Meditation, Dream Visitations, & Reconnecting with Your Inner Knowing

In our first ever one-on-one Healing Heroines episode, Chandler sits down with Sarah Hardie Johnson, a transcendental meditation enthusiast, yoga instructor, and corporate professional turned spiritual healer for an intimate look at intuition, healing after loss, and the inner quiet we often avoid. 

Sarah shares why slowing down is essential for intuitive clarity, the role meditation plays in calming the nervous system, how dreams—especially visitation dreams—can serve as portals of deeper knowing, and the importance of letting yourself feel as part of the healing process. Sarah also offers a simple yet effective breathing technique to regulate your body throughout the day.

What You Will Learn

• [00:07:55] How intuition connects to trust and why rationalizing it away pulls you out of alignment
• [00:09:57] The personal turning point that sparked Sarah’s spiritual curiosity and inner healing
• [00:13:24] Why meditation became one of the most impactful tools on Sarah’s journey
• [00:17:17] How transcendental meditation differs from guided or silent meditation
• [00:25:47] What dropping beneath thoughts feels like and how the “bottom of the ocean” metaphor applies
• [00:29:19] How Sarah recognized her visitation dream and what made it distinct from ordinary dreams
• [00:40:00] Why intuition struggles to land when your nervous system is dysregulated
• [00:45:14] How allowing yourself to feel emotions—especially grief and anxiety—supports true healing

Let’s Connect!
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Sarah Hardie

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Chandler Stroud

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Mixing and editing provided by Next Day Podcast.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Chandler Stroud: Hey guys, it's Chandler and welcome to the Healing Heroes. I promise you,

[00:00:08] I'm Chandler Stroud, an executive wife and busy mom of two who after years of living with anxiety health struggles and an unshakeable feeling like I should be happier, made a profound discovery that changed everything. Join me on a journey where unexpected paths lead to healing and more happiness. On this show, we will explore unconventional ways to unlock more joy in your own life.

[00:00:38] With the help of my very own healers and trusted advisors, the healing heroes.

[00:00:49] Hey everyone. Welcome back to the Healing Heroes Podcast. I'm your host, Chandler, and I am so thrilled you are here. As a reminder, we have coined this month, November. That's KNOW, Vember because. As the world around us starts to get a bit more chaotic with this November astrological energy, the Mercury retrograde, it can often be distracting and a bit uncertain, especially if you're finding the pace of life picking up a little bit.

[00:01:22] And as we talked about in our retrograde episode, the first week of November, this month is really an invitation to go inward. To trust what we all already know. Today's conversation feels especially aligned with that, I'm sitting down with Sarah Hardy Johnson, an inspiring healing heroine that many of you might remember from our earlier episode on Psychic Mediumship with Hero Lee Morgan, where we explored what it means to connect with spirit and the unseen.

[00:01:55] This will be my first ever one-on-one interview with one of our healing heroines, so that our listeners can learn more about her journey beyond even just the psychic mediumship practice that she found with Hero Lee that forever altered the path that she was on in her own life. This time it's just the two of us.

[00:02:15] Two women, two mothers, two corporate professionals turned spiritual seekers talking about intuition slowing down and the healing that happens. When we finally create space to listen, we will explore how our nervous system impacts our ability to receive intuitive guidance, the various ways we can tap into it as a resource, how dreams in particular, especially visitation dreams, which we touched on last time.

[00:02:45] Can become portals to deeper knowing and why sometimes the most loving thing we can do. Just rest, cry, get quiet with ourselves and feel it all. So wherever you are right now, if you're walking or you're driving, maybe even curled up with a cup of tea, as I hope you are, take a deep breath. Soften your shoulders, let them drop from your ears, and just settle in.

[00:03:11] Let this conversation remind you that you already have all of the answers you need inside you. You just have to make space to hear them again. With that, before we dive into Sarah's story, let me share a little bit more about her background for those who missed our last episode together. Sarah Hardy Johnson has had a successful career in software sales for the last 15 years, and currently resides in Atlanta with her husband and two young children.

[00:03:41] Outside of her corporate career, she is also a trained yoga instructor and a transcendental meditation enthusiast on the path to becoming a spiritual coach, death doula, sound healer, and reiki practitioner. Sarah's passion is guiding others to live with less fear of the end so they can embrace the fullness of life in the present.

[00:04:03] Moment. Sarah, welcome back to the show today. I am so excited to have you back for a part two of our conversation with Hero Lee. 

[00:04:13] Sarah Hardie: I'm so excited to be here. Thank you, Chandler. I love everything you just said. I'm so into it. 

[00:04:19] Chandler Stroud: I mean, me too. I feel like before we hit record guys, she and I were going off on all sorts of tangents.

[00:04:25] I truly feel like I could sit and just talk to you all afternoon. I know. So my job today is to try to keep us focused on the various ways that our listeners can tap into that intuition. I. As many of you know, we, I did release a solo episode earlier this month where I talk about why tapping into that intuition is so important, how it can transform your life, and how you know when your intuition is speaking to you.

[00:04:52] So I highly recommend you go back and listen to that episode because I do think it's great context for what Sarah and I are about to dive into in terms of some. Again, practical, tangible ways that you can really start going inward and listening to yourself again, and being aware of the signs that you might be getting from outside supporters as well in the form of spiritual guides, angels, and others.

[00:05:19] So Sarah, as we always do, let's start with a nice easy warmup question before we get going. Sarah, have you learned anything new since we last connected that you think our listeners would find valuable or helpful in their own journeys? 

