Centered with Abby

What if you’re already enough—exactly as you are?

Today’s mini-retreat is a companion to last week’s essay (which you can find here).

Set up a cozy corner with a blanket and warm drink of choice and join me for a brief practice that blends mindful movement, breath, and reflection. We’ll begin by dropping into the present, exploring a brief movement practice that you can tailor to your energy today. From there, I’ll read a short essay and invite you to notice what arises—thoughts, sensations, memories—without judgment.

We’ll close with a simple mantra meditation you can carry into your day:

I am doing enough. I have enough. I am enough.

If you want to go deeper, last week’s post includes the full essay written out plus some journaling prompts to help you explore how “enoughness” might feel in your body and your life. Try keeping the mantra on a sticky note where you’ll see it often, and notice what shifts when you move through your day from this place.

If this resonated: share it with a friend, leave a comment with what came up for you, and subscribe for future mini-retreats.

References & links

* YouTube: SomaSong Wellness

* Instagram: @centeredwithabby • @somasongwellness

* Other Substack: singingsomatics.substack.com

* Website: abbyilardi.com

About Your Host

Abby is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and creator of Centered with Abby and SomaSong. Her work blends psychology, somatic therapy, yoga, and expressive arts to help people care for their inner world and rediscover a life of presence and wonder.

This is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as psychotherapy or medical advice. If you are struggling and need someone to talk to, call or text your local help line (988 in the U.S.) for immediate support.

Hello and welcome to this week’s Centered with Abby mini-retreat.

These retreats are designed to help you create a ritual of self-care—a routine that invites you to pause from daily life, check in, reset, nourish your nervous system, and move forward with more intention. Practice anytime from the comfort of your home, and come as you are—whatever you’re bringing in today is welcome here.

Before getting started, I encourage you to take some time to get cozy and set your space. You’ll get the most out of this if you carve out some intentional time. Limit distractions, silence notifications, and consider a small ritual to mark the beginning—brew a cup of tea, light a candle or twinkle lights, diffuse some essential oils or incense, or do any other quick practice that signals to yourself that this time is special. Our brains love ritual, so repeating these little opening rituals helps your system drop in more quickly in the future.

Theme: This retreat is inspired by the autumn equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. As we move into a time of equal daylight and darkness, we are reminded to find balance. Today we’ll explore the lessons of the equinox and examine what balance means in our bodies, breath, and lives.

What you’ll experience

* A gentle centering to arrive in your body and your space

* Breath awareness and even-count breathing (inhale/exhale balanced)

* Optional box breathing

* Somatic, balancing movement practice

* A reflective journaling prompt to integrate your insights

A note on autonomy & safety

Everything I offer is a suggestion, not a mandate. Please adapt or rest anytime—this is your practice.

Journal prompt to take with you

What aspects of your life feel out of balance right now? Consider work/school, rest, friendships, family, romance, your relationship with yourself, self-care, health, mental health, spirituality, creativity, and play.

What would balance look and feel like? Name 1–3 small actions that would move you toward it this week.

If this resonated

* Subscribe to get future mini-retreats and somatic practices in your inbox.

* Listen & share this episode with someone who could use a reset.

* Follow on IG: @centeredwithabby

* Website: abbyilardi.com

* SomaSong Method & courses: learn how to use singing/toning/humming and somatics to build nervous system resilience. Find us at @somasongwellness on Youtube and Instagram and singingsomatics.substack.com. You can also join our email list to be the first to know when our upcoming course drops. (Join Here).

About Your Host

Abby is a licensed professional counselor, somatic therapist, yoga teacher, and creator of Centered with Abby and SomaSong. Her work blends psychology, somatic therapy, yoga, and expressive arts to help people care for their inner world and rediscover a life of presence and wonder.

This is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as psychotherapy or medical advice. If you are struggling and need someone to talk to, call or text your local help line (988 in the U.S.) for immediate support.

Episode summary

A two-part episode: first, a read-aloud of my essay “Balm for a Broken World”—naming that compassion is not endorsement and setting this space as one of solace and care. Then, a brief, trauma-informed loving-kindness (mettā) practice to steady the nervous system and widen care alongside accountability.

What’s inside

Essay reading: reflections on dehumanization, self-compassion, and holding care with clear boundaries

Guided practice: adaptable loving-kindness meditation

Trauma-informed options: change the words, keep eyes open, skip any step, pause anytime

A note on lineage:

Loving-kindness (mettā; Sanskrit: maitrī) is a classic heart practice from the Buddhist tradition (see the Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta) and is widely used in secular mindfulness today. This version is shortened and adapted for accessibility.

This is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as psychotherapy or medical advice. If you are struggling and need someone to talk to, call or text your local help line (988 in the U.S.) for immediate support.

