Episode 1.1

Veronique: Welcome to the very first episode of our podcast. We’re so excited to be starting here. I just wanna say that we’re not really here as teachers. Well, I kind of see you as a teacher a little bit more than me anyways, but I think we’re also both learners, we’re both like, kind of walking this path. Um, and we’re excited.

Paola: And I think this year I feel like we wanna take this and do the path that we’re traveling, you know? So each episode for us is gonna be a step, and hopefully by the end of the year we can look back and reflect how far we’ve come, what are some things that we changed, what are some things that surprised us, or you know, what are some gentle shifts we wish we taken or that we want to take for the new year?

’cause there’s always room to grow and change. So this is how we’re gonna take it, and we’re hoping you guys come with us and travel the path with us. Okay. So, before we dive into today’s conversation, we wanted to share on how we’re gonna shape the year ahead. So the way we’ve designed this podcast is super gently.

It’s not gonna be forced, gonna be a bunch of themes that focus on growth, healing, and self understanding.

Veronique: Each month we’ll also share resources that go along with the theme. Some will be free. Free!

Paola: We love free things!

Veronique: And some will be premium and some will be physical tools that you can hold in your hand.

And speaking of this, I have something for you before we go any further. These are the, , journals. I got it for you in both English and Spanish because I personally noticed that I think differently in different languages . And so I feel that sometimes you might. Reflect in a certain way in English and reflect in a different way in Spanish.

And now you’ve got the opportunity to do both.

Paola: Absolutely. Thank you so much. And honestly, just opening them now, I’m noticing first off, how there’s a lot of space for me to write and reflect. And I like how it sets, like there’s like a quote that kind of sets your day, like your intention for the day.

Love that. Love that. And we love birds. I have some bird earrings.

Veronique: And I have a bird necklace!

Paola: We’re decked out.. So I Think that that’s really cool. And then for me, because I’m super artsy and I love to draw and, make art, um, there’s a lot of space for me to, to do that. Like it’s all open. So, it’s not overwhelming at all.

It’s gentle and it just invites you to do it, so this is awesome. Thank you so much.

Veronique: You’re welcome. I’m so excited to share it with you. Okay, so the Reflection Journal before we get further into our podcast, reflection Journal is available in a monthly free digital, so you can go on our website, www.sanctuary-of-wings.com.

You can actually download the monthly, every month you get like a small monthly file and download it for free. Or you can buy the full version, either the book or, there’s a digital full version and the full version. The difference it has is it has the monthly and weekly and right now the Spanish version is only

available in physical copy that’s it for the journal.

Paola: And if you’re watching the video version, you’ll see, for example, there’s the physical and it’s so I love it. But even the free digital version is enough for you to just, like, you don’t need to be worried, oh, I’m waiting for shipping, or, I don’t have the funds ready.

Don’t make excuses for yourself. Just do it. Just do it. Just go!

Veronique: We want people to do it. To keep us accountable.

Paola: Exactly. We keep each other accountable, so.

Veronique: Yeah, exactly.

Paola: We’re keeping you accountable too. And um, with that being said, there’s also something else. So there’s the free vision board activity sheet.

So it looks like this. This is printed out, and then that’s the back. So, um, it’s simple, it’s printable and it helps you map out and kind of set, invite yourself of what you think your year could look like. And again, it is just from a curious perspective, it’s not meant to be any type of pressure or anything.

Veronique: We have stickers for it! So you can actually download these digital speakers and you can print them like I did here. Or you can just like if you’re using it on a digital… I’ve got like these formats…

Paola: Amazing and we’re gonna do these ourselves as well and bring them back maybe on another, another podcast.

Veronique: I’m excited to share that.

Paola: yeah.

Veronique: Okay. So now we’re going to the main part of the podcast. So this is gonna be like, what’s the recurring part? Where is the conversation? Well, that’s the part that I’m the most excited about because yeah. I’m excited about having these conversations.

Paola: Yeah, absolutely.

Veronique: Um, so how it works is we’re gonna have just the smallest topic. And they’re gonna be like our guides and they’re not scripts. So we might get a little bit off topic sometimes, but I think…

Paola: that’s cool. Fine.

