Loving Your Life Again | Toxic Relationship Recovery, Nervous System Healing & Finding Yourself Again

Christina Sommers | Somatic Coach & Breathwork Facilitator
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

Loving Your Life Again is a warm, honest, and deeply grounded podcast for women who are still inside a toxic, emotionally abusive, or addiction-affected relationship — or who have just found their way out — and are finally ready to stop surviving and start healing for real. Hosted by Christina Sommers, trauma-informed breathwork facilitator and somatic coach, this show offers clarity, nervous system tools, and the kind of real talk that actually meets you where you are — so you can find your way back to yourself, your faith, and the life you were always meant to love. If you're exhausted from carrying everything and everyone, if you feel stuck but can't quite name why, or if you've tried the five-step resets and nothing has actually stuck — this podcast was made for you. Whether you're walking on eggshells around his moods, quietly enabling an addiction you never signed up for, or holding a marriage together while slowly disappearing inside it — you are not alone, and you are not crazy. With story-first teaching, embodied healing tools, and conversations rooted in faith, each episode is designed to help you feel less alone, more grounded in your own body, and one breath closer to real peace. Christina has walked her own journey through toxic relationship, addiction, and survival mode — all the way to wholeness — and she brings that lived experience into every single episode, alongside twenty years of grounded, practical wisdom. What you'll hear: Real conversations about toxic relationships, narcissistic abuse, emotional abuse, and loving an addicted spouseNervous system healing, breathwork, and somatic tools you can actually useFaith-rooted healing for the woman who's been wrestling with God in the middle of her pain If you're asking any of these questions, you're in the right place: Is this even abuse if he doesn't hit me?Is it okay to leave if my husband is an addict — what does God say about that?Why do I feel so crazy — and why can't I trust myself anymore?Will I ever feel like myself again? This is the podcast for when you're done performing peace and ready to find the real thing. Tune in — and take the next breath back to loving your life. 🤍

  1. Mar 17

    Capacity and Choice: Why Growth Requires Integration

    Have you ever made the decision to change your life… only to find yourself slipping back into the same patterns? You know what you want. You’ve made the choice. And yet something inside you keeps pulling you back to what’s familiar. In this episode, Christina continues the Capacity and Choice series by exploring why real change often feels harder than we expect. It’s not because you lack discipline. It’s because your nervous system may not yet have the capacity to hold the life you’re trying to build. Through a personal story about a powerful weekend of integration, Christina shares what it looks like to slow down, listen to the body, and allow real expansion to happen. This conversation breaks down the difference between pushing for growth and building the nervous system capacity to sustain it. In This Episode• What “capacity” actually means in nervous system work • Why implementation often falls apart even when you know what you want • How survival patterns like overworking can become subtle forms of numbing • Why growth happens in layers, not all at once • What titration means and why expansion must happen in small doses • The role of rest and integration in real transformation Key TakeawayGrowth doesn’t happen by forcing change. Capacity grows when we pace ourselves, allow integration, and gently expand what our nervous system can safely hold. Sometimes the most powerful step forward is creating space for your body to process. Resources Mentioned🫁 5-Minute Nervous System Reset www.breathofrenewal.com/reset 🌿 The Renewal Room – Breathwork Membership A space to practice breathwork and somatic tools together while gently expanding your capacity for the life you’re creating. www.breathofrenewal.com/membership Share the EpisodeIf this conversation resonated with you, share it with a woman who might need the reminder that nothing is wrong with her nervous system — it may simply need more space to grow. Support the show If you're still sitting with something after this episode… stay there a moment. You don't have to rush. And when you're ready — whether that's today or three episodes from now — I'm here. If you want to explore what support could look like for you, start here: 🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com/start-here Or if something in you already knows it's time: 🔗 Let's talk: https://calendly.com/breathofrenewal/breakthrough-session Follow the show so you never miss an episode. Leave a review — every one helps another woman find her way here. Share this with someone who needs to hear they're not alone. Support the podcast: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2YKV9S275TWHW 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breath_of_renewal/  📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christina.sommers.96  ✉️ hello@breathofrenewal.com  🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com Until next time — one day, one moment, one breath at a time back to loving your life. 🤍

