S1 E14: Presence and Holding Space with Sara Garnier
Today’s episode is with Sara Garnier, a massage therapist focused on craniosacral therapy. Her business is called Presence Bodywork, which, once you hear from her, you’ll see why that’s the perfect name. After dealing with Lyme disease a few years ago, Sara went through a transformation which left her much more rooted in intuition, embodiment practices, and the most intensive self-care we’ve ever heard about! We have deep conversation about so many things, including how she moved from a more general massage therapy background to specializing in craniosacral therapy, how we often work too hard in an effort to prove our worth, and how she determines her personal energy capacity, which is all very inspiring.
This is the last episode in Season 1, but we’ll keep you posted about the start date of Season 2!
TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:
Sara’s background in massage therapy and how she came to specializing in craniosacral therapy
Her first time turning down a client and how that made her feel
Famine/scarcity mindset
Allowing space for transformation in her clients and herself
The importance of knowing her limits
That no one really prepares you for the emotional side of being your own boss
How Sara transitioned from being an employee to being her own boss
Getting embodied (paying attention to bodily signals)
Committing to listening to intuition is its own accomplishment
The “hustle” and not listening to our bodies is destructive
Working to prove one’s worth (subconsciously or not)
The slippery slope of working constantly
How Sara determines her capacity and creates her schedule accordingly, even quantifying the hours of rest needed to preserve her energy
Sara’s self-care practices (next-level!), including meditation, body work, music, yoga, walking, pets, quiet evenings, conscious movement group
Practicing present awareness and being “ridiculously tender” with herself
Drawbacks and benefits of social media (“a socially acceptable form of addiction”)
What she’s intentionally stepped away from and released, in order to make more space for what matters
Sara’s spiritual practices and how they’ve impacted her life, business, and how she interacts with clients and others in her life
The power of the somatic meditation retreat that she had just returned from
Giving ourselves more credit when dealing with traumas of all sizes
It’s okay if all of this spiritual stuff is difficult - it’s all a practice!
Meeting everything with presence as it shows up, and not turning away
Sara’s astrological chart and how it reflects in her business and personal life
Friendly reminder: we are okay the way we are, and we don’t need to be fixed - we can hold space for each other!
RESOURCES DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:
Brianna Christie / Modify Salon
Apple screen time feature
Dharma Ocean - Blazing Mountain Retreat Center
Somatic meditations from Dr. Reggie Ray
Bliss and Grit podcast
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Pianist and composer