[00:05:35] Sarah Hardie: Yeah, I, for me, it's more of like a confirmation or like a reconfirming or, or validating what we already know, which is we're really being asked to trust in God, trust in love, not fuel, the fear fire That has been just like the resounding theme, the last, I don't know, three or four weeks since we spoke, is just soften and surrender to.

[00:06:03] This divine plan that's unfolding. You know, it's like we have the choice every day to to walk in faith and belief in ourselves and God and this higher power, or we can fuel the doubts and the fear, right? And it's like for me, just time and time again of coming back to that grounded place of trust and.

[00:06:28] Of love, you know, leading with love. That's really been the, the continuing lesson that I hear just feels like every day these days. 

[00:06:36] Chandler Stroud: I love that. Thank you for sharing that, Sarah, and I think it's really important. We do talk about that a lot on the show and I think. You know, it can be so hard for especially busy women who are juggling a lot, who are navigating the stressors of everyday life, and especially mothers.

[00:06:59] I think I hear all the time that. Once you become a mom, your anxiety sorts starts to spike. And you know, I've heard anxiety is described as worry about an uncertain future and learning to trust, as you're saying, is the antidote to that. Like really learning to trust something. Something bigger than yourself and that you are being loved, held and guided.

[00:07:24] So I think some of what we're gonna talk about today will hopefully help people tap into that kind of trust so that maybe they can sort of relinquish. Their grasp and need for control and worry and concern. I think that's really, really important. Totally. 

[00:07:40] Sarah Hardie: We talk, a friend of mine and I talk about like, are you white knuckling through life?

[00:07:44] Are you holding on super tight or can you soften the grip a little bit? And yeah, anxiety is just the illusion of separation or of separateness. So yeah, it's like if you remember that we're all part of the same thing and that you know, we have God and love inside of us, and that's like the. Guiding light that really should be what we're focused on.

[00:08:04] As simple as it sounds, right, it's not, but I think that that's just what we're constantly being asked is to remember this, you know? 

[00:08:13] Chandler Stroud: Yeah. And I would just say in summary that if you feel like you want to lean into that trust, but don't know how, I think. Getting spiritual is the fastest way to get there.

[00:08:27] And that doesn't mean being religious totally. For some it might mean getting religious, but like a lot of what we're talking about today are ways to tap into that spirituality If you are not part of a specific denomination or don't wanna go to temple or church, right? Like these are ways to feel like you are connected to something bigger without having to.

[00:08:51] Change your beliefs, frameworks, structures to fit something that doesn't feel authentic to you. Totally. 

[00:08:57] Sarah Hardie: Well, and we are, we, we are spiritual beings, right? That are having a physical experience. That's what, that's what the saying is. So it's like in every day and every aspect of your life, there can be a spiritual moment.

[00:09:10] Like everything can be spiritual if you slow down and, and stop and notice. So that's the, the magic is it's not in, it's not only in churches or in, you know, temples or wherever. So that's, I think what we really will hone in on this episode is how do we cultivate that spiritual experience throughout every day.

[00:09:32] Chandler Stroud: I could think of no better intro for what we're about to dive deep into. So thank you for that, Sarah. And. I'm gonna ask because I know many of our listeners may not have caught our first episode together. So for those who are meeting you for the first time, can you share a little bit about your journey and what led you to recognize your intuitive and spiritual curiosity?

[00:09:57] Sarah Hardie: Yeah, definitely. So May of 2019 was a bit of a defining moment for my life thus far. I got married in January of that year and four months later we went on our honeymoon. We were lucky enough where my parents met us on the second half of our honeymoon in Italy, along with my sister and her husband, and it was the most wonderful week ever.

[00:10:18] I mean, we were, I. We are right. A happy family, but we were just soaking up the, what is it, the marrow of life. We were, you know, you know, dancing and laughing and enjoying great food and just really appreciating all that life has to offer together. And we get back, and this was Mother's Day, so May 12th, that Sunday.

[00:10:41] My dad went to sleep the night before and just didn't wake up and my mom called me. I was the first one to be called 'cause my sister was actually still in Italy. And this is just a ma a massive shock to the system, right? It's just. The biggest, I don't know, surprise you could probably ever imagine. And for me, I was raised Presbyterian.

[00:11:03] I would say I still identify as a Christian, but it wasn't something that was like super passionate for me at all. I just hadn't. You know, had that deep faith prior to that time. But as part of the grieving process, a couple days after he passed, one of our pastors was at our house and he said, you know, I have complete confidence that we will see your dad again one day.

[00:11:26] And for me that was like the first moment where I was like, I have hope. You know, I, if this is true, I'm gonna be okay. And so I kind of clung onto that of this spiritual quest that it kind of ended up evolving into. And I was doing as much research as I could, just, you know, on the afterlife and what happens with death and near death experiences.

[00:11:48] Just consuming as much as I possibly could get my hands on and various things came up right. I did yoga teacher training, which was kind of the first spiritual step for me, which was amazing. I have done meditation, deep dive kind of workshops and still practice meditation every day or as much as I can.

[00:12:07] And then I also stumbled upon Lee. Our favorite psychic medium. Mm-hmm. And that was a definitely a life-changing experience just of, for me, a confirmation of our loved ones are not gone, we're still able to hear from them. Definitely a confirmation that we will be with them again one day, but that we can also connect with them while we're here and that there's something much larger happening that we can't see, which just brings me all of the warm and fuzzies to know that.

