Chapter 3: Being Less Hard on Ourselves
Breathing is Action
Welcome to Episode 1 of Chapter 3: Being Less Hard on Ourselves! This episode is about learning to be softer and more compassionate with ourselves. This is advice I would’ve really needed to hear as a kid and I hope it helps anyone who recognizes themselves in it as well. To the perfectionists out there, or the overworked caretakers, this one is for you! In this episode, I introduce journals prompts instead of an affirmation meditation, with the hopes of building a deeper and richer introspective relationship within the self. Remember to take good care of yourself and those you love!...
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Navigating Technology: In a Healthy Way
Breathing is Action
This is Part 2 of my Navigating Technology Series: Navigating Technology in a Healthy Way! Technology has a wide range of useful functionalities. It is a great resource for expanding our knowledge and providing us with opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to us. Simultaneously, there is evidence that certain devices or media platforms can be addictive and they can deeply impact our wellbeing and self-esteem. With all this in mind, I share some ideas of how we can move forward with technology in a healthy way. I also dive deep into the dark psychology behind advertisements and its...
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Navigating Technology: Safely
Breathing is Action
Technological progress is wicked fast, which makes it harder to stay on top of things, keep them safe from predators and also appropriately regulated for our wellbeing. It would be naïve to put our trust in corporations because their focus is on making money. Although I cannot offer any easy solutions, there are some universal truths about safety and predators that transcend any fast-paced or online world. In this episode, I share some information on recognizing safe VS unsafe individuals. I give tips and tricks to maintain individual sovereignty (being your own source of authority) and...
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Freedom
Breathing is Action
Freedom. Sweet, sweet freedom. Freedom to be who we truly are inside, this is something we all wish we could have. Many of us create identities, personalities or coping mechanisms that disconnect us from ourselves. In this podcast episode, I explore what it could look like to feel the freedom to be our authentic selves. To be who we truly are, we first need to know ourselves. However, how does one do that? One way may be by facing the dualities that exist within us. Time for a little exploration! I finish with a lively meditation on the theme of being free to be ourselves. I hope you really...
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Journal Entry: Self-Judgement
Breathing is Action
Today I revisit an old, emotionally impactful journal entry from many years ago when I was experiencing a difficult transition in my life and experiencing a lot of self-judgement. I give a heartfelt response of comfort to my younger self and find the life lesson that can be applied to the present moment. Finally, I end with an improvised meditation and some affirmations on self-love. Trigger warning: although I have tried to keep it as clean as possible, there is mention of difficult subject matters such as suicidal thoughts. I hope this emotionally vulnerable episode helps someone, in some...
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Travel
Breathing is Action
In this stand-alone episode, I focus on the topic of summer vacation and travel, inspired by a recent road trip. An improvised meditation with affirmations on being open to experience is included at the end. --- Chapter 2: Innocence Consistency & Reliability Being Seen & Heard Having a Voice Importance of Play New Experiences Navigating Fear Vulnerability Safe People Self-Soothing --- BREATHING IS ACTION is a meditative affirmation podcast for teens and adults. For everyone, everywhere. Let's be the change we want to see in the world! Writing, research and production...
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Chapter 2: Finding Our Authentic Voice
Breathing is Action
In this podcast episode, we explore WHY having a healthy, balanced, responsible relationship with our voice is so important. We also explore HOW to cultivate an authentic voice in a few fun, light-hearted ways. --- Chapter 2: Innocence Consistency & Reliability Being Seen & Heard Having a Voice Importance of Play New Experiences Navigating Fear Vulnerability Safe People Self-Soothing --- BREATHING IS ACTION is a meditative affirmation podcast for teens and adults. For everyone, everywhere. Let's be the change we want to see in the world! Writing, research and...
