SDEpisode27 - Becoming your own safe place & Guided Meditation

There comes a point in life when we realize that the peace we've been searching for can't always come from other people, places, or circumstances. It has to be cultivated within ourselves.

In this episode, we're diving into what it truly means to become your own safe place. We talk about healing your inner world, building self-trust, creating healthy boundaries, regulating your nervous system, and learning to sit with yourself through both the beautiful and the difficult moments.

Being your own safe place doesn't mean doing life alone. It means knowing that no matter what happens around you, you have the tools, resilience, and compassion to come home to yourself.

Join us for a heartfelt conversation filled with personal stories, practical insights, and gentle reminders that the relationship you have with yourself is the foundation for every other relationship in your life.

Take a deep breath, get comfortable, and remember: home isn't always a place,  sometimes it's the person you're becoming.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Welcome back, fellow yogis. My name is Kimmy. I'm the host of the Soul Deep Yoga and Healing Podcast. And next to me, I have my other host, Brittany. We're so happy to have you here. We've had a great week and we want to tell you all about it, and then we'll get into our Dharma talk, um, which is all about coming back home to yourself and making yourself your own safe place. But before we get into that, we're gonna talk about our week. So, Brittany, what have you been up to? Well, I've been up to lots of things.

SPEAKER_00 0:35

Um, I deep cleaned, I've been deep cleaning the ranch because we're prepping for rodeo weekend. Woo! T minus two weeks. And um, so you're just gonna be here in town, so I'm getting the ranch all nice and ready for him. Um, the content guys are coming out, so we're taking their yeah, so I'm just I've I've been living at the ranch. You've been living out there getting stuff ready. Getting it ready, and then I'm doing some, I'm customizing their um guest, like each house has like a guest basket with some stuff that we put in it, and so I'm I'm specifically custing customizing theirs to fit rodeo weekend. Rodeo theme, cute, yeah. I'm excited, and a little bit of Idaho in there too, and like the coolest crested, yeah. Because like they're here for that experience, right? I want them to have that experience and um also trying to level up my housekeeping skills, so like whatever else I can do to add, like, I don't know, that extra pizzazz in there. I don't know. I might even um I don't know if you knew this actually. So uh I can make a cow out of towels. Show me that right now. Yes, I love that. I've done it a couple of times. Um, our towels at the ranch are a little fluffy, so they don't stay as well put. So I've been thinking about just like like for my own cleaning business, like purchasing like towels that are you want the thinner ones and the more crunchy so you can manipulate them, yeah. Yeah, I know what you mean. Maybe get some rubber bands so I can just do it for the aesthetics and I'm not using because they can use the towels, but they're like, oh my gosh, it's a cow. Like, I'm not using this, but I'm like, please do. You're gonna need to. Like I use your the ones that you're supposed to use, so yeah, and then um, yeah, so and um uh junior, he got another stripe on his belt this weekend, or this week on Wednesday. Jiu Jitsu, yep. So yeah, we've been a little busy, yeah. It's been a busy, productive week, actually. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

So heck yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:51

My week's been a little bit more chill.

SPEAKER_01 2:55

Um, I really didn't do much this last weekend, but I did start on our book club read of the month. I know you did tell me that, and you're like, I've been reading it all day. I like it. I like it so far.

SPEAKER_00 3:06

Not very often that you start a book before me.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

I know. Well But I'm gonna physically read the book, I think. Well, I'm using your audible account, so I figured I'd hurry and read it before you wanted to read it, and it was like halfway through, and then we're like, wait. Right? Like, wait, I heard this one already. Yeah, but um, for those of you who are listening, we're reading the Calamity Club. Oh, I was curious.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

We were arguing this morning about what is Well, I kept calling it that, and you're like, Brad, I don't think that's it and I was like, okay. Well I was getting confused.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

We we read The Authenticity Club last read, or two reads ago. Yes. And so I was thinking we were combining the two. But yeah, it's uh The Calamity Club by Catherine Stockett. So if you guys want to read that, it's uh the same author of The Help. I'm about halfway through and I really like it so far.