    19 min

  2. Mar 11

    Cocoon Season: When Your Old Identity No Longer Fits

    Have you ever felt like you're working really hard… but nothing is actually moving forward? Like you're busy, exhausted, doing all the things — yet somehow every day feels the same. In this episode, Christina shares a moment from her own journey when everything suddenly felt like Groundhog Day. The effort was there, but the clarity and momentum felt stuck. Instead of pushing harder, she began asking a different question: What if nothing is wrong… and something deeper is actually shifting? This episode explores what many people call ego death — or what Christina calls cocoon season — the space between who you used to be and who you're becoming. Christina shares how identity shifts affect the nervous system, why overworking and perfectionism often resurface during growth, and how building capacity and choice helps you move forward. If you've ever questioned your path, your purpose, or whether you're doing enough… this conversation is for you. In This Episode• Why growth can feel like Groundhog Day • What "ego death" actually means • Why Christina calls it cocoon season • How identity shifts affect the nervous system • Why overworking often returns during expansion • The role of capacity and choice in real change Breathwork InvitationChristina created The Breath of Renewal Circle as a space to reconnect with your body, regulate your nervous system, and expand your capacity safely. You can join as a member or attend a single breathwork session to experience the work. https://www.breathofrenewal.com/membership If this episode resonated with you, share it with a woman who might need to hear it too. Support the show If you're still sitting with something after this episode… stay there a moment. You don't have to rush. And when you're ready — whether that's today or three episodes from now — I'm here. If you want to explore what support could look like for you, start here: 🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com/start-here Or if something in you already knows it's time: 🔗 Let's talk: https://calendly.com/breathofrenewal/breakthrough-session Follow the show so you never miss an episode. Leave a review — every one helps another woman find her way here. Share this with someone who needs to hear they're not alone. Support the podcast: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2YKV9S275TWHW 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breath_of_renewal/  📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christina.sommers.96  ✉️ hello@breathofrenewal.com  🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com Until next time — one day, one moment, one breath at a time back to loving your life. 🤍

    23 min

  3. Feb 25

    From Accident to Self Trust: My Origin Story

    This episode is more personal than most… Because I realized something recently: I’ve been teaching self-trust… I’ve been guiding women back into their bodies… I’ve been holding space for healing… But I’ve never fully shared where my own self-trust journey truly began. And it didn’t start when I found breathwork. It started ten years ago. In 2016, I felt an undeniable call to move back to Virginia — even though I had no job, no home, and no real plan. I trusted the pull anyway. About a month later, I was in a head-on collision. Coma. Multiple surgeries. Wheelchair for four months. Loss of independence overnight. And in the middle of that breaking… I was faced with a choice. Stay in victimhood… Or decide what my “new normal” would be. That moment — lying in a hospital bed, stripped of everything familiar — was the true beginning of my self-trust journey. In this episode, I share: • The intuitive call that led me to move • The accident and recovery that changed everything • The identity unraveling that followed • How survival patterns shaped my life and relationships • Why mindset work alone wasn’t enough for healing • How breathwork became the bridge back to my body • The difference between top-down and bottom-up healing This conversation is about more than my story. It’s about the moments in life that break us open… And the power we reclaim when we choose to rebuild instead of remain stuck. If you’ve ever felt disconnected from yourself… If you’ve been surviving instead of living… If you’re craving a way to release what your body has been holding… You’re not alone. And there is a path back to yourself — breath by breath. ⟡ If you feel called to experience this work firsthand, you’re invited to join me inside the Breathwork Membership — a space for nervous system regulation, emotional release, and rebuilding self-trust from the inside out. Each month includes guided breathwork journeys, integration, and a supportive space to soften survival patterns and come home to yourself. Join for one session to give it a try or the month https://www.breathofrenewal.com/membership ⟡ Thank you for being here. For witnessing my story. And for doing the brave work of choosing yourself. Support the show If you're still sitting with something after this episode… stay there a moment. You don't have to rush. And when you're ready — whether that's today or three episodes from now — I'm here. If you want to explore what support could look like for you, start here: 🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com/start-here Or if something in you already knows it's time: 🔗 Let's talk: https://calendly.com/breathofrenewal/breakthrough-session Follow the show so you never miss an episode. Leave a review — every one helps another woman find her way here. Share this with someone who needs to hear they're not alone. Support the podcast: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2YKV9S275TWHW 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breath_of_renewal/  📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christina.sommers.96  ✉️ hello@breathofrenewal.com  🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com Until next time — one day, one moment, one breath at a time back to loving your life. 🤍