Veronique: No, it’s, that’s fun. That’s but the, their starting point that helps us stay grounded and that they still leave space for intuition…

Paola: and learning because I learn things from her and she’ll learn things from me. And I think that’s the best way. So

Veronique: I, I feel like I, I like on that kind of gentle path, I’m definitely like a student. but I am very… eager

Paola: Absolutely.

We, we like that. We definitely do. And I think if you’re open to learn and. Just in your life, there’s always opportunities to learn something new, whether it’s experiences or something like some type of knowledge.

Always be open to it because you never know where it will bring you.

Veronique: I love it.

So our first topic is actually, what does it mean to arrive in your life? This is like our first our first podcast. We’re kind of arriving in January.

Paola: Mm-hmm.

Veronique: And like. What does it mean to you personally?

Paola: I think that’s super interesting because… when you think about a new year, it can feel stressful like emotionally, and I feel like it can also feel like almost like a physical, physical feeling. So sometimes I do feel that and then I feel stressed, like, oh, what will this new year bring? Almost like a nervous. A little bit scared, but I think for me arriving, it’s being willing to, to just be there, be willing to do it, and then just doing it.

You know, like I, I have separate goals that I’ve set for my year and it’s, I definitely wanna make sure I do one thing a day that brings me to it. So I’m gonna do it every single day no matter what. And this is actually what my one for today, so, yay.

Cool.

Veronique: Oh, that’s awesome. So, like for me actually, you actually brought up some good points that I kind of wanna talk about it.

Paola: Mm-hmm. Um, tell me,

Veronique: because you mentioned how like the new year can be a little bit stressful and I feel like. We see a lot of that on social media , everyone’s like, oh, we’re gonna tiptoe into the new year. And, and, and I get it because there’s like a lot of stuff happening out in the world. But we can’t control that.

And I feel that if, if we look at starting a new year, but only within our bubble, like the things we can control..

Paola: Mm-hmm.

Veronique: Which is mostly ourselves, actually, instead of being stressful, it’s almost exciting

Paola: yeah.

Veronique: Like when you finally make that, that, that connection, that realization that what will matter the most in my life is what I do.

And as far as, it’s not like, oh, I don’t care what’s happening in other people’s lives, but it’s like, what can I do for myself and. You know, everyone kind of has that for them.

Paola: It’s the change perspective.

Veronique: Yeah.

Paola: So if you’re looking internally, you realize that it’s completely different. You don’t have to worry about others or what others are doing, or a lot of people do this. They’ll compare themselves to others and that. It’s extremely dangerous because you are an individual first. And I say this a lot, you’re an individual first. When you take care of yourself and comparing yourself to others and doesn’t get you anywhere.

Veronique: It’s not only that what you’re comparing yourself to is only what you see,

Paola: So compare yourself to yourself. How can you grow? What can you do? Yeah. Like what’s your best version of yourself that you could see, or that you wanna be. And do that. Get there, be like, that’s my, that’s my goal. That’s my girl. Like future, future Paola. She knows, like she knows where she wants to be and she’s gonna get there.

And so compare yourself. Compare yourself against yourself.

Veronique: Yeah. So bringing it back to arriving. I think we’re arriving at these like conclusions.

Paola: Mm-hmm.

Veronique: We’re like arriving at this point where we can kind of start the year. In a really positive way.

Paola: Yeah. Yeah. Having these conversations, being ready, open-minded.

You’re opening yourself to everything that, that you’re…

Veronique: This gave me shivers…

Paola: Goosebumps

Veronique: it kinda gave me that woooo

So what does the art of beginning again mean to you?

Paola: For me, I, it helps me remind myself that I have to be gentle to myself because I almost, I, I can be a little bit of a perfectionist. I can push myself…

Veronique: oh, I did not know that.

Paola: Yeah. And like things that I do, so, because I’m very good at doing the things that I do. I push myself to do better and I’m always telling myself, do better Paola, which it’s also joking, but I do have to learn to be more gentle.

Veronique: Yeah. Because what I’ve learned is like you’re subconscious. It does not understand tone.

Paola: No, it’s the words.

Veronique: The words. So if you’re like saying, even if you’re saying, oh, I’m so stupid, like joking.

Like you’re actually programming yourself like that

Paola: you will believe it. Absolutely.

So, and I, I, I, I do do better because I, I’m always like super growth oriented, but I need to stop putting so much pressure and just living. So it’s almost like a daily reflection for myself when I begin again every day. Or every year or every month or week.

