Hello friend!
I hope you’ve been well! 🙂
I’m writing this letter to you on a snowy, cold day. I love watching the snowflakes fall softly from the sky, each one landing gently to form a soft, cushioned layer on the ground.
I find that the snow brings a sense of calm, wrapping everything in a protective layer. It’s almost as if parts of the world are being tucked in under a soft and comforting blanket.
As we flow with the rhythms of nature, this time of year invites us to turn inward. This turning inward can be both literal, as we seek comfort, warmth and safety inside our homes, away from the cold, and metaphorical, offering us the space to reflect on the year that has passed.
In these moments, we can cultivate safety–not just by sheltering ourselves from the cold, but by nurturing our hearts and minds with stillness, quiet moments, and compassionate self-check-ins.
Somatic Practice:
You’re welcome to try this practice if it feels supportive today.
Before turning inward, you might begin by noticing your breath and letting it flow naturally in and out without trying to change anything.
You could also take a moment to feel your connection to the earth beneath you. As you gently scan your body, notice which areas make contact with the surface beneath you.
In your own time, I invite you to meditate on the word "safe." You might choose to close your eyes as you repeat this word gently to yourself like a mantra.
If the word "safe" doesn’t resonate with you, feel free to replace it with "peace," "calm," or any other word that feels right.
I invite you to bring your awareness to any images, feelings, thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations that arise. You might notice certain colours, textures, or even beliefs surfacing. The invitation is to release any judgments or analysis; simply allowing whatever is present to be, exactly as it is.
If at any point this practice feels uncomfortable or overwhelming, you can pause and shift your focus. Perhaps you gently follow the flow of your breath or ground yourself by naming aloud five things you see, four things you feel, three things you hear, two things you smell, and one thing you taste, whether real or imagined.
I invite you to give yourself some time to sit with your chosen word, gently tuning in to what’s surfacing with curiosity and interest.
Depending on what I’m navigating, there are times when I find it challenging to separate myself from the sensations, especially when I feel the urge to analyze or attach a story to what I’m sensing. This tendency is the brain's way of offering protection, trying to make sense of discomfort or uncertainty. In these moments, I remind myself that it's okay to press pause on my brain’s usual patterns, even if it’s just for a few moments.
In these moments, when we pause and enter the role of observer, we’re giving our brains new input which can help form new neural connections. So instead of reacting to internal stimuli from a place of fear or worry, I can pause, breathe, and choose to observe what’s surfacing with neutrality.
One strategy I use is to visualize putting each sensation into a cloud and watching it drift by overhead with neutral attention. Sometimes, I even imagine myself lying in a grassy meadow as I watch the clouds float by.
When you feel your exploration of your chosen word is complete, I invite you to take a soft, gentle breath in through your nose and release it with a sigh. You might choose to repeat this a few more times as a way to gently anchor yourself back to the present moment.
If it feels right, I invite you to pause for a moment and offer gratitude to yourself for taking this time to turn inward.
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The yoga practices I chose this month are centered around the theme of 'haven.' A haven can be understood as a place of refuge, safety, and protection.
I remember a comment I received several months ago from someone who shared that they did not like somatic practices because they didn’t want to be in their body at all, as all they felt was pain.
That comment has stayed with me, and I felt so much compassion for this person and their experiences. Their words were so raw, so honest, and deeply vulnerable. I found myself connecting with what they shared, wondering how many of us feel that way too. I have been there many times myself, and even now, I experience this feeling when it comes to sensations I don’t want to feel.
It can be incredibly uncomfortable to sit with discomfort, whether it’s physical pain, an emotion, a thought, a memory, or anything else.
When sensations feel overwhelming, intrusive, or threatening, it makes sense that turning inward might not feel safe at all. For many people, the body has learned to protect itself by creating distance from sensation. In moments like these, safety doesn’t have to mean staying with what feels too much–it can mean finding support, grounding externally, or choosing to create some space between you and the sensation.
Becoming a “safe space” looks different for everyone, and it’s not static. Sometimes that means finding a soft place to land–whether that’s wrapping yourself in a warm blanket and sinking into a cozy chair, taking a nap, connecting with nature, listening to music, or reading a book.
I would like to acknowledge that cultivating an inner sense of safety, calm, and peace is a practice, not a pursuit of perfection. There are moments when safety might look like self-care practices and other times when it can look like leaning into discomfort, staying present with the sensations while respecting your limits and honouring your window of tolerance.
So with this in mind, I’d like to offer a few ideas you can explore if you’d like to deepen your connection to inner safety. These practices can be applied both on and off the mat.
1) Checking in with yourself: Take a moment to turn inward and ask yourself, “What do I need right now?” Allow your body’s sensations to guide you. Your body might communicate that it would benefit from a screen break, deep belly breaths, a glass of water, or movement. These acts are forms of self-care that help you stay connected to your body and its needs.
2) Explore emotional regulation practices: The intention here is to let your emotions and feelings surface without trying to change or suppress them. Once the emotions have been acknowledged and released, the next piece is to explore a grounding practice. You might try deep breathing, gentle movement, imagining white light filling your body, placing a hand on your heart, journaling, or butterfly tapping. These practices help create space for your feelings while bringing you back to the present moment, which tells your body that it’s safe to release emotions.
3) Compassionate inner dialogue: The invitation is to speak to yourself with the same kindness you would offer to a friend or a child. What would you say to someone you care about who is going through a tough time? Can you offer yourself the same loving, reassuring words? This shift in how we talk to ourselves can be a powerful way to cultivate inner safety and self-love.
4) Developing self-trust: Building self-trust is a key part of feeling safe within yourself. This is where internal boundaries can come into play. For example, you might decide to set time limits on certain apps to protect your peace, and when you honour those limits, you’re strengthening your self-trust. Every time you follow through, you’re not just respecting your boundaries–you’re building a deeper sense of safety. And if setbacks happen, that’s okay! The invitation is to try again. It’s not about perfection; it’s about intentionality.
And finally, dear friend, I want to acknowledge that becoming your own safe space doesn’t mean you have to navigate everything alone. It’s a beautiful thing to seek support from trusted family, friends, a higher power, support groups, and/or practitioners.
There may be times when our metaphorical bike falls apart, and while we might have the tools within us to piece things back together, there are moments when we may seek support externally. Asking for help doesn’t make us any less whole. Even if pieces have fallen off and things feel broken and a mess, we are still whole and complete. Our worth and value remains completely unchanged.
I hope this gives you some ideas for cultivating inner safety.
Feel free to try one of these practices today or sometime this week. As you do, observe any shifts in your energy, thoughts, emotions, or feelings. There is no goal to achieve or anything to master. It is simply an invitation to get curious about what you notice as you engage with the practices.
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I don’t have a new practice to share today, as my body has had other plans for me and I’m choosing to honour my body’s messages.
That said, you’re welcome to revisit a practice on the channel that feels supportive for you. 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter.
Wishing you a joyful and beautiful Christmas and holiday season!
With gratitude,
~ Rachel
