We were lucky to catch up with Terri Kaiser recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Terri thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

I have been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of so much kindness, but in this moment, 1 particular recent event stands out to me.

I had been spending quite a bit of time during the week reflecting on things that had been going on in my mind and in my heart, and I was feeling a bit emotional during one of my Yoga Nidra classes. I could feel the emotion creeping up from my throat into my voice, and from my heart into my eyes as I looked out, feeling overwhelmingly lucky to have the energy of these beautiful people in my class. I closed my eyes and wished each participant love and happiness from my heart to theirs, and then ended class. I continued to feel emotional after everyone left…that feeling of love for them was just so overwhelming and powerful. After I put everything away, I went out to the lobby to turn out the lights and found the most beautiful pink sticky note on the counter saying “Teri we love you xox”. I have no idea who wrote it or why they felt compelled to write it on that particular night, but it was the most incredible feeling to know that the love I felt for all of them was reciprocated. Sometimes it just takes 2 seconds to write a tiny note that carries a world of meaning behind it. I carry that little pink sticky note with me, and whenever I need a boost, I look at it, and it instantly fills my heart. So to my secret note writer…Thank you soooo much!! I love you too!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I actually never thought I would have my own business! And even now I’m surprised and grateful that I do. I was married, and a stay at home mom to 3 incredible kids (of course, right?). My life revolved around carpools, meals, laundry, and volunteering at their respective schools. I was football mom, dance mom, volleyball mom, basketball mom, cheer mom, and then, although I was technically still “mom”, I was suddenly nobody. I had lost any semblance of who I was without my kids. They had their own lives, and before I knew it, they were all on their way out of the house. I felt overwhelmed with the sadness of time gone by, yet the only real record I had of these past 24 years were pictures and videos. My recollection of things were scattered and took on a dream-like quality. My world was whizzing past me at an incredible rate of speed, and I couldn’t stop it. The more I tried, the dizzier I became. The panic attacks I had been having since I was a teen began to get worse, and I felt out of control, and very often, out of my body. Nothing seemed to stay still…and I was afraid to talk about it. It seemed like all the other moms had it together, and I was an outcast.

I now realize how wrong I was. I wasn’t alone in my feelings at all, but I didn’t know that until I started sharing with clients in my business. I wish I would have been able to share back then…I was just too much in my own head, literally drowning in my own thoughts.

Our minds play such an important role in our everyday lives, yet we don’t seem to notice what’s going on inside of us or around us. Because such a huge portion of our lives is spent inside our heads, we don’t notice the time going by, or the thoughts, behaviors and attitudes that create our realities. Looking for something other than traditional talk therapy, I found the meditations of Mindfulness, Yoga Nidra and Sound Healing during this time in my life when I was struggling with my identity as an empty nester, and increasingly severe panic attacks. Once I began to practice these online and in-studio meditations myself, I was able to take back control of both my mind and my body, reducing my panic attacks dramatically.

As bonuses, I was becoming more present in my life, more positive, patient, loving and accepting of myself and others, and my sleep had improved. I knew I wanted to share these amazing benefits firsthand, so I began taking classes with the intention of teaching. After receiving my certifications in Mindfulness, Yoga Nidra and Sound Healing, I began working at studios guiding classes. It felt so good to help others know they weren’t alone ~ to give them a place to go where they would feel loved, understood and accepted. I love what I do because I get to share it with all of you!

I have a heart-based business called Breathe AZ Yoga Nidra and Sound Healing. Every private session, and every class I guide whether in-studio or virtually, is all about filling you with love and acceptance from my heart to yours. And it’s also about helping you learn to love and accept yourself, just as you are, without judgement, baggage and all. My desire and intention are to help you release stagnant energy blocks, limiting self-beliefs, negative thoughts and destructive patterns and behaviors that are holding you back from being your most joyous, successful and loving self using the modalities of Yoga Nidra and Sound Immersion. (Very often called Sound Healing, Sound Bath, Sound Journeys, etc.)

Yoga Nidra is both a state of mind as well as an effortless sleep-based meditation where you are gently guided through body awareness, breathing techniques, imagery and positive, loving intentions to help re-direct and change patterns of negative thoughts, behaviors, and limiting self-beliefs. In addition to the above, Yoga Nidra can reduce stress, anxiety and panic, releasing happy neurotransmitters called Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, and a calming mood stabilizer called GABA. Yoga Nidra can also reduce the production of the stress hormone called Cortisol which, when reduced, can lead to many health benefits in itself!

My Sound Immersion classes include an assortment of intuitively played Crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, chimes, gongs and more for the ultimate experience in relaxation and restoration. This type of meditation also has incredible benefits! In Sound Immersion, you are being bathed in vibrational frequencies to assist in releasing energy blockages, reducing stress, anxiety, panic and detoxifying at a cellular level. It can also assist with sleep, lucid dreaming and a better sense of connection with your higher self.

