What if inner growth didn't have to feel overwhelming? What if transformation could happen through small, consistent steps rather than massive overhauls?

Roots of the Rise delivers bite-sized spiritual wisdom, practical tools, and guided self-inquiry through weekly 10–20 minute episodes designed to help you create meaningful change without adding more overwhelm to your life. Topics range from emotional intelligence, mindfulness, meditation, nervous system regulation, and self-compassion to relationships, personal growth, spiritual development, and authentic alignment.

Whether you're a seasoned seeker looking for fresh inspiration or someone just beginning your healing journey, these accessible episodes offer insights you can actually integrate into everyday life. And for those who want to go deeper, many episodes are accompanied by guided contemplations, worksheets, reflection prompts, and other supportive resources available through the Rising with Sarah membership community.

Drawing from her extensive background as an Ayurvedic Health Practitioner, Spiritual Mentor, Meditation Teacher, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist, and Energy Healer, host Sarah Hope shares a wide range of healing practices and transformative tools—always with the understanding that every path is unique, and that meaningful growth begins with strong roots.

Her approach is grounded not only in professional expertise, but also in lived experience. Having navigated childhood trauma, grief, depression, and profound personal transformation, Sarah brings both compassion and authenticity to every conversation. The result is a podcast that feels less like instruction and more like an invitation—an invitation to explore your own healing journey with curiosity, self-compassion, and courage.

If you're ready to cultivate greater peace, clarity, resilience, and self-trust, subscribe to Roots of the Rise and join us as we learn, heal, and rise—one grounded step at a time.

Know who you are.
Love who you've been.
Become who you're meant to be.

Questions or Comments? Message me!

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Interested in becoming a member and gaining access to notes, prompts, guided meditations and more? Listen to the membership episode to learn more, or Go here to check it out for one week free!

Stay connected by signing up for my newsletter or checking out all my offerings at www.risingwithsarah.com

Your plan can be responsible, well thought out, and still quietly stop fitting. That’s where we start: the uncomfortable moment when I realize I can produce another podcast episode on sheer willpower, but the spark is gone and the pushing feels like a clue, not a virtue. If you’ve been forcing a timeline, a habit, a relationship dynamic, or a version of success that used to make sense, this is your permission slip to call it what it might actually be: recalibration.

I share the practical reason I missed a release (a painfully scratched cornea) and the deeper truth underneath it: a months-long internal shift that’s been asking me to slow down and listen. Along the way, I tell the story of a health journey that led me to try a GLP-1 medication (Zepbound) and the spiritual and emotional resistance that came with it, especially the fear of judgment and the belief that accepting help means I’m “cheating.” This is not medical advice, but it is an honest look at the mind-body connection, postpartum weight struggles, cardiovascular risk factors like lipoprotein(a), and what it can feel like when your favorite healing tools work in many areas but not in the one place you want them to most.

The biggest surprise wasn’t weight loss. It was the quiet. With the mental noise turned down, I could finally see patterns I’d normalized for years: destination addiction, overwork, and the way worthiness chasing can hide inside ambition. That realization leads to a clear choice: I’m taking the summer off from new episodes so I can rest, integrate, and actually live the life I keep saying I’m trying to protect. I’ll re-release some of the most useful conversations, and members will get bonus contemplations and guided practices to go deeper.

If you’re changing your mind this summer, I’d love to hear what you want more of when I’m back in September. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review, then tell me: what are you ready to stop forcing?

Suggested Resources:

Dr. Peter Attia's book Outlive

Dr. Peter Attia speaking with Dr. Benoit Arsenault about Lp(a) and it's impact on heart disease

Dr. Salas-Whalen's book Weightless

Mel Robbins talking with Dr. Salas-Whalen about obesity and Ozempic

Questions or Comments? Message me!

Support the show

Interested in becoming a member and gaining access to notes, prompts, guided meditations and more? Listen to the membership episode to learn more, or Go here to check it out for one week free!

Stay connected by signing up for my newsletter or checking out all my offerings at www.risingwithsarah.com

What if the thing keeping you stuck isn’t reality… but the story you keep telling yourself about it?

In this re-released episode of Roots of the Rise, Sarah Hope explores the “BS” that quietly shapes our lives: belief systems. From confirmation bias and inherited family patterns to unconscious loyalty, identity, and self-sabotage, this episode dives into why we cling to limiting beliefs—even when they hurt us—and how those beliefs shape our relationships, self-worth, healing, and future.

