The ground can fall out from under you—divorce, cancer, a job ending—and still become the place you learn who you are. I converse meditation teacher and Breathe app co-founder Lynn Goldberg to unpack how identity gets rebuilt from the inside out and why presence is more reliable than control when life swerves. Lynn’s story moves from profound loss to radical reinvention, and along the way she shares the practical tools that turned fear into agency.
We dive into a clear, science-backed view of stress as the gap between expectation and outcome, and how attention training closes that gap. Lynn explains why meditation isn’t about emptying your mind; it’s about noticing thoughts, returning to a chosen focus, and building the muscle that lets you respond instead of react. We explore fight, flight, freeze, and fawn, and how familiar patterns can feel safe while keeping us stuck. Then we connect the dots with neuroscience: your thoughts trigger chemistry. Catastrophizing bathes the body in cortisol; a grounded check-in releases oxytocin and serotonin that support clarity, connection, and better decisions.
Midlife transitions get special attention—empty nests, changing relationships, health scares—and we talk about swapping judgment for curiosity to find what truly lights you up now. Lynn shares gentle but firm guidance on trauma and triggers, offering presence practices that anchor you in what is true right now without bypassing the need for professional support when things feel overwhelming. Her story of staying present during cancer treatment makes the tools tangible and human.
If you’re navigating change and craving steady ground, this conversation offers real-world practices you can use today: simple anchoring, accurate thinking, and a kinder inner voice. Subscribe for more conversations on resilience and share this episode with someone who needs a life jacket in the storm. More on Lynne and her services at the following website https://lynnegoldbergmeditation.com/
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