SPEAKER_00 3:54

So yeah, okay, okay, I'll hop on it. I just finished um When the Moon Hatched last night, and so I could mark it off my on your fable account. Yeah, and I can give it a rating. You did it. I did, so and then I just finished another audit auto or audio. So I will do I have a physical reading, I do a physical reading and I do an audiobook. So my audiobooks are specifically when I'm working, cleaning, not inside the home, but whenever I get the chance, like especially when I'm laying down, uh I like to read a book. So that's kind of what I do. So I typically read two books at the same time, but I try to make sure that they're different genres because I have accidentally done like same type of fantasies with like creatures and things, and I'm like things get metal, you know. You're like, wait, what's like is that this book? I'm blending books, and so by far yet, my favorite series that I have read in 2026 is um Shields of Sparrow. Shields of Sparrow, okay. I had a really hard time putting that book down. I create I yearned for it, okay. So good to know that it's my TBR. I'm it's in the it's oh yeah, it's not on the audio, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

That's okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:12

Yeah, you would also like dagger mouth. Dagger mouth?

SPEAKER_01 5:15

Yes. Alright. Sounds intense.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

Anyways, enough about books, because I listen. Yeah, let's that's a whole other world, yeah, right?

SPEAKER_01 5:25

Let's talk about magic moments. Um, we had a student come back to class today who we haven't seen in about like nine months, and it was like it made my whole day. I know it was so good to see her. She looks amazing. She literally had like a glow to her. She's living her best life right now. Yes. And so she stayed after class and talked to me and Britt for a while and was just talking about how because she travels a lot, and so she goes to a bunch of other studios and classes and stuff, and she made us feel real good because she's like, I just hope you guys know there's like I've been doing other stuff, but there's nothing like this space. She's like, Well, you guys have it down, like you guys are doing the right thing, and she said that we were true healers, which means a lot because, like, yeah, it was so sweet, and she also mentioned um she's gone through a lot, and she's like, I've done a lot of grieving in this space, and she's like, I hope you guys know how much that has helped me, like, and so yeah, it like gave me chills, kind of made me want to cry. It was super sweet, yeah, and yeah, just another confirmation that we're doing the right thing, so that was really cool. So yeah, I love that, yeah. Especially because we just haven't seen her for a while, yeah. And to get that feeling about you're doing good, and you know that what we left you with has been helping you on your journey because that's what we want for people.

SPEAKER_00 6:49

So what other magic moments? Well, at Jiu Jitsu on Wednesday night for testing, so Oliver didn't do so well because it's just like a tiny room and lots of stuff going on, so me and Matt would switch in and out between rounds. And the time that I I'm so glad I experienced this. Junior did his round of where they like they're just like rolling, and they'll be like, Okay, you're you need you need to do a takedown from standing, and so they were just doing that, and so they did a round and then they did a second round because there were so many kids um testing, and um they were on the ground and it was it was quiet, and there was a loud fart, and everybody heard it, and everybody was giggling, and it was the best thing ever. That is my magic moment because that's so funny, like just the humor in it, like you could just it was so quiet, and then you hear it, and everybody's like just like quietly giggling, so they're not drawing too much attention to it. But I was like, oh no, I was like, Oh guys, I knew the people that were sitting next to me, and I was just I couldn't let go. I was like, I was like, I was laughing so hard, I was like, guys, nothing but a good old fart. Because I mean, like, it kind of makes me think of like they're put in positions almost like constantly in like a happy baby, pretty much, with their knees all like pressure like from other people, external forces, yeah, dude.

SPEAKER_01 8:24

I fart too, probably. So I thought it was so great. Yeah, that's awesome. That's pretty good. Um, well, I have a love that I'd like to share this week, and it happened this morning, and it was really funny. Um, Brittany was going into a child's pose, and Brittany has long hip length hair, okay? And your hair was down today, which you don't normally have your hair down. I forgot to clip.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

I lost my clip.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

Yeah. Well, well, when we are moving to our child's pose, I think we came from a downward dock. So the back of your hair was like in front of your face. Yes. And you went into a child's pose and you kind of looked up at me, dude. You looked like the ring. The ring girl. The ring girl.