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Chapter 2: Having a Voice - Introduction
Breathing is Action
I am currently testing out different ways to make this project more sustainable for me. Instead of doing an article that accompanies the meditation, I will do a series of free-form podcast episodes regarding the next meditation. Although I love writing, the reality of the post-production editing when it comes to the meditations has become a little daunting. I will be testing out these free-form podcasts episodes for a while to see if this direction and evolution of the project makes more sense, is a little more forgiving for editing and brings in more balance to allow greater freedom and...
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Chapter 2: Being Seen & Heard
Breathing is Action
Here is the second meditation of Chapter 2: Innocence: Being Seen & Heard. Breathing is Action meditations are created to acknowledge the life lessons we learn from the developmental needs of the human lifespan. All of Chapter 2, titled Innocence, focuses on the life lessons that can be learn from infancy, the beginning of the lifespan. Being seen and heard is important to our overall wellbeing, for many reasons. For one, being seen and heard helps us to feel understood and validated by others. It helps us to feel connected to those we love. It also impacts our self-worth. All kids, and...
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Chapter 2: Consistency & Reliability
Breathing is Action
This is the first meditation of Chapter 2: Innocence: Consistency and Reliability. Breathing is Action meditations are created to acknowledge the life lessons we learn from the developmental needs of the human lifespan. All of Chapter 2, titled Innocence, focuses on the life lessons that can be learn from infancy, the beginning of the lifespan. Consistency and reliability are the building blocks of trust and safety. They are very important life skills to cultivate inside of ourselves. It is equally important to be able to recognize these qualities in others in order to surround ourselves with...
info_outlineNavigating Sadness is the third meditation for Chapter 1: Emotional First Aid Kit.
Emotions give us insight and information about ourselves and our needs, and sadness is of no exception. Sadness is deeply uncomfortable and often times more unpleasant to feel than anger. While anger can sometimes provide us with a sense of strength and motivation, sadness is the opposite. Sadness brings us face to face with our heartache. It often asks us to stop, rest and isolate. It is a vulnerable state and that doesn’t always feel very safe. Somewhere along the way, we might’ve learned that outwardly showing our tears left us open and exposed to misunderstandings, invalidation or emotional neglect. Anger then becomes the safer option and camouflages the reality that we are actually in a lot of emotional pain. When someone chooses to unlearn seeing vulnerability as weakness, it really is a journey for the bravest of souls because it goes against the norm. The truth is a lot of societies continue to see depression as laziness, crying children as spoiled or a gloomy mood as annoying. However, it bears repeating, that emotions are simply information. Being sad is not a moral failing. Being happy might be more pleasant, but it still just information, like any other emotion.
We are the architects of our wellbeing. We can start being curious about our experience of sadness today and begin the process of changing our relationship to it in the long-term. Sadness is simply a response to something we’ve been through (or are currently going through) and it is a way our body communicates our needs to us. Instead of trying to run from our sadness, we can lean into it and see what needs are being asked of us. It may be something as simple as rest and self-care, or perhaps we are desperate for support from our community, or perhaps some time alone to process and understand a difficult situation. Sadness is also just the frontman to a whole category of all kinds of different flavours of experience like grief, dissatisfaction, loneliness, disappointment, despair, hopelessness, regret, shame, embarrassment, etc. Knowing how to name our experience of sadness, in detail, is a way to acknowledge our experiences and validate them for ourselves. It is a way for us to be wholeheartedly seen and heard, which is a universal need for every human being on this planet.
Trust your sadness. It is real and it is valid.
You are the best source of knowledge for what you need to feel better.
Take good care of yourself.
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Chapter 1: Emotional First Aid Kit
- Self-Love
- Navigating Anger
- Navigating Sadness
- Resilience
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BREATHING IS ACTION is a meditative affirmation podcast for teens and adults. For everyone, everywhere. Let's be the change we want to see in the world!
Writing, research and production by: Macie Leblanc-Smith
Editing by: Macie Leblanc-Smith, Marc-Olivier Plouffe
Music: Serena by Bireli Snow on Epidemic Sound
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Website: https://www.breathingisaction.com/
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