Day 1: Welcome and Breathwork

Summary

In this first session of the 'Yes to Me' challenge, Charlotte Ma and Cindy Brockway guide you through practices that prioritize self-care and nervous system regulation. Charlotte, a physiotherapist and coach, shares techniques for regulating stress and burnout, emphasizing the importance of breathwork in creating safety and calm in your body. Cindy, a courage coach, focuses on guiding high-achieving women toward peace, purpose, and clarity. The session introduces powerful tools like the physiological sigh and peripheral vision exercises to help reset your nervous system, fostering emotional and physical well-being. It’s a journey of self-empowerment, one breath at a time.

Takeaways

• 😀 Charlotte Ma and Cindy Brockway are introducing the 'Yes to Me' challenge focused on self-care, stress management, and nervous system regulation.
• 😀 The challenge aims to help people prioritize themselves using science-backed tools for emotional regulation and well-being.
• 😀 Charlotte emphasizes the importance of regulating the nervous system to manage stress and prevent burnout, using simple techniques grounded in neuroscience.
• 😀 Cindy Brockway works with high-achieving women to shift from survival mode to a life of peace, purpose, and clarity.
• 😀 The challenge is designed to avoid adding more stress by offering simple, actionable tools that reset the nervous system and promote emotional well-being.
• 😀 The first day's focus is on breathing and grounding techniques to help manage the overwhelming feelings of stress, particularly in the mornings.
• 😀 Breathing is a key tool in regulating the autonomic nervous system, and learning to breathe properly can signal safety to the body.
• 😀 The physiological sigh, a breathing technique, helps reduce stress and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation.
• 😀 Peripheral vision is also incorporated into the practice, helping participants to soften their gaze and feel a sense of calm and safety.
• 😀 The challenge encourages short, consistent practices each morning to shift from stress to calm, ultimately rewiring the body’s natural response to stress.
• 😀 Tomorrow's session, led by Cindy, will introduce a prayerful soundscape exercise designed to reconnect with inner peace in a personal way.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the Yes to Me challenge?

The main purpose of the Yes to Me challenge is to help individuals prioritize themselves by using tools for nervous system regulation and self-care practices that are easy to incorporate into their daily routines.

What is Charlotte Ma's professional background and area of expertise?

Charlotte Ma is a physiotherapist and coach with a background in functional neurology, somatic practices, and neuro-linguistic programming. She specializes in helping people regulate their nervous systems to manage stress and prevent burnout.

How does Charlotte describe her approach to self-care?

Charlotte describes her approach to self-care as one focused on providing quick, tangible techniques grounded in neuroscience, which allow participants to feel empowered and use tools that can have an immediate impact on their well-being.

What is Cindy Brockway's role and philosophy in the challenge?

Cindy Brockway is a courage coach, educator, and self-expansion guide. She helps high-achieving women shift out of survival mode and toward a life of peace, purpose, and clarity using soul-nourishing tools.

What was a common struggle that Charlotte mentioned in her self-care journey?

Charlotte mentioned the struggle of going through the motions of self-care practices like journaling and meditation but still feeling mentally unsettled and guilty about not fully engaging with the process.

Why is breathing an important part of nervous system regulation, according to Charlotte?

Breathing is important because it is one of the few functions within the autonomic nervous system that we can consciously control. Proper breathing helps to regulate the nervous system and signal safety, promoting relaxation and reducing stress.

What is the 'physiological sigh' and how does it help with stress regulation?

The physiological sigh involves a deep breath followed by an additional inhalation at the top, then a long exhale. This technique helps to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the body and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, aiding in stress reduction and emotional regulation.

How does peripheral vision contribute to the practice of relaxation?

Peripheral vision helps activate a primal signal of safety in the brain. By softening the gaze and allowing the periphery to come into focus, the body receives a calming signal that reduces tension and promotes relaxation.

What does Cindy Brockway suggest about the emotional benefits of the breathing practices?

Cindy Brockway emphasizes that the breathing practices not only support physiological benefits but also trigger emotional and spiritual calm, helping individuals reconnect with themselves and rewire from survival mode to inner peace.

What can participants expect in the next session of the Yes to Me challenge?

In the next session, Cindy Brockway will guide participants through a prayerful soundscape exercise, which is designed to help them pause, breathe, and reconnect with inner peace in a deeply personal way.