Community Sanctuary Session

Breathwork

Breathwork uses intentional breathing patterns to regulate the nervous system, release stored emotions, and promote mental clarity. Rooted in ancient Indian yogic practices (pranayama), breathwork has been used for centuries to cultivate calm, presence, and self-awareness. As a foundational tool for self-connection, studies show breathwork can reduce cortisol by up to 50%.

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Somatics​

Somatic practices help individuals become aware of physiological sensations, connect to (stored) emotions within their body, and move through the completion of stress responses. Somatic practices have roots in indigenous healing practices worldwide, where movement, mind-body connection, grounding, and dance – to name a few – are used to express and process emotions. Modern somatic experiencing was developed by Dr. Peter Levine, based on insights from physiology and trauma studies. These practices help people reconnect with their bodies as a source of understanding and safety, allowing them to process emotions physically and mentally. Somatic movement brings a sense of embodiment and healing by giving space to experience and presence.

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Meditation

Meditation is a practice of focused awareness that can enhance relaxation, self-awareness, and emotional regulation. Studies show that meditation reduces symptoms of anxiety by up to 30% and has been found to create changes in the brain’s amygdala and prefrontal cortex, areas associated with emotional processing and stress regulation. Originating in ancient Eastern spiritual practices, including Buddhism and Hinduism, meditation has been practiced for centuries to achieve inner peace, mindfulness, and spiritual growth. Meditation is included to give people a safe space for introspection, helping them approach their thoughts and emotions from a place of calm awareness, curiosity, and compassion. It allows participants to be present in the moment, enhancing self-connection, mental clarity, and emotional resilience.​

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Guided Imagery & Visualization

Guided imagery and visualization use mental stimulation to connect to emotional and cognitive processes that can influence mood, reduce stress, and promote self-empowerment. Visualization practices have long been used across cultures, such as Ancient Greece, for emotional and spiritual connection, storytelling, healing rituals, and more. Studies show that visualization can significantly lower cortisol levels and decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression. Visualization exercises can activate the brain’s neuroplasticity, allowing individuals to release limiting beliefs and rebuild confidence. Visualization is a powerful tool for emotional healing, self-discovery, and connecting with one’s inner potential and dreams.

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Sound Therapy

Sound therapy utilizes the therapeutic properties of sound—such as tones, frequencies, and rhythms—to create a calming atmosphere, promote relaxation, and support emotional processing. Sound healing has roots in many cultures, including Lakota, Hopi, Aztec, Mayan, Māori, Yorba, Ashanti, Zulu, and many more, where sound rituals were used to promote healing and community connection. Research indicates that certain frequencies can enhance mood, lower stress, and improve sleep. Sound therapy is included to create an immersive and soothing environment that aids in emotional release, calming the mind, and elevating confidence and self-connection.​

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Positive Psychology

Positive psychology helps us build confidence, reframe self-talk, and move through negative self-bias. It supports the processing of core emotional wounds by combining self-compassion with hopeful reframing. While modern in its research, it draws from ancient cultural and indigenous practices, such as gratitude, mindfulness, and storytelling. Traditions like Ubuntu in Africa, mindfulness in Buddhism, and other indigenous cultural teachings emphasize collective wellbeing, shared humanity, and self-compassion. Rooted in timeless wisdom and modern science, these practices offer tools to reconnect with resilience, purpose, and joy. The inclusion of these practices are to help uplift your self-expression and perception while processing long-held emotions, beliefs, and stories about your experiences.

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Body Scanning

Body scanning is a mindfulness practice that involves bringing awareness to each part of the body to release tension and uncover underlying emotions. Rooted in Buddhist Vipassana meditation, it teaches practitioners to observe bodily sensations without judgment, cultivating acceptance and self-awareness. The Hakomi method, which integrates mindfulness and somatic awareness, enhances body scanning by helping participants explore how emotions and beliefs manifest physically, allowing for deeper emotional processing. Additionally, tense-and-release techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation, actively engage muscle groups to release tension and increase mind-body awareness. Together, these practices help participants detect areas where emotions might be stored in the body, facilitating their gentle release. Body scanning fosters relaxation, emotional clarity, and a stronger connection between the body and mind, supporting overall well-being and healing.

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Subconscious Writing

Subconscious writing is a practice of free-flowing, unfiltered expression that allows individuals to access the deeper layers of their mind, uncovering hidden emotions, ideas, and insights. Characterized by its stream-of-consciousness style, it involves writing continuously without pausing to analyze or edit, fostering self-expression without judgment. This approach is deeply introspective, offering therapeutic benefits like emotional processing, stress relief, and self-awareness while also serving as a powerful tool for creativity and problem-solving. Though often used in modern therapeutic and creative practices, subconscious writing has roots in ancient and indigenous traditions. Many cultures, such as those of the Maya, Native American tribes, and African spiritual practices, embraced writing or symbolic representation as a means of connecting with inner wisdom and the unseen. These traditions often used writing, drawing, or storytelling in rituals to channel intuition, heal emotional wounds, or convey spiritual insights, demonstrating the enduring human impulse to externalize inner truths.

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Therapeutic Storytelling

Storytelling for emotional healing is an ancient practice deeply rooted in tradition, where narratives are used to process emotions, share wisdom, and foster connection. This practice involves giving voice to personal or shared experiences, helping us make sense of grief, joy, trauma, rage, or shame in community. Through this practice we may externalize emotions through metaphor, fantasy characterization, and symbolism. Or, we may choose to share a memory-based perspective of events, centering our self as the narrator and protagonist of the story – giving view to our inner monologue explaining what was happening inside of us as the events transpired outside of us. Storytelling creates a safe space for reflection, release, and understanding. Indigenous cultures, such as Native American and African communities, have long used storytelling in ceremonies, rituals, and gatherings to heal emotional wounds and restore harmony. Native American oral traditions often wove stories of resilience, ancestors, and spiritual guidance, allowing individuals to navigate personal challenges within a communal framework. Similarly, West African griots (storytellers) preserved histories and offered moral lessons through vibrant tales, which often addressed themes of loss, reconciliation, and triumph. Across cultures, storytelling serves as a bridge between the inner world of emotions and the outer world of shared human experience, promoting healing, empathy, and growth.