Letting go of fear and trauma
Hello beautiful YOU!
How’s your week been? I’ve had some utterly beautiful coaching sessions and conversations with friends this week that have lifted my heart! I feel reconnected to the truth of how powerful each of us really are.
So with that feeling of power, let’s dive into this week’s Friday Feels! These are snippets from my world of coaching, meditation and breathwork – with the intention to share information that brings joy, wonder and self-reflection.
Thanks for being here with me!
1. Song of the week
Oak Tree by Lua Maria (Listen on Spotify or on YouTube)
A friend shared this song with me. He has a life goal of planting two million trees before he dies – how beautiful is that?? It really got me thinking about how I can contribute to the world in a meaningful way. And this is a huge reason why I love coaching people: supporting you in getting clarity on and moving towards big, beautiful goals that set your heart on fire!
Do you have any big life goals? I’d love to hear about them!
2. Quote of the week
“The revolution will be in a parasympathetic state.”
The parasympathetic nervous system is when our body is in the “rest and digest” state. When we are present, grounded and centred, we are able to make conscious choices. When we are in a sympathetic state, we are in a stress response (fight – flight – freeze/fawn) and can’t think straight. We are in survival mode, seeing most things as threats.
Stress/fear can be a powerful motivator. But these low-vibrational states are not inspired, sustainable or healthy fuel sources. To navigate life’s ups and downs, it is essential to learn tools of emotional regulation (e.g. emoting, meditation, breathwork, journalling). This is so you can stay centred and grounded, connected to your deepest truth and values, and not lose yourself in the human drama. I explain more in this 2-minute video on “The revolution will be in a parasympathetic state.”
At my next in-person breathwork workshop Sunday 6 February, we will explore the theme of rest and reset. Listen to your body and get your ticket here.
3. Practice of the week
Peaceful protest. I have dear friends and work buddies (amazing coaches who I collaborate with) based across Canada. In the last few months, the pandemic narrative there has been intensifying. A general darkness has been swelling (much like for many people in Australia + New Zealand). I could feel the deepening concern and anxiety when I spoke to my friends. But in these last few weeks, it’s been shifting… at first gradually and now quickly!
If you haven’t seen it already, there is a HUGE truck convoy travelling across Canada in protest over unethical mandates. The convoy was made up of 100,000 trucks and was 70 MILES LONG. It’s been very moving to see the videos on social media and hear firsthand from my Canadian buddies the groundswell of support. Check out the #FreedomConvoy2022 on social media.
Whatever your stance on the pandemic, vaccines, lockdowns and mandates, I feel like something we can surely all get behind is upholding freedom of choice and respecting the autonomy of the individual. I also feel we need to be very cautious around narrative that create a sense of “otherness”, segregation and discrimination. With unprecedented access to information these days, we have enough stories and evidence of how this approach – by any group in power throughout history – has the potential to be very dangerous.
If you’re thinking “hey, what’s the big deal?” I ask you this: in our pursuit of safety – the ultimate basic human need – are we trashing our own freedoms and eroding the fabric of society?
I’d rather stand up, say something and be wide of the mark, than be complacent, comfortable, stay quiet and watch the freedoms of others and/or myself get eroded beyond recall.
If you disagree with me, that’s ok! We can hold space for different views and still remember our humanity.
4. Article of the week
“The Myth of Normal” by Gabor Mate.
Dan Siegel says, “People can change their lives by freeing themselves from narratives that are literally making them sick.”
This interview with specialist MD Gabor Mate is a powerful one to read over a coffee! About how we can change narratives that shape our lives.
I help my clients notice where they get stuck and trapped in life, mainly by paying close attention to the stories of the mind. When we can intimately know our triggers and trauma, we can start to move beyond the past that continues to shape the direction and flow of our lives.
And what is “normal” anyway?? Just someone else’s story you are comparing yourself to and trying to fit in with. Create your own reality. It’s your life, after all!
5. Client win of the week
“I let go of a huge chunk of childhood trauma – that scared little girl is no longer controlling me.”
A client tearfully offered this beautiful reflection. In my coaching + breathwork sessions, we often touch upon challenges from the past. But with courage and compassion, it is possible to start to process the emotional charge from those events through breathwork. And then to be supported in coaching to discover new stories about your life.
In just one session with me, my client was able to feel into and start to release intense emotions connected to her child-self. And with that integration, that permanent shift in awareness brings fresh insight and expansion.❤️🔥
If you’re feeling stuck and stagnant about your career or business, get in touch about what working together looks like.
Work with me
Breathwork workshop
I am hosting another 3-hour in-person Breathwork workshop (ticketed), on Sunday 6 February, exploring ways to invite more rest into our lives, to allow our minds and bodies to reset. To find out more and to book your place, click this link!
That’s it for this week. Remember: YOU are so powerful.
And I believe in you!
Big love,
Briony xx
P.S. What is this Friday Feels email 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 🙏
