👋🏾 Hey, I'm Rashida…overthinker, feeler, yoga & mindfulness teacher, and recovering strong friend. I'm here because I know what it's like to carry the world on your shoulders and secretly crave permission to put it down. Each week, I share reflections, personal stories, and gentle practices to help you redefine what strength means, reclaim your rest, and finally let yourself be held.

Dear Strong Friend,

This week’s post is a little different, but still just for you. You can skim the summary below or catch the full vibe in the audio above…your choice. Whichever way you take it in, I hope it lands exactly where you need it.

When was the last time you paused…not because you had to but because your body asked you to?

Most of us don’t get that far. We wait until we’re on the edge. Until the breakdown. Until our bodies refuse to keep pushing through.

This week’s episode begins a four-part journey through the H.E.L.D. framework, a system I created after years of trying to hold myself through exhaustion I didn’t feel allowed to name.

Each phase — Honor, Express, Lean, and Define — guides us out of silent overwhelm and back to a strength that doesn’t cost our softness.

Today, we begin with Honor…the sacred practice of pausing long enough to feel what’s been pushed aside.

Not fix. Not perform. Just notice.

Because when you’re always the one holding space, carrying weight, keeping things together…you stop hearing your own voice.

You start bracing instead of breathing.

You forget that you’re allowed to be tired. And tender. And in need.

But here’s the truth:

Your exhaustion isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom. It’s a body that’s been whispering, “please let me rest.”

In this episode, I offer a letter, a simple body check-in, and an invitation to return to yourself without guilt.

Not because you’ve earned it.

But because you exist.

And that’s enough.

🌬 Invitation to Reflect:

As you move through the week, return to this question:

“What part of me needs to be honored today?”

Let it be simple. Let it be yours.

A need. A truth. A boundary. A feeling.

Whatever comes up—you don’t have to explain it.

Just honor it.

You deserve a life that holds space for your humanity too.

xo,

Rashida

aka your strong friend who is honoring you for showing up for yourself

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P.S. - Are you feeling the vibe & desire more personalized support? My 1:1 Voxer coaching offers gentle guidance, practical tools, and a safe space to help you shift from silently holding it all together to finally feeling held. Learn more here.

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