[00:12:39] There's a higher power. There's. Things that are being orchestrated on our behalf that we can't see. And when we look back, we understand it all together. But when you're going through it, it's, you have to have that immense trust, that faith. So that's a little bit about my story and what's brought us to hear, and yeah, I hope it helps.

[00:13:01] Chandler Stroud: It does. Thank you so much for sharing that, Sarah. And I know. The last time you and I spoke on the show with Lee, we dove very deep into psychic mediumship. Would you say it's fair to assume that that was the most impactful part of your path to heal? 

[00:13:19] Sarah Hardie: I would say that mediumship is tied with meditation.

[00:13:24] Mm-hmm. So I would say my experiences with Lee opened the door to all of the other. Practices that are extremely impactful for me on a daily basis. And I was seeing Lee before I did the meditation and her encouragement of, you know, all of that clarity, all of that knowing comes through meditation. I don't have to engage with Lee in order to connect with my dad or my higher self or God, which everyone should know.

[00:13:53] So yeah, it's definitely, those are, those are both super. You know, meaningful things for me. But yeah, there, there, it's a tie. 

[00:14:00] Chandler Stroud: What was it about the meditation in particular, Sarah, that you found so powerful outside of what you just shared in terms of the best way to connect with something higher than you like?

[00:14:14] I don't know. We talk, I'm just, I'm curious because we talk a lot about meditation on the show and how hard it can be for women to quiet their minds and actually achieve that state of meditation. And I just, I do meditate, but I don't know that I've ever done a meditation longer than like. 10 or 15 minutes if I'm by myself, just like quietly sitting.

[00:14:34] I've done like sound bath, meditations, and I guess, you know, acupuncture in a way can be thought of as a meditation. So like I've done somatic therapies that involve. Meditation, yoga. Another example, you do a yoga class for an hour following your breath. That is a meditation, but like in terms of just sitting on my couch and either doing a guided meditation or sitting in total silence, like I don't know that I've done that for longer than 15 minutes.

[00:15:00] Sarah Hardie: Yeah, and imagine like getting to a place of peace and losing track of time and you look up and it's been 30 minutes and you've been in just in this, we call it bliss. And, and also I think the connotation of bliss is sort of confusing. 'cause you're, you're like, bliss is like ecstasy. It's not, it's a state of contentment.

[00:15:19] It's a state of peace. Like you're, you're full, you're connected to the, to the divine if you wanna say that you're in pure consciousness. So it's extremely peaceful and calming, but you're content. It's not some like. Ecstatic state. So I think I wanted to kind of like clear that for people. But yeah, Chandler, I encourage you to, to meditate on your own and I can talk about how transcendental meditation works because that's what I practice and that's what I know.

[00:15:50] It's not. The, the whole idea is that it's natural and it's effortless. It's not something that really needs to be practiced. You kind of just need to trust yourself. For me, it's, it's empowering because I have this tool that I can use to effectively control my, my mind, and. You know, control is like a funny word, right?

[00:16:12] You know, you're, you're letting go. You're relaxing. That's really what you're doing. So there's actually the opposite of control and it's empowering to know that. We can do this on our own without the help of anyone. And as long as you prioritize the time and make it a part of your schedule, you can do it and you can be good at it.

[00:16:32] So that's what's been the biggest thing for me, is not, not only the, you know, ability to create space and receive and connect with the higher power from that, but that I have the confidence in myself that I, you know, again, yeah. Have, have this kind of like power over my own mind, you know? Like I'm, yeah.

[00:16:52] I'm not gonna be controlled by my thoughts or my mind because I know that they're not me, you know? 

[00:16:57] Chandler Stroud: Mm-hmm. 

[00:16:58] Sarah Hardie: So that's what meditation has taught me. 

[00:17:01] Chandler Stroud: That's very cool. And I know meditation has been a huge part of your journey. 'cause we talked about that from the outset. When you and I first met, how do you, I know you do transcendental meditation, which you touched on last time and how that differs from regular meditation.

[00:17:17] I would love for you to share that again, just for our listeners so that they understand. But to piggyback on that, if like. Is it okay to start with just basic meditation is guided meditation. Okay. Like how do you recommend women who don't meditate, dip their toe in and start this process? 

[00:17:35] Sarah Hardie: Totally. I think that any form of meditation is great, right?

[00:17:40] Like start any way you want. To me, I felt that the guided meditation early on in my journey was a little bit distracting. And so what I would encourage is for folks who've never done it before or who are just trying to establish something. Try sitting in silence, kind of settling down, meaning you're, you're trying to relax your body part by part and return to your breath.

[00:18:04] Just see if you can listen to your breathing. For two minutes, two or three minutes. And if that makes you uncomfortable or maybe nervous, remind yourself that breathing like, I'm alive, I'm breathing and this is a good thing. Right? My breath may be shallow. That's okay. My breath may be slow or jagged. It's all okay.

[00:18:28] Like those two kind of lessons of you don't need to judge how it is, you're just. You know, observing your breath and you're just sitting, those are like the real secrets or like the, the major lessons of meditation. So if you can just start with two minutes of listening to your breath. And getting comfortable sitting in silence that you don't need someone else to say, you know, and now we relax our shoulders.

[00:18:54] If that helps you, then great. But that would be where I would start. 

[00:18:58] Chandler Stroud: Okay. That's, I think, a really good tip. A really good tip, and that'll help you for some of the other practices we talk about on the show also, I mean. Yoga was a great example and you being a yoga instructor will understand like my first few times in a yoga studio, I'm just trying to move my body to keep up with everyone else in the room.