    9 min

  4. Feb 20

    Financial Self-Trust: Identity, Money Leadership & Learning to Lead Your Numbers

    In this week’s episode, we’re continuing the conversation around self-trust and boundaries — but from the financial lens. Because financial leadership isn’t just about spreadsheets… It’s about identity. It’s about who you believe yourself to be when you look at your money. Inside this episode, I’m sharing in real time — messy, honest, and unfiltered — what it’s looked like to step into a new identity while building deeper financial self-trust. We talk about the tension that happens when the old version of you is shedding… while the new version is still integrating. And how that shows up in: • Avoiding your numbers • Over-investing from fear • Undercharging for your work • Overextending your time and energy • Questioning your financial leadership I also share personal reflections around: — Investing from expansion vs. FOMO — Listening to your body’s financial yes + no — Generational money stories — The link between nervous system safety and financial decisions And from the practical CFO lens, we start grounding this work in the numbers — beginning with: • Understanding your Profit & Loss • The difference between net income vs. cash flow • Why separating business + personal finances matters • Using your numbers to build clarity instead of fear Because financial self-trust is built piece by piece — not overnight. 💬 Workshop Invitation I’m currently building a hands-on workshop focused on the practical side of financial leadership — walking through how to actually start looking at your numbers, organizing your finances, and preparing for things like taxes. If you want to be part of it as it comes together… Email me or DM me the word WORKSHOP and I’ll send you the details as soon as they’re ready. If this episode resonated, don’t forget to: • Follow the podcast • Leave a review • Share it with someone building financial self-trust too Because this work becomes more powerful when we walk it together 🤍 Support the show If you're still sitting with something after this episode… stay there a moment. You don't have to rush. And when you're ready — whether that's today or three episodes from now — I'm here. If you want to explore what support could look like for you, start here: 🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com/start-here Or if something in you already knows it's time: 🔗 Let's talk: https://calendly.com/breathofrenewal/breakthrough-session Follow the show so you never miss an episode. Leave a review — every one helps another woman find her way here. Share this with someone who needs to hear they're not alone. Support the podcast: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2YKV9S275TWHW 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breath_of_renewal/  📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christina.sommers.96  ✉️ hello@breathofrenewal.com  🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com Until next time — one day, one moment, one breath at a time back to loving your life. 🤍

    25 min

  5. Feb 17

    Learning to Say No: Healing People-Pleasing, Fawning & Over-Giving

    Saying no isn’t just about boundaries It’s about self-trust. In this episode, Christina continues the monthly theme of Self-Trust & Boundaries by exploring what it really means to learn how to say no — emotionally, somatically, and relationally. Because for many women, saying yes when they mean no isn’t a personality trait… It’s a survival response. Through personal stories and nervous system insight, Christina unpacks the patterns of people-pleasing, fawning, and over-giving — and how these learned behaviors disconnect us from your voice, energy, and truth. This conversation is both compassionate and empowering — offering awareness without shame, and hope for what becomes possible when self-trust begins to rebuild. In This Episode, We Explore • What people-pleasing actually is (and why it forms) • The “chameleon effect” — shape-shifting for acceptance • How emotional sensitivity + empathy play a role • Fawning as a nervous system survival response • Why keeping the peace can disconnect you from yourself • Where over-giving shows up in work, parenting, and business • The difference between giving from overflow vs obligation • Resentment as a somatic boundary signal • First attempts at saying no (and why they feel shaky) • Why “No is a complete sentence” can feel revolutionary • The body’s signals when you abandon your truth Key Takeaway People-pleasing, fawning, and over-giving aren’t flaws. They’re survival strategies. And self-trust is rebuilt when you begin honoring your body’s no — even in small moments. Monthly Breathwork Invitation If this conversation resonated… If you’re noticing how much your body braces, contracts, or overrides itself… Our breathwork sessions are designed to help you: • Regulate your nervous system • Release stored survival tension • Reconnect with your inner voice • Rebuild self-trust somatically You can join live or step into the membership for ongoing support. Click Here for the Details Reflection Question Where in your life are you saying yes… When your body is whispering no? And what would it look like to honor one of those no’s this week? If this episode supported you, be sure to follow the show, leave a review, or share it with someone walking this healing path too Support the show If you're still sitting with something after this episode… stay there a moment. You don't have to rush. And when you're ready — whether that's today or three episodes from now — I'm here. If you want to explore what support could look like for you, start here: 🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com/start-here Or if something in you already knows it's time: 🔗 Let's talk: https://calendly.com/breathofrenewal/breakthrough-session Follow the show so you never miss an episode. Leave a review — every one helps another woman find her way here. Share this with someone who needs to hear they're not alone. Support the podcast: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2YKV9S275TWHW 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breath_of_renewal/  📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christina.sommers.96  ✉️ hello@breathofrenewal.com  🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com Until next time — one day, one moment, one breath at a time back to loving your life. 🤍

