:30. So like we were out there for a good amount of time. But it's so crazy. Like, I'm a sunscreen person, okay? Like I I don't tan very well, like I have to use sunscreen, but I was like bound and determined because Meg's looking so good, she's so tanned, she's the tannest redhead I've ever had. I was gonna say she jigged her tan. Yeah, and so um I put like sunscreen only on like my face, shoulders, and arms and chest, you know, and then just put tanning stuff on the rest of my body. It was a UV10. I didn't get burned at all. Interesting. I didn't get tan either. And I'm like, what the heck? Like it was yeah, it was so weird. Everyone else had sunburns and were looking good, and I'm like, why? You're still so tasty. Well, it was weird because like where I put the sunscreen, and like I reapplied because it was UV 10. Um, like the only parts of my body that did get a little bit of sun were the places that I put the sunscreen on. But like the tanning stuff, I'm still white. And so make that make sense. If you guys I know, right? Understand why that happened. We want to know. DM us. Yeah, I'm just trying to get tan. I just love, I just love laying in the sun like a lizard.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

It's like my favorite pastime in the summer, so and you and you know, we don't do tanning beds.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

Nope, don't do tanning beds, so I just gotta get that natural sun. But I'm inside most of the time, so that's why it was so good. Yeah, I was just fun to hang out at the lake, so that was good. I'm glad you got a little bit of that sun. Thanks. Yeah, you do work from home, so you're inside a lot. I know, I hate it when it's like nice outside, and it's like, oh, I'm just stuck in my tier window. I am. I'm literally looking, I'm like, oh, it'd be so like the UV right now would be so perfect. Like, darn it. Oh well. That's great. You have any magic moments? Or loves?

SPEAKER_01 4:00

No magic moments. Do you?

SPEAKER_00 4:02

I do have a magic moment. Um, you guys will notice if you come into the studio this week, we reorganized the Reiki room. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Remember a couple weeks ago how my hate was how cluttered this room was? Well, I fixed that. So we put up some shelves and we got our little storefront a little bit more organized. So that's been my magic moment of the week. So shout out to my man because he did all of the work. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 4:25

Thank you. You did a good job. Actually, I do super appreciate him because he uh like his whole family has like that uh they're just really handy.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Like he like mechanically includes.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

He helped us with like modern stuff around this studio.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

Yes, he does a very good job. You see those like memes on TikTok of like the it's like this is what zero dollars an hour looks like, you know. It's like, yeah, that's my boyfriend with all of the projects that we do at the yoga studio. So he should we should put a picture up of him and do like employee of the month. It would be fun. That would be so pretty.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

We should do that, but anywho. Yeah, yeah. You know what? Now I gotta shout out. Shout out to all the yoga husbands.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

Yeah, you deal with our crap. Your husband as well. Shout out. Thank you for dealing with us and our craziness. And your husband's so sweet. He's always like bringing us drinks and stuff, and like he'll just like our events if he Yep, he'll bring us whatever we need. Like, he's a good boy.

SPEAKER_01 5:29

Yeah, for the good boy. He's he's actually cooked for us a couple of at our couple of our events, yeah. Mainly our summer, but yeah, he uh I feel like your boyfriend and my husband share the load, but in different ways, just kind of like how you and I are. Yeah. So like Matt didn't grow up with like his dad just didn't build things, so he didn't learn that, and he's learning it now as an adult, whereas like yours, like that was he grew up with a group contractor, yeah. Like he knows been building houses, like he knows how to do that stuff. So yeah, that it's been interesting.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

But you know a little bit of stuff. I did. So fun fact for all you listeners out there, I once upon a time did the carpentry program at Bridgerland. Um, and no, that was actually awesome. I'm not like great, but like I can get around. So fun fact, shout out Kat, because she let me put up her uh curtains, her curtains and her her blinds in her house. I'm like, I'm pretty handy, like I can like get stuff done, but like I don't know if it's necessarily like the proper way to do things. That's why, like, when we worked in here together for the shelves, I was like, why don't you just do this? And he's just like, that's not the right way.