[00:19:16] I was so focused on like doing the right thing, and over time as I got more comfortable in the space and got more comfortable with my practice and realized it was about me and nobody else, I started to really push myself to move with my breath. And let that be the most important thing, not how I looked doing it.

[00:19:35] And that was really transformative in how I practice. Like now I feel my nervous system calming as soon as I start a, you know, a flow, any sort of flow. And it's not perfect, but it's become more of the North star than like, do I look as strong or am I as low as this woman on my right? You know, like, totally.

[00:19:56] It's so hard to get yourself outta that. 

[00:19:58] Sarah Hardie: And we all go through that. We all go through place. That same evolution of, you know, when you first start doing it, you're self-conscious 'cause you're like, I don't even know the names of these things. What are they saying? And you know, this person to my right is breathing super loud.

[00:20:11] That's kind of weird. I'm now that person, Chandler, who breathes really loud. I'm the one who like sighs in my breath because it feels so good and mm-hmm. You know, it's such a judgment free zone that if you do yoga enough, you're like, okay, literally no one cares. Everyone is here. To chill out and get what they need from this.

[00:20:31] They're not, you know, and if they are thinking about who's the most flexible, because by the way, I'm like the least flexible person who's been doing yoga for a long time, then that's, you know, their issue. But my just validating that everybody goes through that same evolution of like, oh, am I doing it right?

[00:20:48] I'm, I'm self-conscious, you know? So similarly with meditation, like it's such a. Personal practice. That's what, that's what the beauty is like when you come to yourself in yoga and you can kind of like focus on within. Like I try to close my eyes a lot because then I'm not distracted by what other people are doing.

[00:21:05] You can really feel your 

[00:21:06] Chandler Stroud: body. Same with meditation, and I know you Sarah, love transcendental meditation, like that was the meditation that stuck for you. Can you talk about that a little bit and how it's different from regular meditation for listeners? 

[00:21:19] Sarah Hardie: Yeah, definitely. So the first piece is that there are locations in, in most cities and, and like in-person locations where they have teachers.

[00:21:28] So you can go. In person. You get trained, they do this beautiful little ceremony to kind of like it's not religious by any means. It's it's in Sanskrit. And they're effectively invoking kind of like the, the past creators of meditation and the yogis to kind of be there and help you, which I loved, but.

[00:21:47] You ask, you know, am I doing this right? You do it together with your teacher, and then you get access to this app, which effectively is a timer. So you're just, there's no, there's no one leading you. It's just a timer. You have all of the wisdom inside of yourself that you need. And then you do have access to resources within the app.

[00:22:03] So if you ever need to remember, okay, what is good look like? Like how am I supposed to be doing this? The most important thing is that you're not trying. It's natural. And so what I mean by that is the more you can relax and. Sit and then you effortlessly turn your attention to your mantra, which is just a sound.

[00:22:24] It doesn't mean anything. It's effectively the vehicle for which your mind will kind of dive deep beneath thought. So they have this whole kind of like. Consciousness concept, right? Which is pure consciousness is at the bottom of the ocean where there's basically no thought. You're connecting with God there.

[00:22:44] That's what people would say. Okay, so we come from pure consciousness. That's as calm as the bottom of the ocean. We live and operate on the top of the ocean where the waves are, right? So those are the thoughts. Those are all the action. There's a lot of action at the top because that's where we are when we're awake.

[00:23:01] So the mantra is the vehicle, which helps you to your mind, focus and dive beneath the the thoughts that you have, which are very normal to have during meditation. So it's effectively kind of like you focus on the mantra. It takes you down into quiet, you. Enjoy that for as long as you get it. Then a thought might bring you back up.

[00:23:22] Then you focus on the mantra again, and you go back down to peace and quiet, and eventually, depending on the day, you know, I've been doing this for a couple years, there are days where I don't feel much of the quiet, and then there are days where it's all quiet for 25 minutes or 30 minutes and I've lost track of time.

[00:23:38] And you come out of it and you're like, wow, that was. Super special. I feel amazing. I feel rested and, and fresh and calm. But the biggest thing is to have very little expectation, which I think is so good for just like life practice. You know? It's like can you try to loosen up the expectation and the control, and it's such a good reminder, just that.

[00:24:01] The goal is to do it twice a day, right? So in the morning before breakfast, and then in the afternoon before dinner. Mine is not perfect by any means. I try to get it in whenever I can with, you know, two young kids and a job and all of that. But yeah, they, they come at it from like a, not only a mental, mental, physical, but also a scientific perspective.

[00:24:20] So, you know, if you're doing it right. They'll say physically you'll, you might start to feel numbness, you might experience some muscle twitching, which is what I experience every time I start to relax is I, my forearm starts to twitch, which is like, okay, you're doing it. Good job. You know, your breath may be shallow or soft and you may forget your surroundings.

[00:24:40] That's, those are all, not all of them have to be happening at the same time, but like one of those is a sign that you're doing it. Another one mentally would be that you're able to think of the mantra effortlessly. That it becomes kind of like soft and or sort of distorted. So like you're thinking of this word, but it might sound long and quiet or it might sound, you know, do you know what I mean?

[00:25:05] You have quietness and, and peace. That's another sign that you're, you know, doing it. Right? So I love it because again, I've been able to observe thoughts that. Number one, we don't have to attach to every thought that we receive. Mm-hmm. Number two, we are not our thoughts. So this just helps with, you know, the ability, like I mentioned, to control your mind.