    23 min

  6. Feb 12

    Why You Don’t Trust Your Financial Decisions — And How to Start Rebuilding

    Financial self-trust doesn’t just impact your bank account — it impacts how you lead, decide, and feel building your business. In this Supported Life (Money) episode, Christina continues the conversation from earlier this week — moving from personal self-trust into financial self-trust. Because many women don’t just question relationships… They question their financial decisions too. This episode explores why distrust shows up around money — not only from personal experience, but from generational and systemic conditioning. It wasn’t that long ago that women couldn’t open bank accounts or access credit independently — and those imprints still live in our nervous systems today. Blending somatic awareness with practical leadership, Christina reframes financial data not as judgment, but as information — a story showing where your business has been, where it stands, and where it’s heading. In This Episode, We Explore: • Why women distrust financial decisions • Survival patterns + money leadership • Generational and historical conditioning • Epigenetics + inherited fear responses • The “fleas in a jar” conditioning metaphor • Reading financial data as business story • Emotional reaction vs informed leadership • CFO-style interpretation of numbers • The three-legged stool: You, Money, People • First steps to rebuilding financial trust Key Takeaway Financial trust isn’t built through perfect decisions — but through learning to lead yourself with data, awareness, and self-compassion. Practical Support A workshop on separating finances and understanding your numbers is in development. Stay tuned or reach out to join the waitlist. Nervous System & Identity Support If money feels emotionally activating, Flow Your Dough offers a gentle entry point through safety and identity work. 🔗 https://flowyourdough.com/ Breathwork Invitation Breathwork supports nervous system regulation, emotional release, and rebuilding self-trust from the inside out. Join as a one-time session or step into the membership: https://www.breathofrenewal.com/membership Reflection Where do you notice distrust showing up in your financial decisions? And is that distrust truly yours… or inherited? Support the show If you're still sitting with something after this episode… stay there a moment. You don't have to rush. And when you're ready — whether that's today or three episodes from now — I'm here. If you want to explore what support could look like for you, start here: 🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com/start-here Or if something in you already knows it's time: 🔗 Let's talk: https://calendly.com/breathofrenewal/breakthrough-session Follow the show so you never miss an episode. Leave a review — every one helps another woman find her way here. Share this with someone who needs to hear they're not alone. Support the podcast: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2YKV9S275TWHW 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breath_of_renewal/  📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christina.sommers.96  ✉️ hello@breathofrenewal.com  🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com Until next time — one day, one moment, one breath at a time back to loving your life. 🤍

    17 min

  7. Feb 10

    Rebuilding Self-Trust After Survival

    Self-trust doesn’t disappear overnight. It erodes slowly — through survival patterns, people-pleasing, codependency, and years of putting everyone else’s needs before your own. For many women, the realization comes when they find themselves questioning everything — their decisions, their intuition, their voice. In this episode, Christina opens an honest, compassionate conversation about rebuilding trust in yourself after living in survival mode. Because self-distrust isn’t a personal failure. It’s an adaptive response. Through personal reflection and somatic insight, she explores how self-trust is repaired — not through force or mindset alone — but through micro-moments of honoring your body, needs, and boundaries. In this episode, we explore: • How survival patterns erode self-trust • Intuition vs. hypervigilance • What self-distrust looks like in daily decisions • People-pleasing and codependency patterns • Boundaries as internal safety • Nervous system healing and trust • How self-trust shows up in the body • Micro-moments that begin repair A key reminder: Self-trust isn’t rebuilt in giant leaps. It’s rebuilt every time you: • Listen to your body • Follow through on your needs • Hold a boundary • Choose not to abandon yourself Small moments create deep repair. Invitation: Monthly Breathwork Session If you feel disconnected from yourself… If your mind is loud but your body feels quiet… Breathwork helps rebuild trust from the inside out. Our next live session is this Thursday. Join as a one-time experience — or step into the monthly membership for ongoing support. Inside this space, we focus on: • Nervous system regulation • Body reconnection • Releasing survival bracing • Rebuilding internal safety You don’t have to do this alone. Sign up for the next Renewal Room session: https://www.breathofrenewal.com/membership Flow Your Dough — 5-Day Challenge If self-trust wounds are showing up around money too, this is a powerful next step: https://flowyourdough.com/challenge 💬 Reflection Question Where in your life are you learning to trust yourself again? And what is one small way you can honor that trust this week? Support the show If you're still sitting with something after this episode… stay there a moment. You don't have to rush. And when you're ready — whether that's today or three episodes from now — I'm here. If you want to explore what support could look like for you, start here: 🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com/start-here Or if something in you already knows it's time: 🔗 Let's talk: https://calendly.com/breathofrenewal/breakthrough-session Follow the show so you never miss an episode. Leave a review — every one helps another woman find her way here. Share this with someone who needs to hear they're not alone. Support the podcast: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2YKV9S275TWHW 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breath_of_renewal/  📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christina.sommers.96  ✉️ hello@breathofrenewal.com  🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com Until next time — one day, one moment, one breath at a time back to loving your life. 🤍

