March 25, 2025 • 15 mins
Life isn’t just about love and light—it’s also about contrast, uncertainty, and the unexpected twists that shake us to our core. In this episode, we explore how to shift our perspective on contrast and use it as a tool for growth and expansion. Because life will always have duality—joy and sorrow, expansion and contraction—but what if instead of resisting it, we learned to navigate it with grace?
Here’s what we dive into:
- Contrast as a Guide: How life’s ups and downs are not obstacles but invitations to return to your center.
- Fear vs. Love: Recognizing how fear creeps in (through external noise and our own mind) and reclaiming our power by shifting our response.
- A Personal Story of Loss & Synchronicity: How the unexpected passing of a dear friend reminded me of life’s impermanence and the signs that guide us back to love.
- Sacred Ceremonies & Connection: The beauty of community, ritual, and finding support even when you feel alone.
- Grounding Practices for Chaos: A simple breathwork technique to shift from contraction to expansion, from fear to presence.
- Welcoming the Fullness of Life: How expansion and contraction exist in everything—even in your own body—and why embracing both is the key to peace.
Your Reflection Questions:
- When contrast shows up in your life, how do you respond?
- What practices help you shift from fear to love?
- Can you recognize a recent synchronicity that reminded you that you are always held?
This episode is a reminder that even in the middle of chaos, you have the power to return home to yourself. 💛
✨ Let’s connect! I’d love to hear how you navigate contrast. DM me on Instagram or share your thoughts in the Midlife Butterfly community: http://www.facebook.com/groups/midlifebutterfly/
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Join me from July 22-24, 3 pm ET.
Sign Up Now: https://midlifebutterfly.ca/clarity
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Join the Midlife Butterfly Community: http://www.facebook.com/groups/midlifebutterfly
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Request a Free Empowered Call with Kena if you're interested in working with her: https://midlifebutterfly.ca/empoweredsession
Song: Reborn by Alexander Nakarada
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kena Siu (00:04):
MidLife isn't a crisis .
It's a calling, a wake-up callthat shakes it up, strips away
the old and invites you tosomething bigger.
You feel it, don't you thatdeep knowing, that whisper that
says there's more for me?
I see you, beautiful.
You spent years showing up foreveryone else, being the good
(00:25):
wife, the devoted mother, theresponsible woman, and now it's
your turn.
It's time to reclaim your power, pleasure and purpose on your
terms.
I am Kena Siu, a self-love andempowerment guide, and I know
this journey intimately Fourweddings, three countries, two
divorces and one funeral thatchanged everything.
(00:47):
And through it all, I'velearned that midlife isn't about
fading away.
It's about coming home toyourself, embodying your truth
and expanding into your mostradiant self.
Welcome to Midlife Butterfly,where we have real,
soul-shifting conversationsabout the messy, magical
(01:08):
transformation of midlife.
If you are navigating divorce,reinvention, a deep identity
shift or a longing for more,this space is for you.
We explore mindset shift,self-care rituals and embodiment
practices that help youcultivate more joy, freedom and
connection to create a life thatfeels damn good inside and out.
(01:32):
You'll hear from inspiringguests, my own raw and real
experiences and the lessons thatcome when you finally choose
you.
So if you're ready to stopsurviving and start driving in
full alignment.
Welcome.
Your next chapter starts now.
This is Midlife Butterfly.
Hello, beautiful soul, welcomeback to Midlife Butterfly
(02:02):
butterfly.
We're diving into something weall face today contrast, chaos,
the unexpected weights of lifethat can knock us off balance.
I'm sure you've been there.
You know this dance right,because life isn't just love and
light.
It's also loss and uncertainty.
(02:25):
And here is the thing what ifwe stop seeing contrast as a
problem and start using it as aguide?
What if we could return to ourcenter, no matter what is
happening around us?
Because the truth is, contrastis a constant.
(02:48):
Life will always be a contrast.
Duality exists.
There's light and dark, joy andsorrow, expansion and
contraction, and it's not aboutavoiding the lows.
It's about knowing how to comeback to your truth, to love, to
(03:09):
presence.
Lately I've been talking topeople who are feeling heavy.
Whether it's political shifts,relationships changing or just
the unpredictability of life.
Fear is loud.
We can feel it around us.
(03:31):
It's by institutions,governments and even our own
minds which are the main oneswho create the trap inside of us
of fear.
But here is a question what ifyou're turning around?
(03:51):
What if, instead of staying insurvival mode, you come back to
love.