Okay. Paola, recheck yourself. Like,

Veronique: I’m just so interested.

Paola: Mm-hmm.

Veronique: Because you come across to me as such a gentle person, but you’re not gentle with yourself.

Paola: With myself, no, but with others. And that’s, that’s, that’s, this is a, this is what I’m trying. This is a realization.

Veronique: Yeah.

Paola: From last year. So this is a new realization. Like I was…

Veronique: so you got this

Paola: …tough Yeah, girl. Like, I’m on this, this is, and this is one of my goals, like bring myself joy because I wanna see the glimmers in life. Like I wanna see the glimmer every day. Like let’s say for example, I’m stuck in traffic. That’s okay. It’s a beautiful day out. I’m getting a lot of sun. Like the sun is beautiful or I’m listening to my music. I’m listening to podcast.

Veronique: You have more time for your podcast.

Paola: Exactly.

Veronique: Have more time for your audio book.

Paola: Yeah. I don’t care. That’s a glimmer rather than argh, whatever, right?

Veronique: That’s so important. The way like reframe things.

Paola: So begin again for me. Begin again for my brain. Reset it. Remember you’re at your own pace. And what do I need from me

Veronique: for me…

I actually agree with a lot of what you say. I also think that for me, beginning again, like if I’m going to associate it with this year beginning again is a lot of, last year was a good year, but it was kind of a structural year.

Um, we had some really bad years before that but last year was rather uneventful. But it was kind of like, like the calm after the storm. So it was a structural… I kind of build a foundation of feeling okay and now beginning again, I feel like this year is going to be like when I actually… build you know? yes, I, I set all the foundations.

I got rid of all the rotten wood, and now we’re ready and we’re gonna begin again.

Paola: That’s amazing. You’re ready and you can feel ready at any point. But beginning again can happen anytime. It’s not just January, right? So everyone may not be ready now. You may feel ready. You know, as you do your daily reflections and your intentions and you grow through your path and your journey in the year, you may be beginning again two months.

You may be beginning again tomorrow, and that’s okay if you begin again over and over and over. As long as you are gentle to yourself and you continue…

Veronique: January is good in the aspect that it’s a reminder.

Paola: Mm-hmm.

Veronique: But it’s definitely not the only time we can do it.

Paola: Exactly, exactly. Absolutely.

Veronique: So the next question kind of goes back to the free resource, which is could vision boards be a tool for self-listening?

Paola: I think so, because again, like at least for me, I’m super artsy. I love putting things down, making art, creating things, and sometimes putting things in the physical like either you’re touching or you know, like magazine articles or you’re choosing some beautiful stickers. I think that’s super intentional what your brain goes to.

So let’s say I, I see a beautiful bird. I’m pulling that. I’m putting that in. That’s intentional because your brain reacted for some reason, right?

Veronique: Yeah. So you didn’t like, it’s like you don’t even do it consciously, it’s just listening to you, you’re kind of following that instinct.

Paola: Mm-hmm.

Veronique: So it’s definitely self-listenening.

Paola: Mm-hmm. And it’s some intuition too, because you may not realize it, but somewhere in your brain, you know, like your person knows what you want, what you need, or where you wanna be. Right. And that’s. That’s why I think vision boards are helpful. Yes. because it allows that reflection, and especially if you set it, like if you set yourself as, okay, I’m gonna do this vision board for the whole year.

In your brain you’re thinking, okay, 2026. And that then encompasses. Seasons, months, weeks. Right. So you set yourself with that intention that, and your intuition will just take over completely.

Veronique: Yeah, no, I totally agree with that. Yeah. I was actually like, until I read that question now, like I didn’t quite realize just how much That’s exactly what it is.

It’s listening to yourself.

Paola: Absolutely.

Veronique: Because like when someone just, just asks you what do you want out of the year? That’s a little like vague, right? It’s like where do you pinpoint your thoughts? Like, we want lots of things and, but what’s like, what’s important to us? And when you’re building a vision board I feel that you just go with what you’re drawn to and you might be surprised with the results.

I don’t know if you’ve heard, there’s a lot of people that say that they’ve built vision boards and then they go back and look and like they’re like amazed and shocked like that… Like some of this stuff is almost like exactly what they envisioned, envisioning for themselves.