Links & resources:

Substack Community: www.centeredwithabby.com

Abby's personal website: www.abbyilardi.com

Share & support:

If this helped, forward it to someone who needs a soft landing today. And make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss any upcoming essays, podcasts, practices, or tools.

CreditsGuidance & reading: Abby Ilardi (Centered with Abby / SomaSong)Music: [Meditation Relaxing Music] by [DanaMusic] — [Pixabay]

Reflect & Reset — a mini retreat for your month

Take 30 minutes to pause, breathe, and reconnect.

In this guided mini retreat, you’ll look back on the last month with curiosity and set kind, clear intentions for the month ahead—through gentle breath, soft stretching, and a guided reflection you can use for journaling, personal check-in, or a conversation with someone you trust.

Get the companion retreat prompts here:

Paid subscribers on Substack → www.centeredwithabby.com

About This Episode

So often we move from one thing to the next—emails, errands, responsibilities—without pausing to enjoy our own lives. A reset isn’t about adding more. It’s about slowing down enough to notice what mattered, release what didn’t, and choose what comes next.

That’s what this 30-minute guided retreat is for.

I’ll lead you through:

Gentle breath + movement to help your body settle

Monthly reflection to review the last month with compassion

Intention setting for the month ahead—simple, doable, aligned

Prompts you can journal, speak out loud, or use in conversation

You don’t need special equipment—just a quiet space, a notebook, and the willingness to give yourself half an hour of undivided attention.

Imagine finishing this retreat feeling grounded, clear, and reconnected to what really matters. That clarity is always within reach—it just takes a pause to access it.

If you’d like to enrich the experience, my paid Substack subscribers will also get:

-A tea blend recipe curated especially for this “Reflect & Reset” retreat

-All prompts written out to save you time and extra writing.

About Your Host

Abby is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and creator of Centered with Abby and SomaSong. Her work blends psychology, somatic therapy, yoga, and expressive arts to help people care for their inner world and rediscover a life of presence and wonder.

Get full access to Centered with Abby at www.centeredwithabby.com/subscribe

Unfinished Hikes

Host: Abby IlardiSeries: Centered with Abby

Episode Summary

This episode looks at a pattern many of us know: the rush of a new idea, the long middle, and the quiet temptation to start over. I use the metaphor of “unfinished hikes” to explore how dopamine favors beginnings, how all-or-nothing thinking narrows our options, and why naming small finishes changes the experience of doing the work.

What We Cover:

The gap between vision and logistics—and how it feeds burnout

Dopamine’s role in anticipation vs. completion

All-or-nothing thinking as a common cognitive trap

“Unfinished hikes” as a metaphor for this pattern

Simple practices for making progress feel like it counts

Join our Community and Support the Work:

Join us on www.centeredwithabby.com.

Paid subscribers receive a short bonus exercise to help you bring the ideas from this podcast into practice.

Thanks for joining, and please consider sharing with a friend if you found this helpful.

Take 30 minutes to pause, breathe, and reconnect.

In this guided mini retreat, you’ll explore what living deeply means for you — and how to bring more of it into your daily life.

Get the companion retreat booklet here:

Paid subscribers on Substack → www.centeredwithabby.com

One-time purchase → [here]

About This Episode

So often we rush through our days — answering emails, crossing tasks off lists, moving from one thing to the next — without pausing to notice the texture of our own lives. Living deeply isn’t about adding more. It’s about slowing down enough to truly feel what’s here.

That’s what this 30-minute guided retreat is for.

I’ll lead you through:

-Gentle movement and breath to help your body settle

-A guided journaling practice to reflect on what living deeply means to you

-Space to imagine how you might weave more depth and presence into your daily rhythm

You don’t need special equipment — just a quiet space, a notebook, and the willingness to give yourself half an hour of undivided attention.

Imagine finishing this retreat feeling more grounded, present, and connected to what really matters. That clarity is always within reach — it just takes a pause to access it.

Companion Retreat Guide:

If you’d like to enrich the experience, I’ve created a beautiful PDF booklet to accompany this retreat. Inside you’ll find:

-A tea meditation ritual to begin your retreat with presence

-Herbal tea blend recipes curated for this retreat

-All the journaling prompts written out with lined pages

-Extra tips for making the most of your retreat

Access the guide:

Paid subscribers → www.centeredwithabby.com

One-time purchase → [Mini-Retreat: Living Deeply in the Everyday - Payhip]

Explore more retreats, resources, and reflections at:www.centeredwithabby.com

About your Host:

Abby is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and creator of Centered with Abby and SomaSong. Her work blends psychology, somatic therapy, yoga, and expressive arts to help people care for their inner world and rediscover a life of presence and wonder.