Coming back to center isn'tabout ignoring what's happening.
It's about shifting how yourespond to it.
You have that capacity, youhave that power, and the idea
(04:13):
here is to show you a littlestep, a little practice that you
can do for you to shift thatresponse that you're having.
It's about reclaiming yourpower instead of letting the
chaos consume you.
Last month, on my birthday, Isaw a Facebook post from a dear
(04:41):
acquaintance of mine.
He was in Guatemala and heposted this very beautiful
picture of him holding a bunchof bananas.
He was smiling and his messagewas simple.
He said I love you all and I amdoing well.
And that made me very happy,because I knew that he had some
(05:03):
challenges, deep challenges, inthe last year, and see him shine
again it really made my day.
That's the truth.
And then, well, life happened.
Days later he fell ill.
The hospital was too far, so hewas too weak when he finally
(05:25):
arrived to it, and he didn'tmake it At 42, he transitioned
Just like that.
One moment he was here,reminded us of love, and the
next he was gone.
And the next he was gone.
(05:49):
I was in the middle ofcelebrating my birthday, first
with family, then with friendsand then solo.
When these news arrived andthey were very, very, very
shocking, to tell you the truth,because suddenly then, joy and
grief they were sitting in thesame table and that's the
contrast of life.
(06:09):
That's really what's going on.
That's real life.
That's real life.
And then is when you came tounderstand that the universe is
always talking to us, talking toyou.
(06:29):
I really wanted to honor him.
I wanted to be with my moondance community back in quebec,
because I know they were holdingceremonies for him.
Since I'm here in mexico, farfrom them, I was feeling kind of
like feeling this grief on myown and then like longing being
(06:52):
there.
And then synchronicity happenedduring a new gathering with the
beautiful women that I met here.
One woman was actually alsofrom the moon dance and she
offered to smoke her chanupa,which is a sacred ceremonial
(07:16):
pipe and it's the same that weuse in my community.
So I did have the opportunityto honor him, to be in ceremony
and to release the sorrow that Iwas feeling and reconnect,
(07:40):
because even in grief it canlead you back to love.
Just be open to the signs in themiddle of that chaos and
contrast that there is, and whatI want you to know is that, in
(08:08):
the middle of all this chaos,loss, we can always find these
little gifts around us, thesemoments that remind us that we
are always, always, being held.
Remind us that we are always,always being held either by
(08:32):
whatever you want to call it god, universe, source, higher
consciousness.
We are always being held.
Be aware of those signs becausethey are all around you.
So how to come back to center,how to navigate contrast when
life feels very, veryoverwhelming?
(08:52):
How the how do we groundourselves when we hear fear
knocking that door again andagain?
The first thing is is stillness,taking a pause either if you
(09:12):
are standing or sitting orlaying down.
Just stop, and I mean stillnessof the body, because the mind
is gonna keep running.
That's what minds do.
And then just take a breath,inhale deeply and exhale deeply
(09:37):
and slower, and by youcontinuing focusing on your
breath, in and out, visualizehow your mind has been clearing
out every time you are exhaling.
And, yes, your mind is going tobe like I can see the fear.
(10:08):
But what if this happens?
Just keep breathing, and keepbreathing until your mind calms
down, and then start focusing onyour heart.
(10:29):
Shift your awareness, from yourmind to your heart.
Feel that steady rhythm of theheart that is there for you 24-7
.
You don't have to do anything,the heart keeps going for you
and even if you can feel itheavy, keep breathing.
(10:51):
Keep breathing and let yourselfexpand a bit more every time
you inhale, even if it's just alittle, because every time that
you breathe in and out, you movefrom contraction to expansion,
(11:16):
and right there, that's contrastwithin your body.
So find that beauty in it, howthat is.
Expansion and contraction isjust bringing you back home to
yourself.
And by finding that home backto you, you will realize that
(11:44):
that contrast that is alwaysthere, that duality that is
always there.
We got to welcome it, we got tocherish it, because it's part
of life.
It's what makes this lifebeautiful if that's the way we
(12:07):
want to see it, and sadsometimes if that's the way we
want to see it.
But it's just about acceptingwhat is happening in that
contrast, in that flow that isalways, always there.
So my question for you now iswhen this contrast arrives, how
(12:35):
will you meet it?
Are you going to let that noise?
Will you under or will youchoose to bring that stillness,
that breath inside so you cansoften and return back to who
you are.
(13:08):
I would love to hear from youhow do you navigate the moments
of contrast in your life.