SPEAKER_01 6:38

Yes, with the tea kettle thing. I wouldn't even thought about the whole like when the lids open it. Yep. You're like, yep, yeah. So anyhow, yeah. I learned thanks to all you hardworking husbands. Yeah, you guys are the best. Um, let's see here. Oh, I do have a love actually this week. All right, what's your love? So I thought it was really funny that me and you taught the same peak pose. Oh, yeah. But we don't like we so for all you listeners, mean Kimmy do not like do this on purpose. This is all intentional. Unintentional. Yeah, like yeah, GD. Um, so we taught crow this week, and I didn't even know that your class like that you were even gonna teach that.

SPEAKER_00 7:32

I taught I taught crow on Friday for the people that were there, and then you taught crow on Saturday.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

Yeah, and I just didn't even know, but like we don't only like end up matching our sequences on a weekly because like I had two students this week tell me, like, oh yeah, you guys did the same thing. Like, we had the same, I can't even remember what push it was. I think it was like extended triangle or whatever. Interesting, yeah. We don't we don't really talk about our clothes, like we don't yeah, we don't talk about our flows, we don't coordinate, like we don't anything, and we don't only do that with our flows, we our clothes our clothes and our nails this week.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

Oh, yeah, our nails are matching. Yeah, I don't know what we're just like on the same frequency. Half the time I'll show up Sunday mornings and we look at each other and we're like wearing the exact same outfit. And I'm like, dude, I was like, I was literally thinking about things that you wouldn't be wearing today to wear this, and she's like, I'm doing the same thing. I was trying to think about something that you wouldn't be wearing, and we're still matching, it's just funny.

SPEAKER_01 8:33

And there's like some times where like you'll bring up ideas, and I'm like, dude, I was just thinking about that. Literally, so definitely on the same wavelength, I think.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

Yeah, so that's my love. It's fun, it's funny. It is funny. Yeah, we're always match each other's energy. It's not not even intentionally, we just do.

SPEAKER_01 8:57

Um poll of the day. I gotta pull. I pulled hearth magic out of the comfy, cozy witch oracle deck by Jenny Blonde. Jenny Blonde. Thank it's Jenny Blonde. All right, let me find it here. It's in alphabetical order. Hearth magic. Affirmations are warmth and nourishment. I welcome warmth into my life to nourish my soul. The message. For people all over the world for thousands of years, the hearth has been the heart of a home. A place where warmth and nourishment come together for a sense of comfort, joy, and belonging. This card urges you to focus on the magic of the hearth where the simple acts of cooking, gathering, and story sharing bring profound healing, nourishment, and connection. Take a break from the constant goings-on of life and stop to appreciate and stop to appreciate hearth energy, allowing your warmth to flow freely towards those who are important to you. When you seek to warm your own heart, spend time in front of the warm glow of a fire, nourish yourself with a hearty meal, or visit with like-minded friends to nourish your practice and soul. The prompt, how can I better nourish my body and spirit? What can I do to nourish the needs of those closest to me?

SPEAKER_00 10:22

Very good. I love that card. I love that card too.

SPEAKER_01 10:24

It has a little cauldron on it, and I think it's super cute.

SPEAKER_00 10:27

It is cute. Alright, you guys. Well, today we're gonna be talking about hope, which is one of my favorite topics. Um, hope is one of the biggest or one of the biggest misconceptions about hope is that it's something that we either have or we don't have it. Like it's just something that we were born with, right? Um, but hope's not passive. Hope is something that we actively choose uh to take action with. Hope is an action. So hope is deciding to take the next step even when you don't know where the path leads. So I feel like hope often gets misunderstood. Um just around when you hear people say hope. It's just like, oh yeah, like you're just like praying for something, or you know, you're you know, just wishing for something. But um I like to think of hope. So like when you hear the word hope, right? Here's some questions for you. Okay. What immediately comes to mind when you hear the word hope? Um immediate worst reaction.