Once you begin to release the negative, focusing on gratitude and whatever amazingness you hold in YOUR heart, you’ll feel open and expand with beautiful, powerful loving light energy that will help you to manifest all that your heart desires! I truly believe that we attract whatever we focus on and think about intensely, so I use the principles of the law of attraction to assist in guiding you down a more intentional, positive path in your life! I want you to know that YOU have the ultimate power to heal yourself, to slow your life down by taking a moment to breathe, to listen, to see and to just “be”. It’s so important to me that you know how beautiful you are as an individual, and to know that I’ll always be here to remind you of that, even when we’re not in a session.

I also love guiding sound baths and meditations for corporate events, parties, holidays, family gatherings, etc., as well as working with you 1:1! When we meet individually, I add additional energy work to our sound/meditation session such as Reiki and gentle Cranial/Polarity touch. Everything I do is meant to assist you in releasing those things you need to let go of and receive whatever is meant for you in that moment! My intention is to fill you with love and my wish for you, is that you leave our session feeling lighter and brighter than when you came in!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

So what I’m about to share is kind of embarrassing, and I didn’t even know this existed within me until very recently.

I have a wonderful client who has been with me from the very beginning, and I really love and respect her. Not only is she my client, but we also became really good friends, and just saying that fills my heart! Anyway, we went to an Empowerment workshop together which began with a sound bath facilitated by someone I was familiar with. We talked about how much we enjoyed it, and then moved on to other things. Later that evening when I got home, she texted me, asking for the sound practitioner’s information so she could look her up. I felt a tightness in my chest and a lump in my throat as I gave her what she needed and flippantly texted “but you need to come back to me!” I re-read what I had written and it stopped me in my tracks. It suddenly became very clear that I was worried about her leaving me. I never realized I had abandonment issues until that very moment. When I thought back about all the times I worried about the people I loved and cared for leaving me, including clients, it became so overwhelming for me. I cried non-stop for 2 hours, releasing so much of the sadness I had obviously carried in my heart since I was 13 years old.

I’m so grateful that I had the insight in that moment to pay attention to what I was doing and what I was feeling. It taught me some important lessons that I now always carry with me. To be mindful and aware of my body, my words, my thoughts, my actions and reactions. To trust those that I love and those who love me. To trust that my clients will do what is best for them, and if that means choosing another practitioner, that’s totally fine. I can still stay in contact with them if they would like additional love, support and acceptance from my heart to theirs. I’ve learned that it’s most important that I don’t abandon myself in worrying about others.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’m not so sure this is a lesson I had to unlearn as much as an obstacle I had to overcome. I’m a late bloomer, not starting to teach until I was 54 years old, and not starting my own business until I was 56. There are so many amazing practitioners who have been building their careers for 20 or 30 years. I can totally get in my head about this, and that’s when my biggest obstacle becomes ME! Imposter Syndrome creeps in, making me feel like I’m not good enough and that I don’t know as much as everyone else does.

Comparing myself to others in my field (not competing, just comparing) can leave me feeling lost, very often wanting to give up because I don’t think people would want to come see “me” when they could go see “them” and get “that”…does that make sense? I don’t see dead people, read minds or see the future. I’m not a big moon, astrology or numerology person. I can’t read your toes or your palms or even coffee grounds. But I can read your face. Your eyes. Your smile. Your body language.

I can understand what’s in your heart and do my best to inspire, motivate and cheerlead. I hug…like a sincere, I’m so happy you’re here hug. I can offer you a judgment-free zone, where you can feel safe, accepted and loved for who you are right now in this moment. I can offer you passion in my practice, and promise that you’ll always feel welcome. Is that enough? I don’t know. Maybe not for some, and I’m learning that’s okay. We all have different gifts to offer. The gift I offer to all of you is my whole heart, and whatever comes from that. Every person is different. Every person’s needs are different. Every person’s perspective on how they would like help in healing is different. It’s taken me a while to accept that it’s okay to just be me. Because that allows you to just be you. And I love how that brings us together, creating the perfect team to heal and balance and move you down a more positive path in your life!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.breatheaz.com
• Instagram: @meditatewithbreatheaz
• Facebook: Breathe AZ
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnHWQ0oSg0E&t=943s
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/breathe-az-meditation-and-sound-healing-scottsdale
• Other: To book a Yoga Nidra Sound Bath or Sacred Sound Immersion class online, please visit www.breatheaz.com/book-a-class If you are interested in receiving details for a special event, private or group session, please email me at [email protected]
• My Google Review Site: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Breathe+AZ+Meditation+and+Sound+Healing/@33.5621739,-111.952346,10z/data=!3m1!5s0x872b75c34b7478d3:0xe0b04d406bf0fa1!4m8!3m7!1s0x872b758cf9947517:0xa183d6959b123190!8m2!3d33.6385043!4d-111.8855971!9m1!1b1!16s%2Fg%2F11r_d94_8t?entry=ttu

Image Credits
Please credit the last 2 photos: Mary Gardella Photography