You’ll learn:

• How confirmation bias reinforces limiting beliefs
• Why familiar suffering can feel safer than change
• The difference between illusion and vision
• How inherited relationship and family patterns affect your life
• Why some people stay stuck in painful cycles
• Practical ways to begin questioning the beliefs that no longer serve you

This episode also includes powerful reflection questions to help you uncover the unconscious stories driving your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Perfect for anyone interested in:

• personal growth
• self-awareness
• nervous system healing
• mindset work
• emotional healing
• spirituality and psychology
• breaking old patterns
• healing limiting beliefs
• shadow work and self-inquiry

Plus: Patreon members can access a companion handout and a guided visualization designed to help you release beliefs that are keeping you from becoming the next version of yourself.

Related Episodes:

Episode 99 - Common Limiting Beliefs That Keep You Out of Alignment

Episode 101 - Limiting Beliefs and Language: How to Recognize and Reframe Thoughts That Hold You Back

Questions or Comments? Message me!

Support the show

Interested in becoming a member and gaining access to notes, prompts, guided meditations and more? Listen to the membership episode to learn more, or Go here to check it out for one week free!

Stay connected by signing up for my newsletter or checking out all my offerings at www.risingwithsarah.com

In this episode of Roots of the Rise, we’re exploring why honest communication can feel so emotionally difficult — both for the person giving feedback and the person receiving it.

If you’ve ever carefully rehearsed a difficult conversation, softened your tone, tried so hard to say something kindly… only to have the other person still hear criticism, rejection, or attack, this episode is for you.

We’ll talk about why feedback so often activates shame, defensiveness, and nervous system dysregulation, and how nonviolent communication can help us express ourselves with greater clarity, honesty, and care. You’ll learn the difference between criticism and constructive feedback, why timing and tone matter so much, how to communicate needs and requests more effectively, and why healthy communication is ultimately about repair — not perfection.

This episode also explores:

• Why people become defensive
• The connection between feedback, shame, and perfectionism
• How to give feedback without emotional dumping
• The difference between requests and demands
• How to stay honest without becoming cruel
• Why you can’t control how someone receives your feedback
• The role of nervous system regulation in communication and conflict

Whether you struggle to speak up, fear conflict, tend to people-please, or simply want healthier and more connected relationships, this episode offers practical tools and compassionate insight to help you communicate more effectively.

Episode 69 - When "Please" Becomes Pressure: Understanding Requests vs. Demands and Why it Matters

Questions or Comments? Message me!

Support the show

Interested in becoming a member and gaining access to notes, prompts, guided meditations and more? Listen to the membership episode to learn more, or Go here to check it out for one week free!

Stay connected by signing up for my newsletter or checking out all my offerings at www.risingwithsarah.com

In this episode of Roots of the Rise, we explore why feedback can feel so deeply personal — and why some people hear criticism even when constructive feedback is being offered. Sarah Hope dives into the connection between shame, perfectionism, defensiveness, trauma, and the nervous system, explaining how past experiences shape the way we receive correction, guidance, and emotional discomfort.

You’ll learn the difference between criticism vs feedback, why defensiveness is often a form of self-protection rather than ego, how perfectionism creates fear around mistakes, and why being corrected can sometimes feel like rejection. This episode also offers practical tools for receiving feedback with more curiosity, self-awareness, emotional regulation, and discernment — without collapsing into shame.

If you struggle with taking things personally, feeling overly sensitive to criticism, people pleasing, perfectionism, or emotional defensiveness, this conversation will help you better understand yourself and others with greater compassion.

Topics include:

• criticism vs feedback
• shame and the nervous system
• perfectionism and self-worth
• defensiveness and emotional triggers
• taking things personally
• emotional regulation
• healing shame
• self-awareness and growth
• trauma responses and feedback
• learning how to receive feedback in healthy ways

Related Episodes:

Episode 6 - Curiosity Required

Episode 55 - Breaking the Silence: How Shame Holds Us Back and How to Heal

139. Learn The Four Agreements And Start Living With More Peace and Clarity

Questions or Comments? Message me!

Support the show

Interested in becoming a member and gaining access to notes, prompts, guided meditations and more? Listen to the membership episode to learn more, or Go here to check it out for one week free!