SPEAKER_01 11:30

Like I hope something works out. That's like my like that's where I go, I guess. And do you see hope as a weakness or a strength? Both. Okay, elaborate. Okay, so um I actually have this rule in my house that we are not allowed to use the word hope in context of wishing. Yeah, okay. And so, but um, as far as like on a personal level, like growing up as a child, I did cling on to hope. And I'm glad I did. Yes, so like hard ways.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

Alright. Well, good, because I feel like there is like there's that that stigma or like stigma. Stigma? Yeah, that's right. Stigma around it. Um, so many people think that hope means pretending that everything's okay or that you're just wishing for something, right? Like you said that you're wishing for something. Um, but it doesn't. Hope can exist alongside grief, it can exist alongside uncertainty, and hope can exist along heartbreak. Um, hope isn't denying reality, hope is believing that reality can change.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

Can I add something? So I also think as hope is like an affirm like a like when you're trying to affirm things into your life, like a manifestation, like you typically want to stay for that word hope. Like, I hope you want to or invite in hope.

SPEAKER_00 13:06

Yeah, like I don't know if I'm making any sense on that because um, yeah, it was making sense in my mind because yeah, it kind of like brings me back to like the law of attraction or like manifestation, right? Like we're we're trying to bring that into existence, and in order for us to bring that into existence, we have to be feeling that way prior, right? So we have to be hopeful, we have to like know that there's brighter things coming in order for those brighter things to actually come, right? Yes, so yeah, that makes total sense to me. Um, one of the things that I wanted to talk about is holding on to hope in our darkest seasons because that's when we need hope the most, and that's also when it feels the furthest away. Um, so you guys might have had like experiences where maybe a relationship ended, um, maybe a dream didn't become a reality, it kind of fell apart. Um, maybe you experience a personal loss or experience grief, or just life not going to plan in general? Those are those are some situations where it feels really hard to have hope. But with every hard season that you guys have had, you've been able to come through, right? You're listening to the podcast here today. That means that you've gone through a struggle and you've already overcome it. So just reflecting, have you ever in your own life gone through a season where you felt hope was impossible? And what helped you keep moving through it? Maybe there was a person that helped you move through it. Maybe there was a mantra, an affirmation, maybe it was a song, maybe it was a movie or a book, an item of comfort. There's probably something in your life that helped you through that journey, and those are things that we can lean on. Um, sometimes you only need enough hope for the next hour. Hope's also not like a big, I need hope to like make it through my entire life. It's just like, no, I need hope to get it through the rest of my workday. Yeah. You know, like we it doesn't have to be so profound and so big, like it can be really, really small. Like it could be like, I hope I can get through this conversation. I hope I can get through the next breath, I hope I can get through this next step, like whatever it looks like. Um, but with that hope, we're we're again we're gonna reflect on the evidence of our hope of all the struggles that we've gone through that we've we've overcome. So sometimes we think that hope is blind faith, but often hope comes from our own evidence. So, what difficult things have you guys already survived? How many times did you think you'd never get through something? Yet here you are. We are all living proof um that we've survived hard seasons before and that hope exists. Because if hope didn't exist, like I wouldn't be here. Yeah. 100%. I wouldn't be here if I didn't hold on to hope. Um, and one reason that people lose hope is because they're trying to control outcomes. Whereas hope asks something different. It asks, can you trust yourself even when you don't know what's coming? And can you believe that you'll be okay even if things don't unfold exactly how you had them planned? And like me and you are planners. And so sometimes it is really hard to like let go of that control when it's like, oh, I hope this event goes well, but like we're trying to control every single thing. And it's like, can we just hope and trust that it's gonna turn into that?