SPEAKER_00 9:07

He was so creepy.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

Oh, terrified to be as a child. But it was so funny because you just like the way you were like curling back too into your child's pose, and it was just like the long dark hair in front of your face, and you look like the ring, and it was like rolling my eyes, yeah. It was so funny, it was perfect. I was like, I yeah, I was kiggling for sure. It was pretty good. Do you have any love or hates you'd like to share?

SPEAKER_00 9:31

Okay, so I love when a good memory pops up in my mind, like when I'm just doing something random, and then just something great pops in my head, like a memory, like and then like a funny moment, or just like, yeah. So I definitely, yeah, like when I'm cleaning that happens a lot, and sometimes like they're really funny, and I'll chuckle. Yeah, good, or or a lot, I'll chuckle a lot. No, I like when that happens too. And my hate, this happened to us both. I hate when I lose my train of thought, yeah, dude.

SPEAKER_01 10:05

Same. Yeah, I do it all the time. I have a point, I just get sidetracked by what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_00 10:11

I know, because there's like so much computing, and you're like, I have so many things to say, and this but blah, word ramen. Yeah, yeah. I hate when that happens too. But but we're getting that tongue tie in the middle of class and we freaking mess up on our verbiage. Yeah. What did you say about the knees today? Yeah, you giggled and laughed at me. Um something about your knees. You're like, you need to be in your knees.

SPEAKER_01 10:38

I don't even know.

SPEAKER_00 10:39

It was really funny.

SPEAKER_01 10:40

I I corrected. You did. We all chuckled. There's a couple of chuckles out there because it was. We make mistakes and it's fine. And it's kind of, I was thinking about that because that was like a perfect example of our theme for today about how, like, you know, when that inner critic comes out, like I could have easily been like upset that I messed up for sure and like beat myself to be like, I you've been teaching for five years. Like, why are you messing up? Right, you know, like I could totally could have beat myself down, but I said it's just eh, giggle, laugh about it, and it's fine, you know. I'm just I'm just a human. It's all right.

SPEAKER_00 11:16

I used to be really hard on myself, like when I first I mean, you kind of remember this. I'm like, dude, my verbiage.

SPEAKER_01 11:22

Like, I'm like, I need to work on my I was very insecure about my verbiage teaching yoga for the first few years. I feel like every yoga teacher has that insecurity when they first start, you know. It's the hardest part of the practice. I'm like, really, like most people can physically do the practice, but can't verbally instruct me through it, you know?

SPEAKER_00 11:39

Yeah, and it's like literally like, and it doesn't just like take one time. Sometimes you have to teach that same thing over and over again to find that right verbiage that's gonna work for you and your students. And like that's still a work in progress for me. So, like sometimes I like to take certain poses and be like, okay, like I need to this I need to work on the cues for this pose, so I need to practice it.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

So and it's also to like elaborate onto this, it's also different when you have a class full of OG people that are here all the time, versus if you have two new people who have never done yoga before. It's like, okay, I'm probably gonna verbally explain things a little bit more when I have new people in class, versus I can say go into your down dog, and that's all I need for my more advanced people because they know what that is, you know. But like a newbie, I'm gonna be plant your toes, lift your hips up and back, you know, like press through your fingertips, all the things. But yeah, it's it's kind of hard to get verbiage down. So if you're a yoga teacher out there and you're listening to this, just know you're doing a good job.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

Yes, verbiage is hard, verbiage is very hard, and like also sorry, like I don't know why, but like using the same word over and over and over again. The only one that I can handle is inhale, exhale.

SPEAKER_01 12:53

And I get people make fun of me too, and it's like, and I've been a little self-conscious about it, but my inhale, it's inhale, not inhale, exhale, you know, and so I've been trying to work on that too, where it's inhale and exhale, it's not a inhale, it's a exhale, it happens though, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:22

Or like um the way you say stretch. Stretch. Not like that, sorry, stretch in class. You have a like a teacher voice, but I have a teacher voice too. So like I it's it would be hard for me to mimic the way that you stretch through the hamstrings.

SPEAKER_01 13:39

Stretch through the yoga strings, yeah. Anywho, um, I think you said you had a F Mary kill for me today.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

What you got? Okay, speaking of yoga poses, down dog, child or prone position. So just like laying on your belly.

