By Stephanie Bucklin
There is a certain kind of wisdom that can’t be found in books, courses, or someone else’s path. It’s the wisdom that comes from lived experience — from the moments we actually show up for our own lives with presence, curiosity, and compassion.
For years, I’ve returned to this truth:
Life becomes our greatest teacher when we stop rushing past it. Presence is not something we perfect; it is something we practice.
And recently, my lived experience has been inviting me—again and again—into deeper presence with myself. Not the polished, “I’ve got it all together” version of me, but the raw, unguarded human beneath it. The one who feels deeply. The one whose emotions sometimes knock her off center… but who is learning to honor them as sacred messengers.
Sitting With What Is
Emotions used to derail my focus, my sense of safety, even my identity. Now, I’m learning to sit with them.
- Not to fix them.
- Not to bypass them.
- Just to be with them.
When I pause long enough to actually feel, something extraordinary happens: The emotion softens, the body settles, and awareness returns to the present moment — where truth is waiting.
Thich Nhat Hanh once said:
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
I’ve found this to be the compass I return to every time.
Breath as the Bridge to Freedom
When I focus on my breath, something shifts. My awareness drops from the overthinking mind into the heart space — the quiet sanctuary where coherence begins. Breathing with intention creates an inner alignment that feels like coming home.
- A simple inhale…
- A longer exhale…
- A hand resting on my chest…
And suddenly, the storm inside me clears. A warm calm washes over every cell. Fear loosens its grip.
And in that softness, I remember: I am free.
This breath is the key. My lived experience is the curriculum of my own awakening.
Joe Dispenza describes heart coherence as a “harmonic resonance” that activates our capacity for intuition, healing, and clarity. I experience this firsthand every time I breathe into my heart and choose presence over panic.
The Medicine of Awareness
Mindfulness is not the absence of challenges — it’s the presence of awareness during the challenge.
Jon Kabat-Zinn teaches:
“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”
And living in conscious awareness means meeting each wave with a willingness to feel, to witness, and to respond rather than react. Every experience — the grief, the joy, the heartbreak, the revelation — becomes part of the medicine. Part of the practice. Part of what shapes us into wiser, more loving versions of ourselves.
Lived Experience as a Spiritual Path
When we stop outsourcing our wisdom and start trusting our own inner guidance, life transforms.
We realize:
- Our emotions are not setbacks — they are invitations
- Our breath is not an afterthought — it is a spiritual tool
- Our presence is not optional — it is the gateway to healing
- Our lived experience is not random — it is sacred curriculum
This is conscious living. This is intentional embodiment. This is mindfulness in action. And it’s available to every one of us, in any moment we choose to return to ourselves.
For Those Wanting to Explore More Deeply
If this path of presence and conscious living resonates with you, here are some books and channels that have profoundly influenced my own journey:
Books for Expanded Learning
- The Power of Now — Eckhart Tolle
- Wherever You Go, There You Are — Jon Kabat-Zinn
- The Miracle of Mindfulness — Thich Nhat Hanh
- Becoming Supernatural — Dr. Joe Dispenza
- Radical Acceptance — Tara Brach
- Anatomy of the Spirit — Caroline Myss
YouTube Channels on Meditation, Mindfulness & Conscious Living
- JustTapIn – Emilio Ortiz (consciousness & heart-centered wisdom)
- Wake Me Up – Tyler (guided meditations + mindset)
- Eluna Noelle (intuitive healing & ascension wisdom)
- Activations with JJ (energy work & intuition)
- Michael from Healing & Beyond (mindfulness & awakening)
- Dr. Joe Dispenza (meditations & coherence practices)
- Sadhguru (spiritual clarity & consciousness talks)
Each offers a slightly different doorway into awakening — choose the one that resonates with your soul in this season.
Closing Reflection
Your lived experience is not a mistake. It’s not something to hide, escape, or apologize for. Your lived experience is the very thing that makes you wise, compassionate, embodied, and real.
Whatever you are moving through right now — breathe into it. Honor it. Witness it.
Let it reveal the truth beneath the noise. You are not behind. You are not broken. You are awakening.
And your presence — your honest, tender, heart-led presence — is enough.
Namaste,
~S
✨ Your Path to Unshakable Inner Peace Begins Here
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