SPEAKER_01 16:21

And I feel like hope eventually turns into that trust because, like, again, like hope being in that like not, I don't want to say hope is a neg like is negative because it's not, but like when you're trying to like have a good outcome, like I hope this turns out great, like, well, how about this is going to be a great event instead of like okay.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

Well, this is a perfect segue to my next talking point. The difference between optimism and hope, right? So optimism says that everything will work out, and hope says no matter what happens, I'm gonna find a way through. And that kind of goes in in uh a line with our quote. I was gonna share this later, but it feels good to share it now. Our quote is actually it slaps.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

That was a really, really good quote. I think it's one of the best we've put up.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 17:11

It was a really good one.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

So yeah, feel free to write this down if you need to, but hope is not optimism. Hope is the decision to keep lighting the candles even when the dark keeps blowing them out. Let me read that one more time. Hope is not optimism. Hope is the decision to keep lighting the candles even when the dark keeps blowing them out. Can we get a snail? So, yeah, hope hope is often more resilient than optimism. And just because hope doesn't depend on um circumstances being perfect, it's just letting it be as it is and trusting that everything's gonna work out regardless. Because in our life, things haven't worked out, you know, but they end up working out regardless, you know? All right, and then coming back a couple episodes ago, we talked about the ripple effect and how important that is. Um, but hope is so contagious. Um, think about um just reflecting for all the listeners out there, think about a teacher who believed in you or a friend who encouraged you, or a mentor who saw potential in you. Someone else's hope helped carry you until you could carry yourself on your own. And I can really that was like me and like my yoga teacher. Like I was just like, I didn't have like I had no inkling that like I should be a yoga teacher, but like she saw that potential in me and like inspired that in me and was like, you would be a great yoga teacher. And I was like, okay. I think and and I never would have taken that step if she hadn't put that hope in me from the get-go. So so yeah, who if maybe for all those who are out there listening today, um, who's been that person within your own life? Has there been a person that like immediately stands out that's like, yeah, you brought me a lot of hope in times? And if you can think of that person, reach out to him today, tell them about it. Because, like we said, hope is contagious, and the world could always use a little bit more hope.

SPEAKER_01 19:07

And hope can be inspiring too. It's like uh you your former yoga teacher, she she inspired you.

SPEAKER_00 19:16

She yeah, yeah, like and I saw what she was doing, and I was like, Yeah, yeah, you you know, and like and you think I have that? Like, absolutely like, yeah, it was like confidence. So it's like, oh my gosh, cool. Um, so yeah. Again, it's a ripple effect. That ripple effect. Um, okay, but in order for us to practice hope, uh, we need to first practice presence. Um, hope isn't living in that fantasy, it's not the wishing, it's not the everything. It's it's about finding possibility within this own moment. So, what if hope isn't found in the future? What if hope is found in what you're doing today? It could be the conversation that you're having, the choices that you're making, or the way that you're showing up for the people around you. Um, and then I just wanted to end with um some tiny acts of hope that you guys can do to practice this today. Sometimes hope looks like applying for the job that you don't think you're qualified for. Sometimes hope looks like going on a walk. Sometimes hope looks like signing up for that yoga class. Sometimes hope is making the appointment that you've been putting off. Sometimes hope is completely starting over. Sometimes hope is just getting right back up and trying again. And there's probably some other examples out there, but those are what I could think of. Um the last one really resonated with me. Trying again. And we say that within our yoga practice, right? Like every balancing pose we come into as it's like, hey, get up, and if you fall over, you get right back up and you try again. And like coming back to our quote, like it's not just hoping and wishing and praying for hope. It's it's actually taking action, it's choosing to be hopeful and to invite in that hope within the life. Okay, so lastly, this is what we talked about um right at the beginning of our class today. So this is like our little opening statement, and then I'll pass it over to Brittany for our writing activity, which I'm excited for. Um but yeah, here we go. So hope isn't pretending everything is okay. Hope is choosing to believe that something beautiful is still possible, even when life feels uncertain. There are seasons when we feel lost, seasons when we're carrying grief, disappointment, uncertainty, or fear. And in those moments, hope can feel fragile. But hope isn't the absence of struggle. Hope is the courage to keep your heart open in the middle of it. Hope is planting a seed before you see the flower. Hope is trusting the sunrise before the sky begins to brighten. Hope is taking the next step when you can't see the entire path. The beautiful thing about hope is that it doesn't ask us to know how everything will work out. It simply asks us to believe that this moment isn't the end of the story. So as you listen and as you leave throughout the rest of your day, I'm gonna just encourage you all to practice hope. Hope in yourself, hope in your journey, hope in the possibility that something beautiful is unfolding, even if you don't see the full picture yet.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

All right, great.