[00:25:28] It's like you, you know, you can have thoughts come and go and know that they'll always be sort of like bubbling up. Some of them are great ideas and some of them are worst case scenario anxiety, you know, so it's all part of. The process I think, of getting to know yourself. 

[00:25:47] Chandler Stroud: Yeah. No, it's very cool. You're making me very curious about this practice and wanting to try it, and I love the metaphor that you offered about the ocean.

[00:25:57] I think that's really helpful to understand what's happening when you select a mantra and the role of the mantra in getting you down to the bottom of the ocean, which is. Ugh, so peaceful. It's, I would love it to live in that every single day and Right. You know, I think we're often getting pulled out of that, but I think achieving that in the first place, even if you can live in that for a minute or two, it's like, you know, you can experience it so you can always get back there.

[00:26:23] Sarah Hardie: Totally. That's what I'm saying is if you Chandler wherever to. Have that meditation, that quiet moment, and you, you, you have this fullness, it's hard to describe too, kind of like fullness in your belly where you're like, I know I'm connected to something that's bigger than me when I'm in this quiet space.

[00:26:39] That's kind of the confirmation of, you know, like, you're doing it, you're doing it right. Mm-hmm. So once you do that, for me it was addicting. I was like, I, this is a non-negotiable. I can't not do this, you know, and try. 

[00:26:51] Chandler Stroud: Love it. Love it. Okay. Well I am gonna have to dabble in this maybe with your counsel, Sarah.

[00:26:57] Totally happy to help you. I'm curious, as we talk about obviously, intuition throughout the month of November, what does that word mean to you today? Has that definition changed over time at all? 

[00:27:10] Sarah Hardie: Yeah. Intuition has a lot to do with just trust, because for me, if you're, if you're receiving intuition like that gut sense of knowing.

[00:27:21] You can't rationalize it away. You're doing the opposite of trusting if you rationalize it away, if that makes sense. So the emphasis for me on that intuition is trusting, even though it may sound out there, just trusting my authentic self and trusting the authentic higher power that I know is there.

[00:27:43] Chandler Stroud: Love that. I think that's. Absolutely right. As we have been talking about intuition this month and being who you truly are, it's like your truth at your core. And we even talk about that trust and why it's so hard to trust it sometimes, because as we, you and I both know, especially trusting your intuition is not often the path of least resistance.

[00:28:10] Usually it's the hard thing to do, right? It's the thing that takes you outside your comfort zone or that goes against the grain, and I think that's what makes it so hard to listen to it. To tap into it. Like what you're saying to trust it. So I appreciate your perspective on that, especially given all the work you've done.

[00:28:30] Sarah Hardie: Yeah, and I was gonna say, it typically keeps coming back, right? So if you, you're not gonna miss it, is what I'm trying to say. If you are cultivating that space, which we can talk about next, you're not typically gonna miss, you know. Divine plan or that intuition, or that knowing that's meant for you because it will keep coming back and kind of knocking on your door or whispering or pulling at your heartstrings.

[00:28:52] So I, I love all of that 

[00:28:55] Chandler Stroud: a thousand percent. Co-sign, Sarah. Changing gears a little bit, in our last episode, you and I started talking about the power of dreams, and specifically you referenced a dream that you had about your father that you later learned from. Hero Lee was a visitation dream. Can you tell our listeners more about that experience and what it was like for you?

[00:29:19] Sarah Hardie: Yes. So I will just set the context by saying that I've only had one of these dreams, and it very clearly stands out from all of the other, I would say, regular dreams that I've ever had, which is, you know, your brain kind of processing whatever's going on, whether you're stressed out or having a life change or whatever it might be.

[00:29:38] Like I know what those dreams are like this dream was extremely different from all of those. It was. August, 2019. So three months after he passed. I can't remember if I specifically asked for a sign from him. I feel like I might have though. I might've said, Hey, I would love a sign from you dad to know that you're okay.

[00:29:57] Something like that. It was early in the morning. I think it was sometime between maybe six and 7:00 AM that I had this dream. So I knew I was dreaming like I was asleep. But in the dream I knew that he had passed and it felt just so real like we were. We were real people hugging in a dream. So I'll just tell you.

[00:30:18] So the setting is, and remember we were in Italy the week before he passed. So the setting was kind of like a backdrop of Italy, but we had water, I think it was like knee, high water, maybe somewhere between knee or, or hip height, water, and lots of light. Very, I would just say ethereal like it was.

[00:30:38] I'm not sure if it was heaven, but it felt very, you know, angelic in nature. And he's walking towards me in the dream and I'm walking towards him. I knew he had passed away. He is smiling. The biggest smile ever. And. We hugged and he's laughing and smiling the whole entire time of the dream. And I think I was asking questions like, are you okay?

[00:31:00] And why are you always laughing? And he's just like, he doesn't say any words, but it was like this very clear, knowing that he is great, like he was good. Like he was definitely more than okay or hugging and. I woke up with the weight of his hug, so you know, a hug where you can feel their embrace, like you can feel the physical weight of that person, you know, pressing against you.

[00:31:30] That's what I woke up with was like the physical weight of that hug. And then of course, tears just streaming down my face of like such an emotional, and for me it was like confirmation that he's. Okay. That he's more than okay. Right. And that we're all like, it's all gonna be okay. Like, it was like such closure.

[00:31:52] So since then, when we did the podcast with Lee, she said, you know, this was a visitation. I had never heard that before. So then I look it up and there's like, you know, seven traits of what a visitation is. And this checks pretty much all of those boxes. I mean, there wasn't some, like, what are they? Yeah.

