Unbalanced AF

Sometimes the loudest forces in our lives are the quietest ones—thoughts, beliefs, and emotional patterns running in the background, shaping how we move through the world without us even realizing it. This meditation invites you to pause, tune in, and gently question the internal voices influencing your choices and self-perception. Who said you have to be perfect? Who said you’re behind? This isn’t about judgment—it’s about curiosity. When you learn to notice those inner narratives without letting them drive, you create the space to choose something more true.

In this meditation, you’ll:

• Scan the body to uncover subtle tension and internalized beliefs

• Bring awareness to background narratives that shape your behavior

• Reclaim your voice and return to a place of clarity and choice

When the world feels like a hard place, it can be tempting to shut down, numb out, or toughen up just to get through it. But in this morning meditation, we explore a different way. This practice invites you to soften—not as a sign of surrender, but as an act of strength. You’ll release tension, connect with your breath, and stay open in a world that often rewards the opposite. Softness doesn’t mean you stop caring or fighting for what’s right. It means you show up—with empathy, with presence, with your full humanity intact.

In this meditation, you’ll:

• Let go of emotional tension and defensiveness

• Cultivate openness without collapsing

• Reclaim softness as a powerful, grounded response

  
  

  Find our morning meditation community at https://app.arketa.co/iframe/balancedplanetyogallc/series/QgQNCXopFp3g4B8qqFOD

  
  

In a world that demands constant action, urgency, and control, it can feel almost radical to soften. This meditation invites you to do just that—not as a way to escape responsibility, but as a way to meet this moment with steadiness, clarity, and presence. Through gentle breath and awareness, you'll release the need to hold it all together and lean into the quiet support that’s always available. This is not about giving up—it’s about showing up, grounded and awake. Because sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is not push harder, but soften into the strength of being fully here.

In this meditation, you’ll:

• Learn how softening the body can steady the mind

• Reconnect with inner and outer support systems

• Shift from overwhelmed to grounded presence in just minutes

Looking to join us live on weekday mornings or even a morning here or there? Head to www.BalancedPlanetYoga.com - click on BPY Communities, then Meditation Community. Sign up from there; it is totally free! You'll get an email with the Zoom link every night, or go back to the same online meditation community every morning and click Launch class.

We start this one hungry—literally. Join us for a classic sideways rant about forgetting to eat, hyperfocusing to the point of vanishing, and the sheer terror of stepping away when you're "in the flow." (Spoiler: you won’t actually lose your genius if you pause for lunch.) We get into the necessity of planning—and the beautiful chaos of when the plan blows up. Like “Free for All” night in the kitchen, where the kids thought it was a treat and not a total mom Hail Mary. (Also, can we talk about the brilliance of breakfast for dinner? Cheryl’s kitchen might’ve been the original Chopped set.)

Then, in true Unbalanced AF fashion—we PIVOT. We open up about what’s happening at the studio, our decision to downsize, and how this isn’t our first pivot rodeo. It’s real, it’s raw, and it’s a reminder that sometimes what looks like a breakdown is actually the start of a better plan.

What if you didn’t have to hold it all together?What if this moment could hold you?

In this soft and spacious meditation, you’re invited to lay it all down—the tension, the noise, the striving—and return to what’s always been beneath it: the quiet hum of being.
Breathe gently. Soften completely. Let presence hold you.

You’ll be guided through:

🌿 A settling of the body, like earth receiving rain💫 A journey inward, where breath opens space within🌬 A surrender into being held—by breath, by life, by something greater☁️ A resting in the sky of your awareness, vast and free

Let this be your reminder: You are not your thoughts. You are not your tension. You are the space they move through.

#Stillness #InnerPeace #PoeticMeditation #GuidedMeditation #HeldByPresence

✨ Expanding Presence: You are Not Separate ✨

This guided meditation invites you to go beyond the boundaries of your thoughts, emotions, and physical form—to soften into something much bigger: the space around you, your connection to everything, and the infinite awareness that holds it all.

