Doing what you (and your inner child) love

How are you, lovely people?

After moving through some intense pockets of emotions these last few months, I’ve felt a shift. Memories from my early teens are floating freely through my mind this week – typically everyday moments, rather than anything special. I’ve been feeling more connected to my 13-year-old self! So this Friday Feels is somewhat inspired by the teenage meeeeeeeee!

These are snippets from my world of coaching, meditation and breathwork – with the intention to share information that brings joy, wonder and self-reflection.

1. Song of the week

Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio feat. L.V. (Listen on Spotify or YouTube)

13-year old Briony has been wanting to listen to the NOW That’s What I Call Music mix albums from the mid to late 90s. These are like time capsules! Sure, I’m not a fan of all the music, but it serves as a powerful hit of nostalgia!

I can remember using my Sony Discman by the poolside in Hong Kong, trying to figure out the antishock function. This is so I could walk AND listen to CDs without the music jumping! Do you remember carrying around a bag full of CDs? LOL.

This one song in particular 13-year old me KNOWS ALL THE LYRICS even now! My husband says this has End of Year school disco vibes!

What does 13-year you like to listen to? Let me know!

2. Quote of the week

“If you don’t take time for your wellness, you will be forced to take time for your illness.”
― Joyce Sunada

I shared this quote at a wellbeing and breathwork session I ran for a business this week – take time out for you!

3. Practice of the week

Inner Child work! You may know from other Friday Feels posts my passion for this practice, as I’ve reclaimed lost parts of me through this work.

Feeling this recent connection to 13-year-old me, I’ve been asking her, what does she want to wear? What does she want to eat? What music does she want to listen to? (Nirvana, Oasis, Lighthouse Family, Queen, RadioHead, U2, James Bond Theme tunes, etc etc!) I’ve explained to 13-year old me about our life now, our hobbies, what we do for work etc. It’s interesting to see her reaction. She’s mostly happy with how our life is but she really wants a dog and for us to come up with some dance routines, stat!

What would it feel like to connect to a younger version of you? And to honour their desires and needs? Listening to music from your childhood, as well as any food or smells from that time, can be very evocative.

You can try journalling on this, either speaking directly to that younger version of you, or like you are writing them a letter. It can also bring up intense memories or emotions, so go gently with yourself.

4. Article of the week

The coherence of the heart by Dr Lucia Giombini.

Did you know that we have neurons in the heart and gut? Just like in the brain. And signals from the body’s organs like the heart and gut have a significant effect on brain function.

For example, the pace of your heart rate can influence how your brain processes emotions. Your heart rate can also impact higher cognitive faculties such as attention, perception, memory and problem-solving. In other words, not only does the heart respond to the brain, but the brain continuously responds to the heart. The mind-body system is a two-way feedback loop! What this also means is that if you can slow down your heart rate, it can also shift the type of thoughts and feelings you experience. Isn’t your body is AMAZING??

This is why practices like body scans and breathwork are so valuable, as they cultivate body awareness. This is what organisations like the HeartMath Institute focus on.

We explored this in my weekly breathwork session – to tune into the heart beating in the chest. You are activating and practicing the skill of interoception, to be aware of body sensations (beyond the usual hunger pangs, needing the loo, etc).

​Listen to a free guided body scan meditation on Insight Timer here.

So perhaps you don’t need to think your way out of a problem! Try to breathe more slowly and/or move your body. See what shift you feel!

5. Client win of the week

Doing what you love for work! I really don’t feel that this is a fantasy. A luxury? Sure! But why not go after what you really want in life? What are your beliefs around earning money from your life passions?

A client felt herself at a crossroads with her career in sales. She had two choices but neither really set her heart on fire. She didn’t want to stay where she was in her current job. And she also wasn’t totally sure about the new job being offered to her. We explored what other types of work she wanted to do. She started to unpack all the other passions she had, including reiki, coaching and empowering women by sharing their stories. Her eyes lit up as she spoke about these things. “But I need to live in the real world”, she reasoned with herself, as the light in her eyes dimmed.

I see this all the time. Our heart blooms with passion, hope and possibility about what we *really* want in life! And then the rational mind kicks in, and gives a big laundry list of how and why that’s not possible/sensible/practical/safe/etc.

Blending coaching with a breathwork session allows you to get some mental perspective and clarity on what’s important to you. After some coaching, we dropped into a breathwork session with the intention to be curious about what else may be available to her. What if you were always in exactly the right place? So much energy can be spent doubting and questioning. When we can release that scrutiny, we can see things more clearly. Perhaps more of what you really want is already here somehow? Can you be curious about how the universe is helping move you towards what you really want in life?

By the end of our session, my client felt grounded in a deeper sense of trust in where she’s at with her journey. When we can let go of pushing and striving so much, the path ahead can become clear! This is what my client felt: a deep knowing that all is well, she’s in the right place AND she can go after what she really wants.

What is that kind of mental clarity and trust in yourself worth to you?

If these messages are landing for you, get in touch with me to find out more about my coaching.

Let’s create more of the life that you really want!

Big love,

Briony x

​​P.S. What is this Friday Feels post about? In case you’re reading this for the first time (hello!), I post a weekly blog with snippets from my world of coaching, meditation and breathwork. My intention is to share useful, joyful or interesting tidbits, which may serve you in some way 🙏