My first 40 Day Challenge I ever did was a turning point in my life.
I had severe PTSD from a near-death pulmonary embolism in 2014. While I was so grateful to be alive, the aftermath was hard.
I was anxious all the time.
I was short-tempered.
I had mini panic attacks almost every day.
I had recurring nightmares.
I was struggling with the basic tasks of daily life.
I was doing all I could to “fix” the problem, but nothing helped.
Eventually, my sister suggested I try meditation as a means to cope and found a teacher who was offering a 40 Day Meditation challenge.
The challenge was simple: meditate every day for 40 days and see what happens.
I had nothing to lose, so I signed up.
That 40-day meditation challenge changed my life. Dare I even say, “saved” my life.
It was a turning point in so many ways. Not only did it dramatically help my trauma symptoms, but it turned into a sacred devotional practice I still do to this day twelve years later.
My passion for meditation eventually led me to teach meditation challenges to thousands of students afterwards.
I believed deeply in the power of a simple daily practice.
And I still do.
But here’s where my story takes an unexpected turn.
In 2022 my family went through a traumatic event that changed our lives and relationships overnight.
Little did I know this was only the domino for two other massive traumas that would follow and push my nervous system far beyond what I had ever experienced before.
I found myself living with profound fear and disillusionment. My worldview crashed. My identity crumbled.
My marriage, my family, my religion, my business, and everything that used to feel safe suddenly felt like something I could no longer trust.
So naturally, I turned to what helped me deal with trauma before.
I meditated.
And meditated.
And meditated.
But this time, things were different.
I felt okay while I was sitting on my meditation cushion. But the second I re-entered my real life, I could be instantly triggered into a rush of activation again.
I felt like I was always moments away from falling apart.
I couldn’t understand it.
Here was this practice I loved.
A practice that had profoundly changed my life.
A practice I had taught to thousands of people.
Why wasn’t it working for me now?!
Especially when I needed it most?!
Eventually I encountered an idea that completely shifted the way I understood what was happening:
Different nervous system states need different kinds of support.
Wait…
You mean maybe meditation isn’t the answer to everything?!!
For someone who had built an entire identity and business around teaching meditation, this was a little confronting. 🙂
But it was also incredibly hopeful.
Maybe the tool my body needed in this particular season was simply different from the tool that had supported me before.
And that sent me down a rabbit hole studying the nervous system.
I began learning simple neuro-somatic tools I could use in everyday life. Practical tools I could use in a few seconds or minutes.
Tools I could use in public.
In my car.
Lying in bed.
With my kids.
In a coaching session.
And perhaps most importantly, tools that helped me learn how to listen to my own nervous system instead of assuming what it needed.
I still meditate every day.
I still love it.
But now it’s one tool among many.
I’ve learned that sometimes my nervous system needs stillness… and sometimes it needs something entirely different.
This is a huge part of why I created 40 Days of Peace.
Maybe you’ve experienced this too.
Maybe you’ve had tools that helped you enormously at one point in your life, but suddenly they don’t seem to be enough.
Or maybe sitting still and meditating has never felt particularly supportive to your nervous system in the first place.
Your body is unique.
And learning how to listen to what your nervous system needs is a huge part of what we’ll practice together in 40 Days of Peace.
Because you can’t just think your way into peace. Your body has to come with you.
Delightfully,
Brooke
P.S. If you’ve ever struggled with meditation because sitting still feels impossible, I think you’re going to love experiencing some very different ways of supporting your nervous system.
If you’d like to go a little deeper:
→ Begin here: Free Meditation
A simple way to reconnect, reset, and experience this work for yourself.
→ Continue your practice: Meditation Library
A collection of guided meditations to help you move from understanding this work… to actually living it.
→Get support: Book a Clarity Call
A space to explore what you’re navigating and see if coaching together feels aligned. (Complimentary)
If you have any questions, just reply and ask!