Paola: That’s right. Because subconsciously it’s there now.

Veronique: Yeah.

Paola: So in the back of your mind, you’re like, I want this. So you you, in your daily life, you will look for that, right? Whether it’s a person, a thing, an activity, colours, right? Like sometimes I do vision boards for like outfits. I wanna, I wanna wear

Veronique: Oh, I love that.

Paola: Yeah.

Veronique: It’s like, so like. Specific.

Paola: Yeah.

Veronique: but why not?

Paola: Exactly.

Veronique: Yeah.

Paola: So I’ll go, I love to thrift, so I’ll go thrifting and I’ll… this is my vision board. This is my vibe. Go! And it sets me up. So it’s kind of the same thing for your vision board, right? You’re setting yourself up for success in an easy way. But it doesn’t have to be like…

Veronique: it’s not like pressure.

Paola: Yeah, it’s not pressure. It’s not like,

Veronique: or, these like… it’s not like a to-do list.

Paola: Exactly. Because again, if someone asks you like, what do you want for the year? You’re like, oh. Even if you ask me this, I’m like, girl, I have no idea. It can be overwhelming. Yeah. Yeah. Like it’s a lot.

Veronique: And, and also like sometimes speaking of your goals is overwhelming in the aspect that now you feel like you have to make it happen.

Paola: Yeah.

Veronique: And it’s pressure.

Paola: No, we don’t want that. No. So, no…

Veronique: I think it’s just gonna is a really good tool for that.

Paola: Absolutely.

Veronique: So the next questions is, what are your grounding practices for the new year?

Paola: For myself. I, um, so I also like to do tarot reading. So for me, the first thing I did in the new year was I did a reading for myself and I loved it.

Basically my reading for this year was that this year was gonna, all the hard work that I’ve been putting in, whether it’s mind, body, soul, physical, everyone around me, it’s gonna come to fruition. I just have to do the work. Which is awesome because I’m going to win, right?

Veronique: Yeah.

Paola: Like this. I already spoke to some of the gentleness that I’m working on.

That’s an aspect of it, right? The relationships around me. That’s another aspect. So it’s just going and I feel like it really set me, like it validated me. And I love it. ’cause if I feel validated, I’m gonna continue.

Veronique: Yeah, no, for sure. Like, I don’t know how I feel about it as far as like whether I believe that it, will like tell your future or not.

Paola: Oh, I don’t think so. And those are also…

Veronique: but at the same time, at the same time though, it’s kind because again, because of the subconscious.

Paola: It is the subconscious.

Veronique: So in a way it’s like it’s telling the future because it’s helping build it.

Paola: Exactly. And that’s how I take it. I don’t do tarot readings because, oh, this will been absolutely a hundred percent. It’s…

Veronique: i’d love to believe that…

Paola: I wish . I wish. It’s how you take it as an individual. Mm-hmm. How you, as your intuition make the reading. Mm-hmm. So I’m taking this reading as this is how I’m taking. But you could take it so many different ways, which, so it’s almost like fluid

Veronique: and in that way it’s self-listening.

Paola: Absolutely.

Veronique: Because it’s like you don’t really know where you want to go until you get a reading.

Paola: You’re like, huh?

Veronique: You’re like, oh, okay. Well then this reading could mean this, and now you realize that…

Paola: that’s right. And then you frame it where your subconscious wants to go, which is why I love it.

Veronique: That’s awesome.

I’m not sure I have actually, like, I wanna put in some grounding practice. I feel like I’m a little bit chaotic.

Paola: Okay, that’s okay. And this is totally okay.

Veronique: I mean, I have like the very basic, grounding practice as far as my morning. Yeah, my morning coffee is and it’s, it’s funny because I’m not someone who drinks a whole lot of coffee during the day.

I have my morning like that one coffee and it’s like. My day starts after, and sometimes it technically starts at the same time, but it doesn’t feel like a start until the coffee is done. And it’s just like,

Paola: okay, we’re, we’re fine. I can start now.

Veronique: Exactly. So I have that. I used to have wine, I have alcohol very, very, very rarely now.

So I’m kind of looking for something kind of replacement, just that. Okay, this is like I’m grounding myself as in this is the time I can relax now.

Paola: Mm-hmm.