SPEAKER_01 14:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

I know, dude.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

Down dog, child, pose, or prone. Marion prone. Okay. This sucks. Killing down dog F and child's pose.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Yep. Yeah, I'm here for that. I do love down dog, but listen. Love children. Love children. They're similar.

SPEAKER_01 14:26

For different reasons, you know? They're super restorative. Yes. Alright, I have a new segment. Okay. For Britney, and she has no idea. So, we're gonna do a yoga version of would you rather? Okay. And you have to pick one of the answers, okay? Okay. I have three for you. Alright. Would you rather accidentally fart in a silent yoga class or fall asleep and snore during shivasana? Oh.

SPEAKER_00 14:56

Well, I mean, I would rather fall asleep and snore. I yeah. Because I'm pretty sure I've done it. Been there, done that. Hyper Shivasana sort of.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

I've heard both of those experiences actually already.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

But like even if I did fart in a quiet room, I'd own it and I'd probably giggle.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Yeah. And sorry guys. Plus can tell. Um, okay. All right, your next would you rather? Would you rather teach an entire class with your shirt inside out or your leggings backwards?

SPEAKER_00 15:35

Shirt inside out. Agreed. I'm yeah, because I've done actually that's happened before. I was in between yes. Well, it was my was one of my sports bras, and um I taught my 7 a.m. class and I came back into the room after, and I was looking down and I was like, oh my gosh, it's inside out. Oops. So I changed.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

Oopsie daisy.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

But yeah. So far, great.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

Wait, I have one more for you. This one I think is the funniest, is what I've been giggling about. I think this is so funny. Would you rather accidentally call your student mom or forget everyone's name in class?

SPEAKER_00 16:12

I will call a student mom.

SPEAKER_01 16:14

I agree, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:15

I was gonna say hands down. Like it'd be funny. Oh wait. Forget everybody's name. I know. Well, that sounds like I'd feel so bad. I'd be like, do I have dementia? Like, also I need help. Yeah. That's wrong with me. Like, I know your name, but I can't speak it. Hmm, that's funny. That is funny. Cool.

SPEAKER_01 16:34

Those are great. Okay, should we do our last segment? Guess that smell. Yes. Do you want to go first or do you want me to? I'll let you guess my smell first. Oh, okay. Okay, so mine is a single blend. Yes. It's a single thing. I'm not gonna give you any hints yet. I'll give you a hint if you need one, but go ahead and take a snack.

SPEAKER_00 17:00

It's pretty earthy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

I will say this is an oil that you could cook with. Is it rosemary? No. Basil? Nope. You're on the right track though. Oregano. Yes, ma'am. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

Good job. It's interesting to smell it in oil form, but also smell it in a seasoning form, like from your design.

SPEAKER_01 17:27

Seasoning and also like plant form, because I grow oregano and like it and it all smells different. Yeah. Versus yeah, the oil, the actual plant, and like the dried has a different flavor, kind of smell to it.

SPEAKER_00 17:39

You ready for yours? I'm ready. I think you're gonna get this one. I hope so. Because it's oh, okay. I forgot I grabbed this one instead. So this is a blend, right? This is a blend, I'm pretty sure. I think you like to use this oil a lot. I do so familiar with it. I never I never use it. Do you want me to tell you like what kind it is? Like give me one hand. It's a cleansing blend.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

Is this a rice? No. Am I on the right track with that or not? Uh I actually don't know. Why is this so hard for me?

SPEAKER_00 18:29

I just say give me some. Sorry. Okay, I was gonna move it around.

SPEAKER_01 18:36

I really don't know. What is it? Why does that one that one messed me up last time?

SPEAKER_00 18:43

Did I give you purify last time? No, not last time, but the time before. I thought I gave you Citranella.

SPEAKER_01 18:52

There is citronella in there though. There is citrusy in there. Yeah. That one stumped me twice. Sorry. Sorry why that ring is.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

That's okay. We can write down what we've tried and stuff and then set it all over. I love I think that's like right now my favorite one. So you can guess that as well. Yes. You did good.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

You did good with yours.

