Sacred Boundaries
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Erica: [00:00:00] Struggling with saying no without guilt? This episode of Inner Sanctuary RAW unpacks the nervous system roots of self-abandonment—and guides you back to boundaries that feel safe, embodied, and sacred.
If you were taught to be the peacekeeper, the fixer, the one who always says yes, you probably learned early, that boundaries equal danger.
But sacred boundaries? They don't push people away. They call your soul home.
In this episode of Inner Sanctuary Raw, we're going to unpack the nervous system reason you abandon yourself, and how to set boundaries that feel safe, body, and sacred.
Welcome to the Inner Sanctuary Raw, where we strip away the polished version [00:01:00] of healing and get real about what it takes to come home to yourself.
Let's get honest. Most people don't struggle with boundaries because they're weak. They struggle because their nervous system is wired for survival and saying, no feels like danger. Like rejection, like abandonment.
So you keep abandoning yourself, instead. You give, you overextend, you say yes when your gut is screaming, no. And then you feel resentful, exhausted, and disconnected. But what if your boundaries weren't walls? What if they were a sacred agreement with your own soul.
Let's bring it into the body. When you grew up in chaos or in a [00:02:00] family where love was conditional, your nervous system started linking boundaries with loss. Maybe saying no, got you punished or withdrawing, made someone lash out. Or setting a need meant you got ghosted, ignored, or guilt tripped. So now your body panics. Anytime you try to protect yourself.
Your brain interprets boundary setting as a threat to connection. That's not mindset, it's biology. But here's the good news. You can rewire that.
Every time you practice a boundary, you teach your nervous system that it's safe to choose you. With repetition, your body learns. It's safe to say no. It's safe to have needs. It's safe to [00:03:00] protect your peace.
I used to pride myself on being the "strong one". The one who held space for everyone. The one who didn't need much. Until one day I realized, my body was screaming, my energy was gone, and I couldn't tell where I ended and others began.
Setting sacred boundaries didn't come from a place of anger. It came from a place of finally choosing to love myself, too.
I learned that boundaries weren't about keeping people out. They were about letting myself in.
Boundaries are not rejection. Boundaries are [00:04:00] regulation. Boundaries are a signal to your nervous system that says, I am safe enough to choose. S not from fear, not from people pleasing. But from presence. Sacred boundaries say I can hold myself. Even if you don't like my, no. I can be rooted even when others want me to bend.
I don't abandon me to belong to you.
Every time you honor a boundary. You're building a bridge back to yourself.
Let's practice together. If it's safe, close your eyes. Take a deep breath into your belly. Exhale, slow through your mouth. Let your body soften. Place one hand on your heart [00:05:00] and one hand on your solar plexus just above your navel.
Repeat out loud or in your mind. It is safe to choose myself. My "no" is sacred.
Boundaries are a gift, not a punishment.
Feel your body anchor into that knowing. Breathe it in. Let it settle. You are safe Now.
You don't need to explain your boundaries. You don't need permission to protect your peace. You just need to remember this. Every time you honor your limits, you come home to yourself and that is [00:06:00] sacred.
Thanks for listening to the Inner Sanctuary Raw. If this spoke to your soul, send it to someone who needs a reminder:
they're allowed to say no.
Thanks for tuning in to Inner Sanctuary RAW. If this episode reminded you of your worth, share it with someone who needs to remember—saying no can be the most sacred yes of all.