Veronique: So I kind of need to find that because, and I keep on forgetting to do it, but one thing I really wanna do is try to use hot chocolate.

Paola: Ooh.

Veronique: Yeah. It has that rich feeling

Paola: ..it feels to be warm. A bit of like…

Veronique: and it’s just like, okay, because I need that that off switch.

Paola: Yeah.

Veronique: So I gotta remember to try that

Paola: That’s a really good idea. And it sounds like we have different kinds of grounding practices.

Veronique: Yeah.

Paola: So yours are very liquid and it makes you feel warm and delicious. It’s Which is, which is very interesting.

That works for…

Veronique: liquids

Paola: …you and they, that helps. Switch your brain and that’s awesome. And everyone will have different types of grounding practices. Like I know if I’m feeling stressed

Veronique: mm-hmm.

Paola: I ground myself by wiggling my toes and breathing deeply and square breathing. So…

Veronique: oh, I’ve heard that. Where breathing is so good…

Paola: square, breathing is amazing.

The way it works is you breathe in, you hold, you breathe out, and you hold. So it’s like a square. Okay. And for me, by doing that, especially if you can hold longer and longer. For example, you breathe for four and you hold for four, like you do all four. It really reset and you can increase, increase, increase it, and it completely resets my calming.

So even when I’m feeling stressed, wiggle my toes and breathe.

Veronique: I hear that’s actually really good for panic attacks.

Paola: Yeah. Oh, I believe it. Absolutely. Absolutely. So maybe that will work for people who need the physical grounding aspects too.

Veronique: Yes. So that’s interesting because you said that my grounding was very liquid and I started thinking, so you’re talking breath, that’s like air.

Paola: Mm-hmm.

Veronique: Um, the tarot is maybe more like earth. Earth,

Paola: mental, maybe Earth. Ooh, that

earth. Yeah.

Veronique: Yeah. And so, and here’s another thing where I’m gonna sound a little like…

Paola: woowoo?

Veronique: Yeah. Is that I’m a Taurus. Okay. So I am very

Paola: grounded. Yep.

Veronique: And I’m attracted to… The water

Paola: Scorpio.

Veronique: So kind of like

Paola: right here, water

Veronique: you’re the water and you’re…

Paola: yeah.

Veronique: You’re looking for grounding by going with kind of a more opposite.

Paola: Yeah,

Veronique: that’s, that’s interesting.

Paola: Very interesting. It’s very interesting, and we say woo woo because again, not everyone may believe in these things, but I, at least for myself, I find that it helps. To get an idea, right? Where do people come from?

What’s their base?

Veronique: And it’s kind of like, I don’t know, like when I talk about the astrology stuff, like I have to admit that deep down, I believe it. And just like my conscious brain gets really mad about it, it gets really angry. It’s like, why are you believing this? This makes no sense, but like deep down I do…

Paola: Somehow it does make sense. Somehow it does. And that’s okay.

Veronique: Well move on to the next question. So how do you honour the versions of yourself that got you here?

That’s really good

Paola: because past Paola, she didn’t know I am gonna be honest she didn’t, and

Veronique: you gotta be gentle.

Paola: But I honour her. I have to be gentle and she got me here, right? So I honour her with a lot of compassion because she worked hard to get me here. Without her, I wouldn’t be here. Right. And it takes a lot of growth, a lot of effort, and there’s a lot of growth and resilience that that went back. You know, looking just in every single aspect, and it could be work, education, relationships, like all these things.

It’s hard. It’s not like people say, oh, like. When I was young, I’d be like, oh, I can’t wait to be an adult because I’ll be awesome.

Veronique: What was, what was wrong with us?

Paola: Right? I’m like, no, I don’t wanna be an adult. I wanna be a kid. You know? Because life was easy, and to be honest, life was easy. Less stress, less responsibilities.

So I’m super gentle on my baby self that taught, didn’t know better, and my teen self and all like, you know, I’m in my thirties, so…

Veronique: you’re such a good. Point in your life to like ground.

Paola: Absolutely.

Veronique: Like it’s perfect. Like, you know, you’re just at that time where you’re like leaving. ’cause a lot of people say that in your twenties you’re an adult, but once, once you get to 30 and over.

You start looking back and you’re like, was I really though?

Paola: Yeah.

Maybe a baby adult.

Veronique: Yeah, exactly.

