Navigating Triggers with Grace
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Erica: [00:00:00] Ever find yourself spiraling from a small comment or look, like it rips open an old wound you thought was healed?
This episode of Inner Sanctuary Raw is about navigating those moments, your triggers with the grace, power, and a deep sense of self-compassion . And by the end of today's episode, I'll guide you through a brand new somatic exercise that'll help you stop the spiral before it owns you.
Welcome to Inner Sanctuary Raw, the space where we strip away the polished version of healing and get real about what it takes to come home to yourself.
Let's be real. Triggers are not the enemy. I know, it feels like they are right? That punch in the gut moment when something so small sets you off and you're thinking, why am I reacting like this? I thought I was past this.
But here's the truth. Your triggers [00:01:00] are messengers. They're the nervous system's alarm bell saying, "Hey, there's something here you've been carrying." Most of us were taught to silence that alarm and to "get over it", to perform and pretend it's all fine. But ignoring a trigger doesn't heal it. It just buries it deeper and deeper, waiting for the next explosion.
A trigger is not about the person or the situation in front of you. It's about the wound underneath the part of you that felt unseen, unsafe, or unworthy way before this moment. Think of it like someone pressing on a bruise.
They didn't cause the bruise, but their touch reminds you it's still there. Navigating triggers with grace isn't about avoiding them. It's about slowing down [00:02:00] enough to feel what's underneath without judgment. When you can meet that triggered part of you with curiosity instead of shame, something powerful happens.
You start to respond instead of react. You start to parent your nervous system instead of letting your survival instincts run the show.
Maybe next time you're triggered, you can ask yourself, "what is this really about? What old bruise is being pressed right now?" And when you can hold yourself in that moment. With compassion instead of criticism, that's when healing begins.
Let's practice something together. Find a comfortable position. You can be standing, sitting, or even lying down.
Take a slow [00:03:00] breath in through your nose. And let it out through your mouth.
We're not forcing anything here, just slowing down. All right. The first step is finding your anchor point. Place one hand on your chest and one hand on the back of your neck as if you're cradling yourself.
Feel the warmth of your own touch. Notice how your body responds to feeling held.
All right. The next step is to label what you feel when you feel a trigger coming on your body goes into survival mode. So right now, say out loud or in your mind, I'm safe. I am here. This is just a memory in my body.[00:04:00]
Now we're gonna expand your space. Breathe into the space under your hands, feeling your chest rise into your palm. On the exhale, imagine your breath softening the back of your neck, releasing any tension your body has been holding.
Just breathe.
Perfect. Take a deep inhale in through your nose. Hold it for two. And exhale with a sigh like you're letting go of weight you've carried for too long. Ah. Let's do that two more times. Inhale through your nose, [00:05:00] hold it for two.
Exhale through your mouth. Letting go. Ah.
Inhale through your nose. Hold it and exhale through your mouth. Ah.
Say quietly to yourself. I choose grace. I choose presence.
Notice how even 60 seconds of this changes the way your body feels. This is your anchor. Use it the next time life presses on an old bruise.
Just take a moment. Sitting in the [00:06:00] stillness.
That's it. Triggers show up. That's not a sign that you're broken. It's a sign your body is asking to be listened to. So the next time you feel that wave rising, don't fight it. Anchor yourself, breathe, choose grace over the spiral.
If this resonated, share it with someone who needs this reminder today. You never know who's silently fighting their own nervous system war.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Erica: Triggers don’t define [00:07:00] you—they’re simply reminders of where healing still wants to happen. When the next wave rises, breathe, anchor, and choose grace—because you are stronger and softer than the story your body remembers.
