Welcome to Reclaim Your Sacred Radiance, a dedicated space to remember what you never truly lost — the quiet, luminous strength that lives beneath your distress.
In these times of heightened polarization, where the illusion of separation dominates and blame becomes the default response, it’s more important than ever to examine our own patterns, with gentle honesty.
So, this week, I will not write about Gratitude –you will have plenty of support for that elsewhere. (I will return to that theme at a later time when we’ve mostly forgotten its power.) Instead I want to explore something deeper. Something most of us were never taught: how to meet our triggers and patterns with compassion, curiosity and accountability.
The invitation is to investigate our reactivity - born of our early conditioning, subsequent coping strategies, and perceived limits - as a vital act of personal responsibility. This practice holds the potential to transform not only ourselves but the families and communities we cherish. If you’re heading into the family zone this holiday season, this could be for you!
Meeting Ourselves with Kindness
Coping mechanisms—our attempts to manage fear, uncertainty, or pain—are part of the human experience! When we meet them with genuine curiosity and kindness, we reclaim our responsibility to foster understanding, bridge divides, and nurture the connection and compassion that our fractured world so deeply needs.
I designed this space to help keep us aware of (and free from) the egoic traps, triggers and tendencies that keep us stuck in reactive patterns that perpetuate disconnection. In other words, to steady, align, and empower us through practice. Today we will explore an unexpected way in to mindfulness and compassion, a practice which helps us develop a sense of belonging that arises from being fully and unapologetically ourselves.
When we cultivate present moment, non-judgmental awareness, we unlock a deeper understanding of who we are and what truly matters. Truly, check this out for yoursef. It’s in these quiet spaces that resilience grows, and a genuine sense of connection takes root.
Over the past three decades – guiding students and patients into alignment through holistic chiropractic, resilience coaching, and mindfulness training – I’ve learned that resilience isn’t about pushing through, holding it all together, or bouncing back. It’s about grounding in present moment awareness, allowing life to move through us, and trusting the wisdom that lives inside, even when things get rough. This requires new skills and the willingness to see with new eyes.
A Practice That Changes Everything
One of the most powerful of those skills is Relational Presence, which I first learned in Lee Glickstein’s Speaking Circles. Lee’s best selling book is Be Heard Now.
This practice changed how I show up for myself, for others, and for the present moment. It remains one of my most essential tools for staying aligned, especially in relationships when communication feels strained.
Speak From Your Heart Practice Circle 2025 SMA
Communication is, at its heart, a relationship — an attempt at sensing connection that is already there. In my Speak From Your Heart workshops, I see again and again that paying attention to and nurturing this present moment connection determines how well a message actually lands. That is the skill of Relational Presence. When we’re not paying attention to that relational thread, our words may reach the other person, but the essence of their meaning may not be received in the way we hoped.
You can read more about Relational Presence Here.
The good news? Each time you practice, you soften the grip of old narratives and reconnect with your own sacred radiance — the light of awareness that guides you toward inner freedom.
Try This at Your Next Gathering
Awareness is the first step in any transformative process, so make a decision to tune in frequently to your body sensations to help you. Increased heat, changes in your breathing, tension felt in your shoulders, a twist in your gut, or a headache, bring information that indicates you may be feeling triggered. It’s great to sense this before the horses escape the barn, so to speak! Once you notice, you have many options. Here are a few.
Try one of these at your next gathering and let me know how it goes! What did you notice in yourself, others, the dynamic between you?
Three Ways to Be Yourself in the Company of Others
- Slow it all down. When in doubt, take a breath. Try paying exquisite attention to the lines in your palm, or to the sensation you feel when slowly rubbing 2 fingers together, or feeling the sensation of your feet meeting the floor. Return to this awareness anytime you sense tension rising. It will anchor you in the present.
- Leverage the power of your nervous system. Breathe deeply and often, with long slow exhales to balance your nervous system. No need to sigh, but it may help to imagine you are breathing in and out through your heart space. Stay with this for several cycles of breathing. You are engaging the “tend and befriend” or “rest and digest” function of the Parasympathetic Nervous System, the antidote to the “Fight/Flight/Freeze/Faun” reaction.
- Make it a priority to be with one person at a time, no matter how many are at the table or in the house. You do this through gazing into their eyes for at least one full breath, suspending judgment and simply observing them kindly. Don’t be surprised if others notice the quality of your attention and start tuning in too.
As you move through this season — with its complexity, tenderness, and opportunities for growth — may these practices offer you a steadier center and a gentler way of meeting yourself and others.
When we each grow our capacity for presence, curiosity, and compassion, we contribute to the healing of our relationships and our communities. Your practice matters more than you know.
In kinship and wonder,
~Maureen
P.S. Stay tuned for my next Speak From Your Heart Practice Circle and more original opportunities to help you get free of emotional triggers, find creative flow, and make big life transitions with ease.