SPEAKER_00 19:14

Um, okay, let's move on to the poll of the day. And I pulled the delight card. So let's see here. Delight. Happiness believe. I find delight and joy in my life and spiritual practice. The message. Delight spins and turns and dances in the moments that make your heart sing, and when you're feeling your most authentic magical self. Delight is that unfiltered joy that comes up when you allow yourself to be fully present in the moment and open to the wonders and joys of life. This card is an invitation to seek out those simple pleasures that bring you happiness. The hummingbirds at the feeder, the early morning breeze in your hair, the moments of kismet. It also reminds you to embrace the childlike wonder within you and let spirit and your practice guide you. It's time you believe in your power and in the reality of magic. Your prompt. And what areas of your life do you find delight? And how can you better savor the little things? That's a good one. That is a good one. And it also kind of like relates with like, I feel like our topic for today, especially like with our note card activity. Yes, absolutely. Yeah, that was a great start for what we're gonna chat about today.

SPEAKER_01 20:47

Yeah, good segue. Um, yeah. So yeah, today I kind of want to explore the idea of becoming your own safe place. Um, I think if we're honest, most of us have spent at least part of our lives looking for safety somewhere or for something outside of ourselves. Um, maybe you've looked for it in relationships, hoping that someone else would make you feel secure. Maybe you've looked for it in being productive, staying busy, keeping everyone happy, or trying to control the outcome. Um, I know for me personally, I tend to tell myself, like, okay, like once this happens, I'm gonna be great. Like once this happens, then I'll be set. And then once this happens, then I'll be totally content and all the things. Um, but life has a way of reminding us that nothing's guaranteed to stay the same. Um, relationships change, jobs change, our bodies continue to change, and the seasons change along with it. And while those outside things can certainly bring us comfort, um, they can't be the only place that we find our peace. So, within our yoga practice, um, this teaches us something different. I want you to think about like every time we step onto our mat, um, we're practicing that. Sense of coming home, of coming back to ourselves. We breathe through discomfort and difficult poses. We witness difficult emotions without running from them, and we soften without falling apart. So becoming your own safe place doesn't mean that you'll never feel anxious or hurt. It does, though, uh mean that you begin to trust yourself enough to know that no matter what comes your way, you're not gonna abandon yourself. Um, so I have some things that tend to get in our way a little bit. Um, and what we can do to help with that. So sometimes we tend to blame ourselves when we're feeling anxious or reactive or sad or angry. Um, but often our nervous system is actually trying to protect us based on our own past experiences. So that means um we're not trying to just make our body calm down when we're like feeling stressed or anxious, um, but it's about gently teaching our body that we're not in that situation anymore. Um so we we take those feelings that we're experiencing, bring it into our present reality to see how we can ground ourselves and then move from intention from there. Because I feel like oftentimes we get stuck in those like past or future experiences. But what can you do about it right here in your own in this actual moment? Um, so self-trust creates safety as well. So one of the biggest reasons that we don't feel safe is because we've learned to ignore ourselves. Think about how often we say, Oh, I'm fine, or I'm okay, or I'll deal with it later, or I don't want to do, you know, whatever it is. But what every time we do that and we just say that we're okay, we're actually like lying to ourselves a little bit, like we're not being truthful with ourselves with how we're feeling. So if you can actually be authentic to what you're feeling and create that safety and that trust within yourself, um, then you can move forward from there. Um, to bring into that talking to yourself like you would a friend. So when you're in those situations, is there a way that you can treat yourself with kindness? You know, how if your friend was anxious or stressed, how would you treat them? Um, another thing that I've heard recently that really stuck with me is that you can't hate yourself into healing. Which when I read that, I was like, damn, that's deep. It's a little brutal, um, a little blunt for sure, but it's so true. You can't hate yourself into healing. Many people believe that they'll finally love themselves once they lose that weight, or once they become successful, or once they're in that perfect relationship. Um, but healing doesn't grow from shame and it doesn't grow through doubt. Um, you need to fully love and believe in yourself in order to bring that safety into your life.

SPEAKER_00 25:09

And for those around you.

