The Work We All Avoid… But That Changes Everything

I was ready to smash mud against the wall. Maybe even break some plates. Or rip off the door handles—something, anything.

It wasn’t just frustration. It was something deeper. An agitation that felt like it had hijacked my body, dripping with fear and fury.

Have you been there? When everything and everyone irritates you, but deep down, you know—it’s not really them?

I knew that if I wasn’t careful, I’d leave a wake of destruction behind me. Even if I didn’t lash out, even if I kept my words measured, the energy alone would reverberate through my interactions, my decisions, my day.

And here’s the thing:
That anger wasn’t me.

It was a state I was in. A moment I was experiencing.

 ✨ Meditation and mindfulness have given me the ability to know: I am not my emotions. I am not my frustration. I am not my stress.

But that doesn’t mean ignoring it.

Our first instinct when these emotions arise? Push them down. Disown them. Hide them under productivity, numbing, distraction. But when we do that? They don’t disappear. They fester. They grow. And they carve paths of destruction—inside us and around us.

So, instead of resisting, I did what I teach. I turned toward it.

A Simple But Powerful Reset

Try it.

Just a few moments of gentle touch can:
🌿 Activate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest + digest mode).
🌱 Stimulate oxytocin (the “connection” hormone).
✨ Calm the vagus nerve, signaling safety to the brain.
💨 Allow for deeper breathing, reducing the chemical flood of stress.

And most importantly? It created space.

Space between me and the intensity of the moment.

Space to shift from, “This is happening to me” → to “Why is this here? What is this telling me?”

 And the answer always varies.

Sometimes, it’s insight into what someone else is experiencing—offering me greater clarity and empathy.

Sometimes, it’s a signal that I’ve been neglecting a change I know is needed.

But always, there is insight—if I’m willing to listen. 

The Hard Work of Peace

At our recent retreat, when I asked what people most wanted in their lives, the answer was overwhelmingly the same:

Peace. Internal peace.

Not more time. Not more money. Not even more success.

But here’s the truth: Peace isn’t something we find—it’s something we cultivate.

And while it’s simple, it’s not easy.

It requires:

🔥 Courage to face what’s within, even when it’s uncomfortable.
🌿 Commitment to practice, reflect, and grow—day after day.
🌱 Hard work to release old stories and build new ways of being. 

And while this work is challenging, staying stuck is harder.

The choice? Choose your hard.

Let’s Cultivate Peace—Together

Join Calm & Connect – a space where we practice grounding ourselves, creating clarity, and finding calm.
📅 Next Session: Sunday, February 09, 2025 at 10 AM CST
👉 Sign Up Here

 Or, if you’re an organization looking to support your teams in managing stress and creating clarity, let’s talk about The Reset Room—a transformative, multi-sensory experience designed to train the mind and reset the nervous system.

✨ Because when we master our minds, we reclaim our lives.

👉 Schedule The Alignment and Clarity Call here.

P.S. How do you bring yourself back when your mind runs away? Reply and let me know—I’d love to hear. 💬

Equanimity and Peace: Anchors for a Life Fully Lived

This past weekend, I answered a call I could no longer ignore: my soul's quiet plea for stillness. I committed to a solo retreat—a few days to unplug fully so I could truly plug in. To reflect. To listen. To create meditations for The Reset Room.

While driving through the quiet, I hit play on a familiar playlist—the kind of music that seems to meet you exactly where you are. A song called Equanimity and Peace by Ram Das came on, and I found myself pressing repeat, over and over.

“What are we to do? What shall we do today? What shall we do with our lives?"
 He half jests, then asks "How do we live our lives with sufficient perspective, moment to moment,” he asks, “so that we can enter into the moments of life with equanimity and peace?”

Equanimity and peace. Two words that feel both comforting and at times elusive, especially in a world that pulls us in every direction. Yet, as I listened, I knew in my core: these aren't distant ideals. They are the anchors of a life truly lived.

The Four Pillars of an Actualized Life

Ram Das describes four essential pillars for a joy-filled, fully lived life:

When we're locked into our own perspectives, we perpetuate division—separation from others, and from ourselves. Truth invites us to soften those edges and truly see. This is Wisdom.

These aren't destinations—they're practices. Ways of being that call us back to ourselves, again and again.

The Season of Heightened Emotion

The holidays are often described as “the most wonderful time of the year.” But if we're honest, they can also be a time of heightened emotion—a swirl of connection and tension, joy and grief.

This past weekend, as I reflected, I realized how often we get swept up in the noise of this season. Maybe it's a family member's words that trigger something deep within us, the overwhelm of endless to-dos, or the invisible weight of unspoken expectations.

What if, instead of letting those moments pull us into frustration or self-doubt, we paused?

What if we gave ourselves the gift of equanimity—the ability to step back, breathe, and see clearly? What if we chose peace, not as avoidance but as a way of fully showing up, open to possibility?

A Gift (or three) to Support You

In the spirit of these practices, I want to share a gift: my free meditation on Insight Timer, Prioritize P.E.A.C.E.

This practice is designed to help you reset your nervous system, gain clarity, and connect with a sense of inner calm. Whether it's a challenging conversation with family or the swirl of holiday stress, this meditation can help you find your footing and respond from a place of intention.

Click here to access the meditation.

If you're craving community with which to pause and reconnect, join me this Sunday for our Calm & Connect session at 10am ET. Together, we'll ground ourselves, create space for equanimity, and enter this season with clarity.

A Rare Opportunity to Go Deeper

As I step into the final stages of my journey to becoming a Master Certified Coach (MCC), I'm offering a special opportunity: two deeply discounted coaching sessions for new clients at $275 per session (normally $675).

These sessions will be recorded (audio only!) for evaluation purposes as part of my MCC certification. They're a chance to explore what's possible, gain clarity, and create meaningful change in your life.

Here's what one client recently shared:

"That was a whole other realm. I've had years of therapy, but that not only met our goals, it broke down barriers I couldn't even imagine."

This offer is available through December, and space is limited. If this resonates, I'd love to connect.

Click here to book your session.

Wishing You Wisdom, Compassion, Equanimity, and Peace

This holiday season, may we find the courage to pause, the perspective to see clearly, the love to meet ourselves and others with compassion, and the steadiness to choose peace.

Let's step into each moment with an open heart, allowing truth to guide us toward a life fully lived.

Yours in love - and gratitude,

Rachel