Episode 1: Living Deeply in a Shallow AgeCentered with Abby Podcast

In this debut episode of Centered with Abby season 2, we dive deep into the challenge of living meaningfully in a world that often encourages surface-level connections and distractions. "Living Deeply in a Shallow Age" is a personal manifesto outlining why Abby created this project and why it is so needed in today's landscape.

If you're feeling disconnected or overwhelmed by the fast-paced, image-driven world, this episode offers an invitation to slow down, reflect, and align with your deeper purpose.

If you'd like to take this topic from insight to action, Abby has created a special set of journaling prompts and discussion questions to help you process and apply the ideas explored in this episode. Access the full list on Centered with Abby's Substack.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Living Deeply in a Shallow Age - by Abby Ilardi Lowry

www.centeredwithabby.com

Connect with Abby:

Website: abbyilardi.com

Thank you for listening, and remember to subscribe so you don't miss future episodes!

Episode type: Trailer / 5-min overviewRelease date: 8/6/2025Host: Abby Ilardi Lowry – LPC, somatic therapist, singer-songwriter, founder of SomaSong®

What to Expect in This Trailer:

A quick re-introduction to Centered with Abby, an updated vision for the podcast's future, and simple next steps so you don’t miss new episodes, resources, and live events.

Why Listen & Subscribe:

Actionable tools – short, guided practices for grounding, nervous-system balance, and creative flow

Evidence-informed insights – where psychology meets somatics, music, philosophy, yoga, and expressive arts

Community – connect with like-minded seekers on Abby’s Substack

Inspiration – stories from artists, healers, and thought-leaders on living deeply and authentically

Call to Action

Follow / Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so episodes land in your feed

Leave a rating & review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify —this helps others discover the show.

Join the newsletter for free mini-retreats, event invites, and resources: centeredwithabby.com

Resources & Links:

Substack community: centeredwithabby.com

SomaSong® trainings & workshops: abbyilardi.com

Music credit: "Eternity" by Leva

Disclaimer

This podcast provides educational content only and is not a substitute for personalized mental-health or medical advice. Always consult a qualified professional for your specific needs.

Enjoy the trailer, hit subscribe, and let’s get centered – together.

I love a good New Year ritual. Though I haven’t always been a big New Year's resolution person (I believe that change is possible any time of year, and I don’t like the pressure many feel to engage in “self-improvement” each January), I do love an excuse to reflect on my intentions and goals for the coming year.

This guided journaling practice is designed to help you reflect on your dreams for 2024 and to help you turn those dreams into specific, achievable action steps.

Though I am recording this practice around the start of the new year, you can use this practice any time you want to set some goals and intentions.

Additionally, I think that there is something nice about practicing along with a guided audio, but if you prefer to have the prompts written out, here is a list of the basic prompts that we will be covering during our time together:

* Take a moment to reflect broadly on the things you most value, or the areas of your life that you most want to prioritize this year. Keep it broad. These could be things like health, career, relationships, mental health, comfort, adventure, creativity, spirituality, helping others, etc. Feel free to make a bullet point list, or you can also free-write.

* Looking at the values that you identified in question 1, pick one to focus on for this practice. We are going to call this the theme for the practice. 

* Write about why you value this theme. Why is it important or meaningful to you? Spend a few minutes reflecting here.

* Now spend some time writing about what you want this area of your life to look like in the next year. Allow yourself to imagine and dream. No need to censor yourself. In an ideal world, what would this area of your life look like over the next year?

* Read over what you wrote for question 4. Can you distill your core desires for this theme into one sentence? This sentence does not need to include everything you desire, but it should capture the basic idea. We will call this sentence your intention.

* Can you come up with at least one goal to help you achieve your intention? How do you want to make your intention a reality?

* Take a look at your goal and see if you can reword it in the form of a SMART goal. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. See if you can turn your goal or goals from question 6 into goals with the SMART qualities.

* If you made more than one SMART goal, choose one to focus on for now. For that SMART goal, make a list of small action steps that you can take to achieve the goal. How will you break this goal into small, easy steps?

* Pick one action step from your list and commit to taking that action step as soon as you can. Sometimes it can be helpful to make the first action step comically small to start building your confidence. No matter how small the action step, make sure you allow yourself to celebrate. You are paving the way toward meeting your goal. 

For the next several months, I invite you to regularly check back in with your intention and goals. Repeat the journaling process as many times as you need, and make sure you stay flexible. If a goal isn’t working, feel free to adjust. Maybe you need to break it into smaller action steps or pick a new goal to help you work toward the same intention.

I hope you find this helpful, and I wish you a happy start to 2024!

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Join me for a twenty-minute retreat from the chaos of daily life. Grab a cup of tea, find a cozy corner, and gift yourself this time for relaxation and intention setting. You deserve it!