[00:32:08] So it says the deceased appear healthy and vibrant. That would be one. I mean, he was like, you know, probably 10 years younger than when he passed. So 50 and perfectly healthy and vibrant. It feels super real. It's very vivid. So definitely those, you get a sensation of comfort. The dreamer awakens with the tense, intense emotion and the deceased communicates telepathically to the person.

[00:32:35] And then the one that mine, I don't think had this massive message, but it says sometimes they're bringing a message to you. I mean, my message must have been, you know, it's all okay. So that's, I guess, a, a big enough message. But yeah, it was. I remember I woke up and I wrote it down and you just, you just don't forget those kinds of dreams.

[00:32:56] Since then, I was watching a documentary where someone talks about a similar dream or they were like, you know, this person passed away. They came and they were laughing and smiling the whole time and you know, it was like some murder mystery documentary on Netflix. And they asked, you know, did this, did so and so commit the crime?

[00:33:13] And all they did was laugh and smile. So there was like. A knowing of like, everything's okay, but I'm not going to answer your, you know, human questions that are gonna like, solve the mystery. So for me that was confirmation that this was, this was a thing. And I think a lot of people have actually experienced this with loved ones.

[00:33:32] Chandler Stroud: No, I had heard of it before too, actually, even before Lee brought it up on some of our episodes together. I knew it was a thing probably because I used to watch a lot of those like unsolved mysteries and like all the, I was, I've always been fascinated by the space, the spiritual realm, and anytime humans interact with spirit in that way.

[00:33:55] I wanted to know those stories and I feel like I had heard a lot of. Moments of visitation dreams from others who were interviewed about it. But it's so cool to hear that you got to experience that at a time where you really needed it and as in response to a question that you had asked or a sign that you were looking for, I think makes it.

[00:34:17] Especially meaningful. 

[00:34:19] Sarah Hardie: So yeah, I feel super grateful to have that experience like so special. 

[00:34:25] Chandler Stroud: Yeah. It really sounds it, and you know, I know neither of us are dream experts, but I'm curious how you personally see dreams as invitations to maybe go inward or connect with something beyond the rational mind because.

[00:34:41] I'm curious and I'm curious 'cause I'm asking this. I am a believer that dreams are just another tool for us. To use and pay attention to when I think our intuition is trying to tell us something. 

[00:34:55] Sarah Hardie: Totally. I completely agree with that. I think if you're moving super quickly in life and you know, your intuition or your higher self is trying to kind of like tug on you to say, Hey, listen.

[00:35:07] Listen to me, I have something to say, and you're not slowing down in your waking life, then yeah, I'm sure that that message is gonna come through. In a dream of some sort. I mean, for me personally, in times of transition. I typically have like stress dreams, you know, which are just like these wild dreams that are like, you know, you wake up and you're like maybe sweating from that.

[00:35:30] But it's like your brain is trying to process what's happening and kind of like put it all in a certain order and just make sense of it. So I personally don't look into my dreams as much, but I think that if, again. If your intuition is trying to tell you something and you're not slowing down during the day to receive that message, I think a dream is completely reasonable for that to come through.

[00:35:54] Chandler Stroud: Yeah, I agree. I think that's totally fair. I mean, I've, I've just loved those really clear dreams, which feel like, you know, when you wake up and you can tell a story of exactly what happened, everything was so visual. I remember I was like. God, I don't. I must have been. We went on a family trip when I was younger to New Mexico and we were in this bookstore and I found this beautiful Red Dream book that I purchased, and I mean, I must have been, gosh, like 12 years old, 13 years old, and I've kept it my whole life next to my bed because when I wake up and I wanna know what it meant, I always turn to this like dictionary of.

[00:36:30] Signs, symbols that you see in dreams and what they mean. But recently, to your point of being in a time of transition, as I feel like I've certainly been this fall, I've had two dreams recently, very recently, where I woke up in a physical state of stress. Like my anxiety was through the roof. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweaty.

[00:36:52] The dream was so visual that I had to do like just some quick breath work in bed in the morning to like calm my nervous system before I took on the day. And I remember, and this is a good tip for listeners, I actually went to chat GPT because they were so intricate, these dreams. I knew my dream book was not gonna cut it.

[00:37:10] So I went to chat GPT, and I told the whole story of everything that happened and I said, analyze this for me. And it was wild. I was like. Okay, so that's what this symbol meant, or this experience, or this person showing up the way they showed up and it was so relevant to the period I was in, and it was like, okay, this is just another way that I think my intuition is trying to reinforce a lesson I need to learn right now.

[00:37:39] And I hadn't used dreams in that way until I woke up in a state where I felt like it was more meaningful and worth exploring and getting curious about. So that is just my plug to listeners. If you've got that kind of dream where your physical state is altered like that. Is likely something to pay attention to and chat GPT can be your friend in these instances.

[00:38:01] It's a great resource to interpret those types of experiences and moments and see if there's something else under the surface that your life is trying to tell you. 

[00:38:12] Sarah Hardie: And how great that it helped you make sense of it. You know, it's like that's what we all want is just to have everything make a little bit more sense, you 

[00:38:19] Chandler Stroud: know?

[00:38:21] Yeah, yeah. And it was sort of in alignment with a lot of the other messages I had been getting from other channels, whether it was like Lee or checking my horoscope or you know, a conversation with my therapist. Right. So many other, you know, if the messages just slow down, like stop doing all the time, like don't force anything.

