Brownies, Breathwork, and the Beauty of Softness

October's SOFT event kicked off differently than usual: enter quietly, grab some CrashMurderBusiness coffee and Chocolate Maven treats (brownies for breakfast, anyone?), and find your space, which included floor cushions and mats. Dress code: soft and comfy.

Those who skipped the door prize table missed out. Congrats to Amanda Burns who won a gorgeous dandelion necklace courtesy of Hello Wellness, made in collaboration with jeweler Cynthia Jones.

A gentle gong from Sound Healing Practitioner Valarie Budayr signaled the start, with singing bowls and chimes providing the soundtrack for Erin Doerwald’s talk.

“What if we could be soft on ourselves instead of hard?” Erin asked.

Part meditation, part confession, part study in courage, Erin’s talk included her personal journey: a fear of public speaking, her father’s mental illness, moving 22 times before age 19, and building a life in Santa Fe. “Growing up, I wished for roots,” she said. “Now I help others find theirs.”

As founder and CEO of Hello Wellness, Erin and her team help people reconnect through therapy, wellness coaching, mindfulness practices, and somatic exercises. During the talk she walked us through straw breath, fist clenching, self-soothing touch, and a grounding meditation through the four elements to cultivate softness. Each practice calming the nervous system and showing ourselves gentle kindness.

At the end of the talk, attendees reflected:

“It felt like a master class in calm.”

“I loved that mix of strength and softness—how she talked about being soft and strong at the same time.”

“Those singing bowls were like a soundtrack for the whole morning. I could live with that!”

And while the icebreaker conversations often kick off the event, some were saved for the end.

Who or what is your soft landing?

“Mary Poppins because I just think of her floating. The talk was about being soft and strong and that’s kind of Mary Poppins too.”

“Puppies. When doing step-ups at the gym, my trainer said it’s easy to become mindless when stepping back, so to stay present, I should imagine there are puppies under me. That way I step back softly.”

You can watch Erin's talk here.

Check out October's Flickr Album here.

Photos by Ivan Barnett (SeriousPlay) and Travis Fowler (Slice of Santa Fe)

Next month’s theme is Growth with Emma Scherer of the Santa Fe Symphony. Registration opens November 14th!