Stay connected by signing up for my newsletter or checking out all my offerings at www.risingwithsarah.com

You know that moment when a single text or offhand comment sends your brain into a full replay marathon? We’ve been there, and we wanted a cleaner way out than spiraling, mind reading, and self-judgment. So we’re digging into Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements, a personal growth classic with four deceptively simple commitments that can reshape your communication, your relationships, and your inner peace.

We walk through Be Impeccable With Your Word and why integrity matters as much in your self-talk as it does in what you say out loud. Then we move into Don’t Make Assumptions, where so much unnecessary suffering starts, and share practical ways to trade “always/never” stories for clear questions, curiosity, and tools like nonviolent communication. If you’ve noticed people pleasing patterns or you catch yourself agreeing with things you know aren’t true just to keep things smooth, this part lands hard.

From there, we tackle Don’t Take Anything Personally, one of the toughest agreements, and unpack how criticism hurts most when a part of us already believes it. We also cover Always Do Your Best, a self-compassion practice that replaces perfectionism with an honest view of capacity that changes day to day. Along the way we mention Byron Katie’s The Work as a powerful way to question the stories that keep you reactive.

If you want more clarity, less conflict, and a calmer mind, listen now. Subscribe, share this with a friend who overthinks, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s the hardest agreement for you to live right now?

Questions or Comments? Message me!

Support the show

Interested in becoming a member and gaining access to notes, prompts, guided meditations and more? Listen to the membership episode to learn more, or Go here to check it out for one week free!

Stay connected by signing up for my newsletter or checking out all my offerings at www.risingwithsarah.com

What are your regrets trying to tell you?

In this episode, we explore a powerful reframe: regret isn’t something to avoid—it’s guidance. Inspired by the work of Daniel H. Pink, we break down the four core types of regret—connection, moral, boldness, and foundation—and how each one points to what matters most in your life.

Through personal stories and real-life examples, you’ll begin to see your regrets in a new light—not as mistakes to dwell on, but as insight into your values, your needs, and the direction your life is asking you to move.

If you’ve ever thought “I wish I had…,” this episode will help you understand why—and what to do next.

In this episode:

• The 4 types of regret and what they reveal
• Why regret is powerful feedback, not a problem
• How regret connects to core human needs
• Simple prompts to help you move forward with clarity

A guided contemplation is available for members who want to explore this more deeply.

Podcast: Armchair Expert with Daniel Pink

Book: The Power of Regret by Daniel Pink

Questions or Comments? Message me!

Support the show

Interested in becoming a member and gaining access to notes, prompts, guided meditations and more? Listen to the membership episode to learn more, or Go here to check it out for one week free!

Stay connected by signing up for my newsletter or checking out all my offerings at www.risingwithsarah.com

This week’s episode is a re-release from the early days of the podcast—and one that feels especially relevant right now.

After the recent passing of my grandfather, I’m giving myself the space to grieve and be with family. And with so many new listeners joining lately, this felt like the perfect time to bring this foundational conversation back front and center.

In this episode, we explore the basics of Nonviolent Communication (NVC)—a powerful framework developed by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg to help us communicate with more clarity, compassion, and connection.

If you’ve ever:

• Felt misunderstood in conflict
• Struggled to express what you’re really feeling or needing
• Reacted in ways that didn’t reflect your true intentions
• Wanted a more grounded, effective way to communicate

…this episode will give you a practical starting point.

You’ll learn the four core components of Nonviolent Communication:

• How to observe without judgment
• How to identify and express your feelings
• How to connect those feelings to your underlying needs
• How to make clear, actionable requests (not demands)

This work is deeply connected to themes I’ve been teaching recently in my chakra retreat and gratitude classes, because at its core, NVC is about creating authentic connection—with yourself and with others.

Bonus: I’ve added extra resources over on Patreon, including a feelings and needs list to help you start practicing this framework in your everyday life.

If you’re ready to communicate more honestly, reduce conflict, and build stronger relationships, keep listening to learn why this framework is so powerful.

Related Episodes:

• Episode 69: When “Please” Becomes Pressure — Requests vs. Demands
• Episode 60: The Throat Chakra — Authentic Communication & Self-Expression

Questions or Comments? Message me!

Support the show

Interested in becoming a member and gaining access to notes, prompts, guided meditations and more? Listen to the membership episode to learn more, or Go here to check it out for one week free!

Stay connected by signing up for my newsletter or checking out all my offerings at www.risingwithsarah.com