[00:38:44] It's like I know that, but I needed something deeper in me to click into place and say, okay, no, really just be for a minute. And it was just. Powerful. 

[00:38:56] Sarah Hardie: I think that's like a continuous thing that we will keep hearing as like, if you wanna call us high achievers or type A or whatever it might be, is like people who are used to kind of getting a lot done and moving quickly.

[00:39:08] It's like we're always gonna need that reminder to slow down and, mm-hmm. Do less like, you know, doing more is not always the best thing, and I think that's just certainly my consistent reminder is like, slow down. You don't have to get it all done today. 

[00:39:27] Chandler Stroud: Yeah, no, I totally agree with that. Sarah, you've said before that.

[00:39:33] Actually, I don't know that we've touched on this yet, but when you and I met Sarah to talk about this call in particular, you mentioned to me that intuition can't land when we are in fight or flight, and I hadn't thought about that previously, but I love that you brought that up because I think there's definitely a lot there.

[00:39:55] What does it look like in your life to slow down enough to receive. 

[00:40:00] Sarah Hardie: Yeah. Well first I'll say is that I think it can land. You know, I've heard of people, and I've certainly had this like a dark night of the soul where you hear, you know, God or whoever talking to you and giving you this clear cut message.

[00:40:13] I think that that's a thing. But what I've learned is that I don't have to be dysregulated, like I can be regulated and actually be in a better place. To understand what's happening in a clearer way. So for me it's taking little moments throughout the day, whereas before I would work and just like grind it out and just push through.

[00:40:37] Now it's like taking little moments where I can, in between meetings or certainly before I go pick my kids up to reset and make sure like. Okay. Am I holding like tons of tension right now? Do I feel like I'm at a 10 mentally? Like, can I calm and calm down for a minute? That has been sort of like the, the overarching, you know, theme of, of like, just check in with yourself, you know, and feel your body of like, where are you holding onto tension again.

[00:41:10] So lately I've really enjoyed. I actually, I have A-P-E-M-F mat, a pulsing electromagnetic frequency mat that I lay on and I'll listen to spiritual frequencies. So you can literally look up on Spotify spiritual frequency playlist. And for me, the sound healing just like immediately puts me in this. You know, rest and digest state of like relaxation and calm.

[00:41:36] Taking a couple deep breaths like that really helps me just to come down from, again, I call it, I'm at a 10 'cause I'm like on a work call and just. You know, high functioning and stressed and making sure that we cover all the points, you know? So making sure that I come down from that numerous times throughout the day before I go pick up the kids and then wind down for bed for me is crucial, so that I can be my best self.

[00:42:01] Be my best self as a mom and a wife and you know, all of the things. 

[00:42:05] Chandler Stroud: I love that you mentioned sound healing here because I found that to be really effective too. And I love that you have A-P-E-M-F mat to do that alone. You don't have to go to some formal bath, which I think is great. And you did mention on our last episode also that there are hertz frequencies you can kind of download on Spotify in between if your sound healings, if you do that locally in your area.

[00:42:30] Mm-hmm. So I think that's a really, really fun and creative way for people to tap into that kind of piece in the in-between. Are there. Other, do you have other favorite ways that you like to calm your nervous system? If you don't have access to your mat or you know, aren't able to listen to Spotify in that moment, what are some of the other tips and tricks you would give our listeners?

[00:42:51] Sarah Hardie: Going on a short walk, like going on a five minute walk, stepping outside, even just in the sunlight, if it's sunny that day for two minutes, if you're, this is kind of one where. I'm, I think you've had an episode on breath work, but Cyclical, sighing. I don't know if you've heard of that. 

[00:43:07] Chandler Stroud: No. Share please.

[00:43:08] It's supposed to 

[00:43:08] Sarah Hardie: be the most effective for bringing, if you're in overwhelm, it's supposed to be the most effective to get your, your nervous system just in a state of relaxation. So basically you take a deep breath in through your nose and then you bring one more in. And then you sigh out with an audible sigh, and you do that a few times.

[00:43:32] F maybe two minutes and you can't help but physically relax. Cool. So Cyclical sign. I love that one. I love getting a foot massage. This is where you're great, you know, great one. Yeah, I, you're going out to get that. But like, they have this place called Treat Your Feet in Atlanta or Sole Spa. It's very inexpensive for 60 minutes.

[00:43:52] You get some pressure point massage on your foot, put on a little Spotify, you know, yoga playlist, whatever. And I can. I can decompress from anything I've gone through that week.

[00:44:03] Chandler Stroud: Mm-hmm. 

[00:44:04] Sarah Hardie: So, yeah, I think that it, for me, it's like kind of like a. A recipe of all these different tools. You know, it's like at the end of the day, it's really important for us to get to know ourselves, which is why emphasis on slowing down so that you can feel your feelings or, or hear whatever you need to hear so that you know, you know yourself.

[00:44:24] Like, you know, okay, in this moment, breath work actually sounds awesome. Or in this moment I'd love to just stretch and listen to, you know, a playlist so I can like release some tension. It's like each person's body and needs. Are unique in that moment, and it's like if you can have kind of a lineup of stuff to turn to, it's so helpful.

[00:44:44] Chandler Stroud: Yeah, no, I, I mean, I definitely agree with that. And you talk about a lot of these tools helping you decompress, and you and I both have talked about how. Even you've said before, letting yourself feel is part of that healing, not something to avoid. I'm curious how that's looked for you as you begin to employ some of these practices.