So feel free to send me a DM@kenasiu in Instagram or, if you
are listening in Spotify, youcan actually write down a
comment here and please sharethis to someone that you believe
it can serve them as a reminderto come back to center, to the
(13:48):
heart.
Luck to you and if you wantsupport, I am here for you.
I have one-on-one coachingsessions this month, so reach
out if you would like to talkabout it and, as always, always
sending you so much love, peaceand extension.
Take care.
(14:11):
Thank you for tuning intoMidlife Butterfly.
If this episode lead a spark inyou, hit that subscribe or
follow button on Apple Podcasts,spotify or wherever you love to
listen, so you'll never missthe magic.
If you're feeling generous,drop a review on Apple Podcasts.
It helps this empoweringcontent reach more souls ready
to transform their lives.
And don't forget to take aphoto of you while listening and
(14:34):
share it on your socials.
You can tag me @kenasiu, so Ican celebrate you and your
expansion Until next time.
Keep spreading those wings andliving in joy, growth and
pleasure.
MidLife isn't a crisis .
It's a calling, a wake-up callthat shakes it up, strips away
the old and invites you tosomething bigger.
You feel it, don't you thatdeep knowing, that whisper that
says there's more for me?
I see you, beautiful.
You spent years showing up foreveryone else, being the good
(00:25):
wife, the devoted mother, theresponsible woman, and now it's
your turn.
It's time to reclaim your power, pleasure and purpose on your
terms.
I am Kena Siu, a self-love andempowerment guide, and I know
this journey intimately Fourweddings, three countries, two
divorces and one funeral thatchanged everything.
(00:47):
And through it all, I'velearned that midlife isn't about
fading away.
It's about coming home toyourself, embodying your truth
and expanding into your mostradiant self.
Welcome to Midlife Butterfly,where we have real,
soul-shifting conversationsabout the messy, magical
(01:08):
transformation of midlife.
If you are navigating divorce,reinvention, a deep identity
shift or a longing for more,this space is for you.
We explore mindset shift,self-care rituals and embodiment
practices that help youcultivate more joy, freedom and
connection to create a life thatfeels damn good inside and out.
(01:32):
You'll hear from inspiringguests, my own raw and real
experiences and the lessons thatcome when you finally choose
you.
So if you're ready to stopsurviving and start driving in
full alignment.
Welcome.
Your next chapter starts now.
This is Midlife Butterfly.
Hello, beautiful soul, welcomeback to Midlife Butterfly
(02:02):
butterfly.
We're diving into something weall face today contrast, chaos,
the unexpected weights of lifethat can knock us off balance.
I'm sure you've been there.
You know this dance right,because life isn't just love and
light.
It's also loss and uncertainty.
(02:25):
And here is the thing what ifwe stop seeing contrast as a
problem and start using it as aguide?
What if we could return to ourcenter, no matter what is
happening around us?
Because the truth is, contrastis a constant.
(02:48):
Life will always be a contrast.
Duality exists.
There's light and dark, joy andsorrow, expansion and
contraction, and it's not aboutavoiding the lows.
It's about knowing how to comeback to your truth, to love, to
(03:09):
presence.
Lately I've been talking topeople who are feeling heavy.
Whether it's political shifts,relationships changing or just
the unpredictability of life.
Fear is loud.
We can feel it around us.
(03:31):
It's by institutions,governments and even our own
minds which are the main oneswho create the trap inside of us
of fear.
But here is a question what ifyou're turning around?
(03:51):
What if, instead of staying insurvival mode, you come back to
love.
Coming back to center isn'tabout ignoring what's happening.
It's about shifting how yourespond to it.
You have that capacity, youhave that power, and the idea
(04:13):
here is to show you a littlestep, a little practice that you
can do for you to shift thatresponse that you're having.
It's about reclaiming yourpower instead of letting the
chaos consume you.
Last month, on my birthday, Isaw a Facebook post from a dear
(04:41):
acquaintance of mine.
He was in Guatemala and heposted this very beautiful
picture of him holding a bunchof bananas.
He was smiling and his messagewas simple.
He said I love you all and I amdoing well.
And that made me very happy,because I knew that he had some
(05:03):
challenges, deep challenges, inthe last year, and see him shine
again it really made my day.
That's the truth.
And then, well, life happened.
Days later he fell ill.
The hospital was too far, so hewas too weak when he finally
(05:25):
arrived to it, and he didn'tmake it At 42, he transitioned
Just like that.
One moment he was here,reminded us of love, and the
next he was gone.