SPEAKER_01 25:11

Yes. And another reason that I think you guys should practice becoming your own safe place is because your body, this relationship that you have with yourself, is the longest one you'll ever have. You are the only person who actually knows internally what you're feeling and what you're going through. Because, like we said, we've I mean, I've been in situations where I'm lying to myself. I'm like, oh yeah, I'm fine. Like everything's great. And you're like dying inside. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 25:43

And so And I feel like sometimes we hold shame to those things. Yes. When like we're go say like we're going through a hard time, and like I like when I go through a hard time, sometimes I'll I feel a little shameful. It's like, why did I mess up so bad? Or like, yes, and it's it's hard.

SPEAKER_01 26:01

Well, I even think about like some of the like early relationships I had like in high school and coming out of college, and there were times when like my friends would ask me, like, how's everything going? Like, is everything good? And I would lie to myself and to them that everything was fine because there was that shame and that guilt. And it's like, well, I want you to like him, so I'm not gonna tell you what's actually going on because I know you're not gonna like him if you do, you know? And so just yeah, be authentic to yourself, be that partner that you wish you had. Um, when you think about coming home to yourself, what kind of home is it? Is it critical? Is it anxious, or is it compassionate? Is it loving? Is it welcoming? And would you want to live with someone who talks to you to you the way that you talk to yourself? And if you don't, then you probably need to work on that. Work on that relationship with yourself. Snaps. Okay, but how do we do that? So to become safe within yourself, I have a couple of um, I have five things that I'd like to share with you. Number one, you're gonna keep those promises to yourself and you're gonna start small. Like, and when you think of that, you're like, I don't break promises to myself. Yeah, you do. Yeah, you do. Maybe you said you were gonna maybe you said you were gonna go to the gym today and then you never did. Maybe you said you were gonna go um stretch for 10 minutes and you never did. Maybe you said that you were gonna meditate or do something to prioritize your own self-care this week, but you never did. That's that's you lying. That's you not keeping your own promises to yourself. And if you can't keep promises to yourself, how are you gonna keep promises to anybody else? So make sure that you're showing up for yourself. Self-trust is built over time, so keep practicing that self-trust. Um, we've already kind of talked about this, but speaking to yourself like someone that you love. So when you catch your inner critic talking, catch yourself and reframe it. How okay, I'm feeling anxious and sad right now. I'm imagining my best friend feeling anxious and sad. How would I comfort them and give that same comfort back to yourself?

SPEAKER_00 28:06

I I have to say, for that one, like I that is like a tried and true, man. Like, that is the one number one thing that I have had to do for my own personal self because not one person I I shouldn't say that, but like growing up in my childhood, I didn't have a cheerleader, like I didn't have anybody standing behind me being like, you can do this, or like whatever. Like, I have had to do that all on my own, and I've done it since I was a little girl, because I you know, and I have had to talk myself my whole entire life, like, you can do this, like you're totally worth this. Like, you literally have to, you just have yeah, it's a process, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:59

And yeah, no, I feel like like, yeah, that's a good point though, because I feel like I say that all the time. It's like be kind to yourself, you know. How would you speak to your friend? And I sometimes I feel like I oversay it, but it is, it's so true. If you can just do that one thing, like your entire mindset will really change. Yeah, because mindset matters. Yes, absolutely. All right, number three. Um, when you are feeling like you need outside reassurance from someone, if you're in a situation and you're like, I need help, I don't know how to deal with this, what should I do? How should I react? How should I be? Before you hit someone up to ask what they think, I want you to pause. I want you to take five minutes and ask yourself, what do I already know? Because I am a true and true believer that we have the innate knowledge within our bodies already to figure out any situation that we come into. So before you reach out for outside help, not to say that you can't, because if you have a good support system, by all means, reach out to the people that love and support you. But is there some innate wisdom that you already know? Are you looking for that reassurance of something that you already know inside, but you're just not willing to face? So think about that. Um, another thing that will help you is if you honor your body's needs. So we practice this a lot throughout yoga, but eat when you're hungry, rest when you're tired, move because your body deserves to, not for punishment because you think it is something that you need to do. Do it because you want to, because you deserve to.

