Safety
A Personal Note
When we talk about creating a mindful life, we often picture peaceful mornings, deep breaths, and the presence to appreciate small things.
But there’s something even more essential — something quieter, and often invisible:
Safety. When we feel safe, we can be present. When we feel unsafe we worry about the future or experience fear or anxiety from the past - both holding us back to be present, aware of the right here, right now. Certainly, for me knowing that I need to increase my sense of safety has helped me to dive deeper into my mindful life.
You cannot live mindfully — not truly — if some part of you feels unsafe.
That’s why for me, safety isn’t a bonus. It’s the soil in which a mindful life can grow.
And cultivating that sense of inner safety — over and over — is one of the most powerful acts of self-care I know.
“When we feel safe, we can soften. When we soften, we can see.”
— Unknown
Why Safety Is the Beginning of a Mindful Life
You can’t nourish something you're still defending yourself from.
If your nervous system is constantly scanning for danger (emotional, physical, or social), it’s nearly impossible to:
Slow down
Stay present
Make grounded choices
Or simply enjoy your life
Feeling safe — in your body, in your relationships, in your own presence — creates the conditions for every mindful moment to arise naturally.
A mindful life doesn’t come from forcing presence.
It comes from feeling safe enough to be present.
How a Mindful Life Helps You Navigate Unsafe Feelings
Life is uncertain. People are complex. Anxiety happens.
But when you've learned how to gently return to safety — within yourself — your response changes.
In a mindful life, safety isn’t about avoiding discomfort.
It’s about knowing how to meet it with care.
Instead of spiraling through fear or stress, you can:
Pause
Ground
Reconnect
Respond from calm, not chaos
This is how safety and a mindful life nourish each other.
Practices to Create & Restore Safety in Your Mindful Life
1. Meditation: Return to Your Body
A safe life starts with a safe internal world.
Try this short grounding practice:
“It is safe for me to be here now.”
Sit or lie down.
Place one hand on your belly.
Breathe slowly. Repeat the phrase gently for 2 minutes.
Let it be a reminder, not a command.
2. Journaling: Meet Your Inner Signals
A mindful life includes space to listen to what’s real. Use these prompts:
“I feel safe when…”
“I know I’m not feeling safe when…”
“What helps me feel just 1% safer?”
“What parts of me still need reassurance?”
Even 5 minutes of writing can create clarity and emotional safety.
3. Coaching: Safe Space, Supported Change
Sometimes, your nervous system needs a co-regulator — someone who can help you hold space for fear, uncertainty, or growth.
A coach can:
Reflect what’s happening in a safe, nonjudgmental way
Help you identify your triggers and patterns
Offer practices that support emotional safety and personal insight
Coaching isn’t just support — it’s safety in action.
Daily Practice: “It Is Safe for Me To...”
Make this a quiet ritual — at the start or end of your day.
Step 1: Breathe. Get still.
Step 2: Complete this sentence 3 times:
“It is safe for me to…”
Examples:
…rest without guilt.
…ask for what I need.
…say no kindly.
…not have all the answers.
Let these be gentle truths. Not affirmations to “convince” yourself — but permission slips that invite calm.
Closing Thought
You don’t build a mindful life by pushing harder.
You build it by creating spaces — inside and out — where you can safely be yourself.
Safety is the first layer of nourishment.
It is what allows presence to grow, softness to return, and peace to deepen.
And with each breath, each boundary, and each moment of kindness to yourself…
You are cultivating something truly powerful:
A life rooted in safety.
A life rich with presence.
A life that no longer needs to run.