And the next he was gone.
(05:49):
I was in the middle ofcelebrating my birthday, first
with family, then with friendsand then solo.
When these news arrived andthey were very, very, very
shocking, to tell you the truth,because suddenly then, joy and
grief they were sitting in thesame table and that's the
contrast of life.
(06:09):
That's really what's going on.
That's real life.
That's real life.
And then is when you came tounderstand that the universe is
always talking to us, talking toyou.
(06:29):
I really wanted to honor him.
I wanted to be with my moondance community back in quebec,
because I know they were holdingceremonies for him.
Since I'm here in mexico, farfrom them, I was feeling kind of
like feeling this grief on myown and then like longing being
(06:52):
there.
And then synchronicity happenedduring a new gathering with the
beautiful women that I met here.
One woman was actually alsofrom the moon dance and she
offered to smoke her chanupa,which is a sacred ceremonial
(07:16):
pipe and it's the same that weuse in my community.
So I did have the opportunityto honor him, to be in ceremony
and to release the sorrow that Iwas feeling and reconnect,
(07:40):
because even in grief it canlead you back to love.
Just be open to the signs in themiddle of that chaos and
contrast that there is, and whatI want you to know is that, in
(08:08):
the middle of all this chaos,loss, we can always find these
little gifts around us, thesemoments that remind us that we
are always, always, being held.
Remind us that we are always,always being held either by
(08:32):
whatever you want to call it god, universe, source, higher
consciousness.
We are always being held.
Be aware of those signs becausethey are all around you.
So how to come back to center,how to navigate contrast when
life feels very, veryoverwhelming?
(08:52):
How the how do we groundourselves when we hear fear
knocking that door again andagain?
The first thing is is stillness,taking a pause either if you
(09:12):
are standing or sitting orlaying down.
Just stop, and I mean stillnessof the body, because the mind
is gonna keep running.
That's what minds do.
And then just take a breath,inhale deeply and exhale deeply
(09:37):
and slower, and by youcontinuing focusing on your
breath, in and out, visualizehow your mind has been clearing
out every time you are exhaling.
And, yes, your mind is going tobe like I can see the fear.
(10:08):
But what if this happens?
Just keep breathing, and keepbreathing until your mind calms
down, and then start focusing onyour heart.
(10:29):
Shift your awareness, from yourmind to your heart.
Feel that steady rhythm of theheart that is there for you 24-7
.
You don't have to do anything,the heart keeps going for you
and even if you can feel itheavy, keep breathing.
(10:51):
Keep breathing and let yourselfexpand a bit more every time
you inhale, even if it's just alittle, because every time that
you breathe in and out, you movefrom contraction to expansion,
(11:16):
and right there, that's contrastwithin your body.
So find that beauty in it, howthat is.
Expansion and contraction isjust bringing you back home to
yourself.
And by finding that home backto you, you will realize that
(11:44):
that contrast that is alwaysthere, that duality that is
always there.
We got to welcome it, we got tocherish it, because it's part
of life.
It's what makes this lifebeautiful if that's the way we
(12:07):
want to see it, and sadsometimes if that's the way we
want to see it.
But it's just about acceptingwhat is happening in that
contrast, in that flow that isalways, always there.
So my question for you now iswhen this contrast arrives, how
(12:35):
will you meet it?
Are you going to let that noise?
Will you under or will youchoose to bring that stillness,
that breath inside so you cansoften and return back to who
you are.
(13:08):
I would love to hear from youhow do you navigate the moments
of contrast in your life.
So feel free to send me a DM@kenasiu in Instagram or, if you
are listening in Spotify, youcan actually write down a
comment here and please sharethis to someone that you believe
it can serve them as a reminderto come back to center, to the
(13:48):
heart.
Luck to you and if you wantsupport, I am here for you.
I have one-on-one coachingsessions this month, so reach
out if you would like to talkabout it and, as always, always
sending you so much love, peaceand extension.
Take care.
(14:11):
Thank you for tuning intoMidlife Butterfly.
If this episode lead a spark inyou, hit that subscribe or
follow button on Apple Podcasts,spotify or wherever you love to
listen, so you'll never missthe magic.
If you're feeling generous,drop a review on Apple Podcasts.
It helps this empoweringcontent reach more souls ready
to transform their lives.
And don't forget to take aphoto of you while listening and
(14:34):
share it on your socials.
You can tag me @kenasiu, so Ican celebrate you and your
expansion Until next time.
Keep spreading those wings andliving in joy, growth and
pleasure.
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