In this journey, you’ll explore:

🌬️ A gentle opening that shifts focus from the inner world to the outer space of presence🌌 A step-by-step expansion—from body, to room, to boundless awareness🌊 The realization that you are not just the wave—you are also the ocean🌟 A closing return that leaves you both grounded and vast

This is more than mindfulness—it’s a powerful reset that moves you from self-focus to a felt sense of oneness and belonging.

Perfect for those moments when you need to reconnect, realign, and remember: You are not small. You are not separate. You are infinite.

#Meditation #Presence #Oneness #SpaciousAwareness #GuidedMeditation #Mindfulness

What’s the Price of Being the Strong One?

In this episode of Unbalanced AF, Cheryl and Jenna—two tired, type-A, firstborns—dig into the emotional toll of always being the capable one—the one who shows up, holds it all together, and still finds time to plant-based meal prep like a boss (or order from Greens + Grains like the regulars we are).

We talk about what it means to be “strong” because we were the first: the guinea pigs, the nurturers, the ones who had to rise to the occasion whether we were ready or not. And how that kind of strength comes with a side effect we don’t talk about enough—not knowing how to slow down, and feeling like we need permission to rest or do nothing at all.

Also in this episode:
🍳 The non-stick pan incident—because sometimes, you just can’t anymore
😅 That awkward moment when someone says, “I don’t know how you do it,” and we’re like, “Yeah… us either”
🧠 Avoidance as a survival strategy (aka pretending everything’s fine)
😴 The guilt of resting, and how hard it is to let people see the cracks

Because being strong isn’t about doing it all—it’s about knowing when to stop, breathe, and not spiral because you forgot to soak the cashews.

In a world that keeps us stuck in our heads—analyzing, planning, reacting—true presence isn’t about managing thoughts. It’s about feeling fully alive in this moment.

This guided meditation invites you to shift out of the mind and into the body, connecting with the two ancient rhythms always with you: your heartbeat and breath. As you tune into these natural pulses, you’ll cultivate a deep sense of calm, awareness, and aliveness.

🌿 What to expect in this meditation:
✔️ Reconnect with your body’s intelligence—beyond thought
✔️ Use your heartbeat as an anchor to the present moment
✔️ Experience breath as a bridge between mind and body
✔️ Sense the subtle energy within you—your life force in motion
✔️ Expand into connection with the world around you

Whenever life feels overwhelming, return to this: the pulse of presence. Your breath. Your heartbeat. The simple aliveness of now.

📅 Join us live each morning at 7:30 AM www.BalancedPlanetYoga.com/bpy-communities/

You know the drill—tight hamstrings, stubborn ego, and that one teacher always yelling, "Bend your knees!" But what if that cue isn’t just about your down dog? In this episode, we dive into samskaras—our deep-seated patterns—and how what we do on the mat is exactly what we carry off of it. From resisting help (even when our hamstrings are screaming) to repeating the same habits in life, we unpack how awareness, humor, and maybe finally bending our knees can help break the cycle. Spoiler: It’s not just about yoga—it’s about life. So, take a deep breath, drop the ego, and for the love of all things stretchy, bend the knees!

7-Minute Guided Insight Meditation: The Changing Seasons of Emotion

Just like the seasons shift from winter’s stillness to spring’s renewal, our emotions are always moving—arriving, staying for a time, and eventually passing. This short yet powerful meditation invites you to observe your emotional landscape with the same patience and trust you bring to the changing seasons.

Through breath, visualization, and gentle reflection, you’ll learn to:
🍃 Recognize your emotional “weather” without judgment
🌸 Witness emotions as they arise, unfold, and fade naturally
💨 Release resistance and allow change to happen effortlessly

Step into the freshness of the present moment and embrace the flow of emotions like a warm breeze after winter. 🌞✨