SPEAKER_00 22:24

You're welcome.

SPEAKER_01 22:25

Okay, we are gonna move on to our writing activity, and I absolutely love this. So you're gonna get that note card out, you're gonna get your journal, whatever it may be. Um, so this activity is actually a letter to your future self. Now I want you to imagine yourself one year from now. A version of yourself that has made it through this current season, a version of yourself that has grown, healed, learned, and become stronger. So the prompts that I have here for you today is the first one will be what would they want you to know? So that future self one year from now, what what do they want you to know? What worries would they tell you to let go of? What strengths would they remind you that you all that you already have? What are the grateful what are they grateful that you didn't give up on? And what beautiful things happened because you kept going. And you're just gonna pause here and you're gonna go back to the questions that I asked you, and you're just gonna answer them. And then when you are ready, you will come back to our meditation.

SPEAKER_00 23:46

Yeah, and make sure that you date these. Um, I often I love to look back on the letters that I've written to myself and seeing how I've grown. So don't forget to date this. Really take your time to write out of a letter to your future self. Like I started mine, dear future Kimmy, and I just went along with it. So take your time, pause, and reflect. We're gonna go ahead and get started for our meditation. So go ahead and settle into your space, silence your phones, remove any distractions. And if you're in the space to do so, I welcome you to lie down and settle into stillness. Feel the support of the earth beneath you, noticing where your ground makes contact with the earth. Take a slow inhale through your nose and a gentle exhale through your mouth. Again, inhale, and exhale. Inhale deeply, exhale completely, making your next inhale the deepest and longest breath you've taken all day, and sighing it all out. Return your breath to its natural rhythm. Allow your body to soften. Now start to visualize yourself standing in a vast open field before sunrise. The sky above you is a dark hue. The kind of darkness that exists just before the dawn. And as you stand there, notice a small light glowing within you. A soft flame. And this flame is your hope. This flame is not loud or aggressive or demanding. It's just quietly present. Life may bring storms. There may be moments when the blint the wind blows really hard. Moments when you doubt yourself, or moments when you feel lost or afraid. But notice that this flame within you remains. It might flicker, but it never goes out. Because this hope lives within you. With each breath you take, imagine this light growing stronger, expanding through your chest and throughout your entire body, filling every space with warmth. Now look towards the horizon, and in the distance, the first light of dawn begins to appear. Soft shades of gold and pink spreading across the sky. The darkness here has not failed. It has simply made room for the light. Just because you cannot see the whole path does not mean that the path isn't there. And just because the sun has not risen does not mean morning isn't coming. And just because life feels uncertain does not mean that hope is lost. If it feels good, I invite you to place both of your hands on your heart and either silently repeat these or repeat them out loud after me. I trust that this moment is not the end of my story. I carry hope within me. I am stronger than I know. And beautiful things are still possible. Take another deep breath in. Feel the light within your heart, and as you exhale, allow this light to stay with you. A reminder that hope is not something that you find, but it is something that you carry. No matter what season you're walking through, it will always be there when we need it. Go ahead and release your hands from your heart. Slowly open your eyes, coming back into your space. And when you're ready, go ahead and bring your palms together at heart center, coming back to this intention of hope. And setting the intention here to invite this hope within the heart and to carry this hope with you throughout the rest of your day and into your week. Guiding your hands up to your third eye, connecting your heart and mind. And as you exhale, bring your hands back to your heart. Be kind today to yourself and to others around you. Thank you all so much for practicing with us today. Namaste.