Paola: Like you’re a baby adult.

Veronique: Yeah. It’s like you’re playing at being an adult.

Paola: Exactly. We try, we may not succeed, but she got me here. Yeah. Right. Yeah. And I know that, you know, in my next decade when I’m 40, 50, 60.

Baby adult Paola, mid adult Paola, she will have gotten me there. Right? So I think it’s a lot of compassion and resilience because you have to do all the work for your future self.

Veronique: So like for me, I’m in my mid forties and so I look back and I think, okay, 20 is definitely was like, no, I was playing and being an adult, I can’t say I was a kid, I was living on my own from the age of 19.

So I was definitely playing at being an adult. But you know, it’s like you’re physically there, but you’re not really mentally there. Yeah. And my thirties was probably one of like the best times. I wasn’t making the best decisions, but as far as like, I started to really grow like emotionally and mentally.

And I feel that you’re definitely like. Ahead of how I was. Definitely. But I’m kind of like. When I look at, ’cause I have a lot of friends around your age and I look and I’m so excited for you guys ’cause I feel like it’s such a great decade. Yeah. Not that I have anything against the forties, actually.

I’m finding those amazing too. So I don’t know, maybe it just keeps on getting better.

Paola: I’m sure it does. And I think it’s your perspective.

Veronique: Yeah.

Paola: Right. If you are willing to do the work. Awesome. And I think also it’s, it’s your perspective. Like, I know I said it twice , but how like. If you think, oh, I’m a decade older, I’m getting old.

Veronique: Yeah. And sometimes you can’t like…

Paola: sure.

Veronique: …stop thinking that, but other times I’m like, I don’t know. It’s like I’m older and I don’t like it because I love this time on this planet right now.

Paola: Mm-hmm.

Veronique: And you know,

Paola: I kind want it to be forever.

Veronique: Exactly. Maybe, maybe I won’t think that later.

Paola: Yeah.

Veronique: But like right now it’s like, oh, it’s going too fast, like

Paola: mm-hmm.

Veronique: Um, but. At the same time, I get really excited.

Paola: Yes.

Veronique: Because it’s like, it’s like, yep, another decade has passed and I still feel good.

Paola: Absolutely. And I will say you’re privileged to be, to be who you are and able bodied and everything. So again, I think that you go back with compassion, like you made all the right moves, all the right changes to be here.

Veronique: Yeah, yeah. No, it’s like even you can look back on your mistakes. And know that there were mistakes and know that you’d probably do them all over again the same way.

Paola: Exactly. Because they brought you here.

Yeah. To who you are to be with the family. Exactly. We love ourselves.

Veronique: Exactly. Yeah. All right. And here’s, um, the last questions for our little conversation, which is, what are your somatic cues of presence?

So like using your body as a compass.

Paola: And this is, I think for me it goes back, I spoke a little bit about what are somatic cues? Like my breath… breathing, I wiggle my toes. Um. And I think what’s important is the mind body connection, because sometimes that’s split. Like we think, oh, my, my mind is just my intellect.

But no, actually, your mind can also be your intuition, the way you think about things, the way you feel your body. Like, do you feel pain? Do feel excitement? Is your heart rushing? For me, I also think feeling in my fingers sometimes when I’m really excited or nervous.

Veronique: Yeah.

Paola: Um, so what I do is I’ll just like hold my hands or I speak a lot with my hands.

I’m very physical, so, that’s one way that I know that when I’m living in the moment, I feel it in my fingers and my toes.

Veronique: For me I get goosebumps, like somebody says something like meaningful and it’s just like… and it’s like that, that brain connection, that like my brain is like, this was so meaningful. I’m going to like show it in your body.

And yeah, I think it’s really interesting because we tend to look at this very separate and I know that there’s like some certain types of therapies, like tapping you heard about that?

Paola: No…

Veronique: No. So like, it’s like something about how you’re tapping like really…

Paola: so like you’d tap your forehead?

Veronique: Yeah, but I think it’s like, I need to Research into it much more. I’ve just heard a lot of people talking about…

Paola: Interesting. Yeah. I believe it. Because they do say that your forehead is like a third eye, almost.

Veronique: Yeah.

Paola: So that kind of makes sense. And then your brain, again, there’s so much going on, so you could almost like release tension by just like, I guess tapping.

