Deep Breath

"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world." -Anne of Green Gables. Finding a kindred spirit, or what we are calling a Soul Friend, can be challenging! What is a Soul Friend, what does it mean, why is having at least one important? Listen in as we chat about our discoveries and experiences.

With the realization that the concept of soul care can be nebulous, let's dive into the nuts and bolts of what soul care looks like. It is as unique for each person as their fingerprint. Your soul matters and needs to be cared for. Here's some specific examples of what soul care looks like in other's lives. This might just spur you on to new ideas to care for your own soul. Questions from today's...

What's the difference between caring for self and caring for your soul? Well, not much and yet a whole lot!! Listen in as we discuss ways we've experienced, and invest in, taking care of self and soul. Maybe the clarity will inspire you to care for you.  You need it and you're worth it!

Definition of pressure cooker 1: An airtight utensil for quick cooking or preserving of foods by means of high-temperature steam under pressure 2: A situation or environment that is fraught with emotional or social pressures. Uh ya!! We are talkin' about #2 in this episode. How might we deal with all the pressures this strange season brings? What are ways we can hit the steam release valve so we d...

A discussion on the honor of awakening and calling forth identity and belovedness in one another.  In these currently restricted lives, this is one way to enlarge a person's life. When negativity, and tearing down is prevalent, we can counter this with a blessing of affirmation that creates life. "There are no neutral exchanges".  Harness the power of the blessing. Life of the Beloved -...

Summer is nearly here and we want to spend less time in the kitchen and more time playing outside. In this episode we share our fast, favorite and family-friendly cooking ideas. Perhaps you find cooking to be grounding and a way to creatively express yourself? Or maybe meal planning and prep feels daunting. Looking for ways to get the entire family involved? Listen in.  As a bonus, we've comp...

It's funny, we struggled a bit to wrap words around one of our favorite spiritual practices!! We think it's because it must be *experienced*. So, this episode is just the first of more conversations to come about yoga. One highlight from this episode: what happens on your mat translates off your mat...Intergration!

The last couple weeks have been agonizingly full of death, racial tension, protests and riots. The pain our country is in has us pausing, and we invite our friends into a moment of silence. Silence is a way we can listen with attention and intention, to lament and be with the suffering. We also explore a few other practices conducive to listening with attention and yield to the action of the Holy...

What do you want future generations to know about Covid-19 and your life during this time? How can picking up a pen and writing a few words help your mental health or your spiritual pilgrimage? Whether you have resistance to writing, or consider yourself and avid journal-keeper, we invite you to slow down, pick up a pen and practice reflection.

Seasons of waiting involve pain and discomfort, and they can produced growth and transformation. This pandemic has life in a holding pattern, but God is not inactive! Waiting can be like yeasting bread and fermenting kombucha, much activity is happening that can't been seen. We explore the choice to 'stay with it' and invite God to show us what's being worked out in our souls.  Episode quotes: "Wh...

We continue the conversation on how many moms struggle with the belief that they are not enough. Along with practical ways to address this mindset, we also ask questions like "what is underneath the false narrative?" and share how we invite God into the dialogue.

Ooof, mom-guilt! So many of us "should" on ourselves all day long! And we don't think it's just us experiencing it with increased intensity during stay-home, school-at-home, work-from-home life. In this episode we address an ancient way in current times and what questions we might ask ourselves about living free of the message "I'm not enough".  Quotes from: The Next Right Thing Podcast, Emil...

Extra Grace Required (EGR) is often needed with a particular person in our lives. But under stay-home-stay-safe conditions, that person may be up close and personal...and you can't get a break! Being together so much can wear out a benevolent spirit! We offer a few ways to access the grace that's required and suggest that extravagant love is possible when we we start with extending to ourselves. P...

Whether you are experiencing loneliness and isolation or you love someone who is, this episode is for you.  It's safe to say we are all experiencing some level of isolation in our current state of social distancing. How can we foster compassion for ourselves and others?  What nuggets of depth and connectivity are waiting to be discovered in the midst of the isolation?

Liminal spaces are transitional and transformational. They are waiting areas! While we wait in quarantine, let's consider tending gently to our weariness. From that place of restored vitality through stillness, there can be potential for metamorphosis.  (This is corrected version - full length) Find us on Instagram:  deepbreath54321

The Sabbath, whether as a day, half-day, or even a moment, is our chance to exhale, cease from productivity and receive God's good gifts. Here's a refreshing and practical glimpse at the most ignored Ten Commandment.  Margaret Fienberg says, "...the Sabbath isn't about what is done or left undone as much as breathing in the goodness of God. The more I inhaled, the more I desired another long...

Has it been challenging to find a new rhythm for your life during quarantine? Lexie and Michelle give some practical examples, but also discuss how spiritual disciplines build spiritual muscles for tough times like these. Are we in a state of dormancy? If so, how can we nurture our whole self during this dormancy so we can emerge from quarantine with new life and "burst forth" just like flowers in...

In this second episode we discuss making the best of our difficult circumstances. We share our stories and questions such as, "How can I partner with what God is doing?" Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deepbreath54321/ Episode Notes: For the book and podcast, The Next Right Thing     https://emilypfreeman.com

Our podcast was born out of a desire to partner with God and what He is doing in these uncertain times. Finding yourself riding some big waves and in need of an anchor? You're invited to listen in as we share our feelings and questions. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deepbreath54321/ Episode Notes: For the book and podcast, The Next Right Thing     https://emilypfreeman.com The...