[00:45:07] You know, what's maybe a ritual or practice that's helped you feel to heal and you know, what does that look like? 

[00:45:14] Sarah Hardie: Yeah. A big lesson for me is. Yes, like leaning into feelings. So whereas historically I would, you know, probably shove something under the rug and, and maybe not, you know, feel grief or, or even let myself cry sexually.

[00:45:31] A prayer that I've had lately is like, God, please help me to release the energy that I don't need. Right? So in that moment or soon after, like, let me cry. Like let me just let it go. So yeah, making space for a good cry is. So cathartic and so healing for me, I read something that said tears wash the soul.

[00:45:54] And so every time I have a good cry, which I try to cry probably once every two weeks, if not more often, I feel like renewed. You know, I feel like that's the kind of the mental connotation I have with crying now is like, oh, I feel like. Fresh, renewed soul. You know, like, I got out what I needed so that I make, can make space to feel more joy, you know, so that I can feel the good stuff even more.

[00:46:21] Because if you, you know, disassociate and run from grief that you might be running from, it's like you, you're not, you're not really feeling all the other good stuff too. In my opinion, right? Like you're kind of just like, yeah, putting on a mask and running. So slowing down to really feel my feelings, which have been a combination of grief and moments.

[00:46:42] So again, crying, journaling, all of those things. Prayer, but then also anxiety and stress. Like again, for fast moving folks, whether it's women or men and, and mothers like. Stress accumulates, you know, and, and for me it shows up in sleep. Like I don't, I'm very a light sleeper, and so I will quickly not sleep well if I have some pent up stress or anxiety.

[00:47:07] And so a mantra that's really helped me is it's totally okay to feel anxiety in your body. Our bodies are built to handle. Stress, like obviously we don't want it to be chronic, but it's good for your body to feel a little bit of turbulence, right? Like it's, it's good for it to, to have to balance itself out, but the biggest piece that makes it go faster is if you don't fight it.

[00:47:34] If you just. Say it's okay to feel stress. It's okay to feel anxiety in this moment. Like, let me just feel it for a minute. And the fastest way is through, you know? So if you feel it, then it gets out. And then I use all of these different modalities that we've talked about. Sound healing is huge to just like release emotional blockages, like whether that's stress or grief, like I'm trying to let everything flow through.

[00:47:59] We talked about acupuncture. I love acupuncture for letting. For, for releasing anything that feels like maybe blocked? 

[00:48:06] Chandler Stroud: Yes, I totally agree with that. I really try to do acupuncture regularly because I think it's a great way to just move energy through your body. It's a great way. 

[00:48:17] Sarah Hardie: Yeah. I do it probably monthly, if not more often.

[00:48:19] Chandler Stroud: Sarah, if you could share one message with every woman who is hearing you today and trying to reconnect with her intuition this November, what would you say to her right now? 

[00:48:32] Sarah Hardie: I would say that the human experience is feeling all the feelings. Like that's why we're here, is to be in touch with our emotions.

[00:48:43] To not let them have control over us, but to use them as like a soft guide bringing us back into our body, right? Like we, we don't wanna be too much in our heads. We wanna be in our body, in our hearts, kind of like with an open heart, again, focused on love. So. To me, getting back into your body and trusting, trusting all of it, that the feelings are part of the human experience and that it's totally okay to have various feelings.

[00:49:11] It just helps me to get more grounded in my intuition and then receive what I need to receive and trust. So that's probably the biggest piece for me right now. 

[00:49:21] Chandler Stroud: I think that's great advice. Great advice. Finally, Sarah, how can our listeners connect with you and your work going forward now that you are starting to really take hold of this new spiritual side and bring it to others?

[00:49:40] Sarah Hardie: I love it. I have an Instagram called Breathe and Believe her. So that's really my, my forum now where I'm just kind of putting out what I receive and it comes through meditation or walks, is like, what is my inspiration? What, what's the truest thing that I know right now that I'm not sharing enough of?

[00:49:57] That's kind of what I try to put out there. But eventually I'll have a website and. Eventually I'll be taking on clients for spiritual coaching. So, but yeah, right now it's Instagram and yeah, I'd love to connect with anybody who's interested and, you know, bring comfort and peace. That's really the goal for everything.

[00:50:18] Chandler Stroud: Beautifully said. Thank you Sarah, so much for being here. We will definitely put your Instagram handle in our show notes and resources for listeners today. But I just really loved this part two of our conversation that allowed us to go even deeper than just psychic mediumship alone, which I know was such a critical part.

[00:50:39] Of your journey. So thank you for coming back to talk more about your experiences, what has helped you, and how listeners can think about tapping into their own intuition going forward. Thank you. Thank 

[00:50:53] Sarah Hardie: you so much, Chandler. It's such a privilege. I love spending the time with you. So thank you so much.

[00:50:58] Chandler Stroud: Right back at you. We still have so much to talk about, so many phone calls in our future, but thank you for being on today. I really appreciate it. And if you felt something resonate today, take that as a sign that your own intuition might be waking up and be asking to be heard. And if you're loving this November theme, make sure you're following the show so you don't miss next week's episode as we continue exploring what it means to know, trust and return home to yourself with hero Kate as she does a tarot reading for all of you heading into 2026.

[00:51:37] If you enjoyed today's conversation, please share it with someone who could use a little light. You can also visit healing Heroes podcast.com to meet our heroes. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and share ideas for future episodes. Thanks for listening, everyone, and until next time, remember. Be curious, be courageous, and be kind to yourself.

[00:52:02] You've got this.