Mm-hmm.

Veronique: But it’s also like, again, it’s also part of just being mindful, right? Yeah. So it’s maybe just like another way of making that mind body connection.

Paola: Yeah. Almost like resetting yourself, like checking yourself. Like, Hey, you’re okay. And I think what’s interesting about this is for me, these aspects, these somatic cues help me live in the now, so sometimes if I’m too nervous or excited or whatever, I’ll just breathe. And that helps me kind of reset so that I’m living in the now and being more intentional

Veronique: and living in the now is so important.

Paola: Mm-hmm.

Veronique: I, I read something once that said that living in the past is what brings you depression and living in the future is what brings you anxiety.

Paola: Absolutely.

Veronique: And I’m totally like someone who lives in the future. Like, I’m always, always…

Paola: what if?

Veronique: What if?

Paola: Yeah.

Veronique: How I’m gonna get there, like, and everything is about like future goals.

Paola: Mm-hmm.

Veronique: And to the point where I don’t get there because I can’t stay enough in the present to make those goals happen.

Paola: Yeah. Just focus, so exist

Veronique: those, those like feeling the body cues. That can actually allow you to stay in the present might actually be like super useful.

Paola: Absolutely. Absolutely. And it’ll be just by first you need to recognize that you’re feeling that type of way.

Right? Yeah. And then figuring out what type of cues work for you. Because it may not work for everyone. I know breathing works for me, but maybe for you be it may not.

Veronique: No. I have a hard time with the, the breathing, but I think that again, is my mind going like so many different places. So it’s like the slowing down, I need to learn how to do it.

Like, it’s like it doesn’t really work, but I think it should. Like, I think it’s something that I need to learn to do because it’s the idea that. Oh my God. I don’t have time to just sit there and breathe.

Paola: Mm. Mm-hmm.

Veronique: And it’s like I have to make the time.

Paola: And this is maybe your path, right? Something that you want to, or that you may put in your vision board.

Veronique: Mm-hmm.

Paola: Or like, I want to learn how do X, Y, and Z

Veronique: Meditation.

Paola: There you go. Meditation, breath work meditation is amazing. If you ever get a chance to, I highly encourage.

Veronique: Yes. You’ve mentioned it before and I was like..intrigued.

Paola: Absolutely. We’ll go one day. We’ll go. Go.

So before we close off, so we’re gonna try a little grounding practice together. Okay.

Veronique: Good.

Paola: Okay.

Veronique: Giving me some practice…

Paola: So sit, sit comfortably, move your body. Reset, fix your shoulders if you need to, take a deep breath in.

Hold for a couple of seconds. And have all the way up your body. Let your shoulders relax, feel it all the way in your to notice your body and notice this moment and the breath up into your, you just hold. And we’re gonna just do that one more time. We’re gonna breathe again. Deep.

All the way as far as you can. 1, 2, 3, and slowly. 1, 2, 3, all the way. Noticing your…

yeah, and, and I will say even if you don’t have time for that, just doing like. [Deep Exhale]

Veronique: But we tend to do that, or at least I do when I’m stressed and it doesn’t really release the stress that much. So it’s gonna kind of, that might be me…

Paola: It could, it could be. That’s what you’re used to, your brain associates that it just, that took what, two seconds? That’s why we, that’s why we’re practicing this.

And this could be a daily practice, very easily done.

Veronique: And I’m gonna give them an activity.

Paola: Yeah.

Veronique: ‘Cause I like them to… You don’t have to, but maybe write down one thought about where you’re arriving right now. So that’s the invitation I’m giving you for the week to just write down, to reflect and figure out, not where you’re going, but where you’re arriving.

So you’re Now again,

Paola: Yeah. Where are you coming from? Awesome. Well thank you for joining us today, guys. It was great for our first podcast. We were so nervous, so happy that you’re here joining us and… Yeah. Yeah. Well…

Veronique: so we’re planning on doing one a week. I am not sure if next week is gonna have one.

Paola: Yeah.

Veronique: So we’ll have to figure out how our timing works. As soon as we get into the groove of things, we are gonna have one podcast a week and like a topic that we’re gonna just kind of dissect throughout the month.

Paola: Yeah, for sure. So keep an eye out for that and uh, yeah, we’ll look forward to seeing you guys.

Bye.

Veronique: Bye!