SPEAKER_00 30:36

Drink water and enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01 30:38

Yeah, hydrate your body, stretch. These simple acts send your nervous system the message that you matter and that you're safe because your body's not gonna be taking care of itself in those situations of high stress and discomfort. So take care of your body.

SPEAKER_00 30:53

Movement is great, especially if you are always if you like have chronic stress, like movement helps release that from your body.

SPEAKER_01 31:02

Yes. So all right, and then my last tip that I want to share with you um, I want you to create a return home ritual. So when life is feeling chaotic, I want you to have like a little ritual that you can do where it's just like, okay, this thing is gonna bring me back into the moment. So it could be like three deep breaths, it could be four rounds of box breathing, it could be your favorite mantra that you repeat to yourself. It could be simply sitting outside for three minutes. Um, maybe it's your yoga practice, maybe it's just placing your hand over your heart and a hand on your belly. Um, whatever it is, I want you to create a ritual um that this is your signal to come back home to yourself. So, like for me, mine's the three-breath thing. Like, I'll take three breaths, and like when I do that last exhale, like it's a full sigh out, like a like and shake my head. Yes, like with the body like moving, like whatever that ritual is. Like, if you have something that like when you notice that you're high stressed and you like need to like shake it out or whatever, like that can be your return home ritual. But you're gonna have that ritual as a tool for you to just come back to the present moment. Like we said, we don't want to live in that past or in that future, we want to be in the in the present moment. So, all right. We also have a quote of the day that I'd love to share with you all before we move into our meditation. And our quote for you is may you become the place where your own soul feels at home. And I hope that resonates with you. Take the next couple of moments to um grab a writing utensil, and if you have a journal, you're welcome to use your journal or just a piece of paper. And Britney's gonna lead us through our journaling prompts.

SPEAKER_00 32:56

Alright. So the first question that you're gonna ask yourself is when in my life do I feel the safest? The second question I want you to ask yourself is Is that feeling created by something outside of me, or is it being created within me? For the final part of this note card activity, I want you to finish the sentence. I can become my own safe place by dot dot dot. Take all the time you need here. Um, and don't forget to date your note card and come back to it.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

You can reflect on it and see, and that can be your intention for the rest of your week. Um, this can be your action item. You can become your own safe place by is it listening to yourself? Is it practicing compassion? Is it practicing forgiveness? Is it connecting with nature? Whatever that is, just make that an action item for you to complete this week. All right, and then from here we'll go ahead and move into our closing meditation. So if you'd like to pause here and grab whatever you need to feel comfortable, and then we'll come back with our meditation. Begin by finding a comfortable resting position. Let your body become heavy. And allow the earth beneath you to completely support your weight. Take a slow breath in and a long breath out. Again, inhale. And exhale. Make your next inhale the deepest and longest breath you've taken all day. And sigh all out. Breathing in safety. Breathing out anything you've been carrying. Imagine your breath creating space inside of your chest. A space that belongs only to you. A place where judgment cannot enter. A place where you don't have to perform and where you don't have to explain yourself. Breathe into this space. And quietly affirming here to yourself. I am here. I am listening. I am safe. I trust myself. I can meet whatever comes with compassion. I don't have to abandon myself to belong. Feel these words settle into your heart. Every inhale is an invitation home. Every exhale is a release of the belief that your peace depends on someone else. Home has never been a place outside of you. Home has always been your breath, in your body, in your heart. Home is you. May you continue to build it with patience, compassion, and trust. Every time you return to your breath, every time you honor your needs, every time you choose kindness over criticism, you are becoming your own safe place. Rest here for just a few more breaths. Knowing that you can return to this place whenever you need it. Because this place resides within you. When you're ready, take another deep breath in. Give yourself one more squeeze, maybe rub your shoulders, giving yourself a comforting touch. Then you can unwrap your arms, start to invite movement back into the body, and opening your eyes into your space. Carry this feeling of safety with you. Not because life will always be easy, but because you are learning to trust the one person who will be with you always. Yourself. Bring your hands together at Heart Center. Holding all that you've learned here today. Setting the intention to become your own safe place moving forward. And with your next inhale, guide your hands up to meet your third eye, connecting your heart and mind. And as you exhale, release your hands back to your heart. Be kind today to yourself and to others around you. Namaste.