    15 min

  8. Feb 5

    Your Numbers Tell a Story: How to Use Financial Data to Support Your Vision

    Coming fresh off a two-day live event, Christina records this episode in real-time integration — reflecting on the connection between nervous system safety, identity, structure… and money. Inspired by the metaphor of water — flow, resistance, grip, and softening — this conversation bridges inner capacity work with the practical reality of business finances. Because your numbers are not separate from your nervous system. They’re part of the story you’re living and building. In this episode, Christina continues the conversation from earlier this week — moving from safety and capacity into a grounded exploration of how to engage with your finances without shame, pressure, or overwhelm. Rather than focusing on systems or bookkeeping steps, this episode centers on awareness, orientation, and direction. You’ll explore how financial data functions the way a CFO presents it to stakeholders — not as judgment, but as a narrative explaining where a business has been, where it stands, and where it’s heading. In this episode, we explore: • Nervous system responses around money  • Why numbers are information, not identity  • How financials reflect business direction  • The link between your vision and your data  • How to read the story your numbers tell  • Why awareness allows real-time adjustment You’ll also hear the visual of the three-legged stool — the core supports of a sustainable business: • You — energy, leadership, capacity  • Money — cash flow, sustainability, profit  • People — clients, audience, impact When one leg weakens, the structure wobbles. This episode isn’t about perfection or mastery. It’s about building the capacity to look — so you can consciously write the next chapter of your business story. Two Ways to Go Deeper Practical Support If you’re ready to separate finances and understand your numbers, a workshop is in development. Stay tuned or reach out for the waitlist. Nervous System & Identity Support If money feels emotionally activating, Flow Your Dough offers a gentle entry point through identity and safety work. https://flowyourdough.com/ Two lanes. Same foundation. Support the show If you're still sitting with something after this episode… stay there a moment. You don't have to rush. And when you're ready — whether that's today or three episodes from now — I'm here. If you want to explore what support could look like for you, start here: 🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com/start-here Or if something in you already knows it's time: 🔗 Let's talk: https://calendly.com/breathofrenewal/breakthrough-session Follow the show so you never miss an episode. Leave a review — every one helps another woman find her way here. Share this with someone who needs to hear they're not alone. Support the podcast: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2YKV9S275TWHW 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breath_of_renewal/  📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christina.sommers.96  ✉️ hello@breathofrenewal.com  🌐 www.breathofrenewal.com Until next time — one day, one moment, one breath at a time back to loving your life. 🤍

    32 min
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About

Loving Your Life Again is a warm, honest, and deeply grounded podcast for women who are still inside a toxic, emotionally abusive, or addiction-affected relationship — or who have just found their way out — and are finally ready to stop surviving and start healing for real. Hosted by Christina Sommers, trauma-informed breathwork facilitator and somatic coach, this show offers clarity, nervous system tools, and the kind of real talk that actually meets you where you are — so you can find your way back to yourself, your faith, and the life you were always meant to love. If you're exhausted from carrying everything and everyone, if you feel stuck but can't quite name why, or if you've tried the five-step resets and nothing has actually stuck — this podcast was made for you. Whether you're walking on eggshells around his moods, quietly enabling an addiction you never signed up for, or holding a marriage together while slowly disappearing inside it — you are not alone, and you are not crazy. With story-first teaching, embodied healing tools, and conversations rooted in faith, each episode is designed to help you feel less alone, more grounded in your own body, and one breath closer to real peace. Christina has walked her own journey through toxic relationship, addiction, and survival mode — all the way to wholeness — and she brings that lived experience into every single episode, alongside twenty years of grounded, practical wisdom. What you'll hear: Real conversations about toxic relationships, narcissistic abuse, emotional abuse, and loving an addicted spouseNervous system healing, breathwork, and somatic tools you can actually useFaith-rooted healing for the woman who's been wrestling with God in the middle of her pain If you're asking any of these questions, you're in the right place: Is this even abuse if he doesn't hit me?Is it okay to leave if my husband is an addict — what does God say about that?Why do I feel so crazy — and why can't I trust myself anymore?Will I ever feel like myself again? This is the podcast for when you're done performing peace and ready to find the real thing. Tune in — and take the next breath back to loving your life. 🤍

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