Welcome to Beneath the Scars with Zoe. Today, I want to invite you on a very different kind of journey, one that doesn’t ask you to be stronger, do more or find all the answers. Instead, I want you to give yourself permission to slow down, turn inward and reconnect with the little girl or little boy you once were.

Have you ever wondered what it might feel like to sit across from your younger self and have a conversation with that child? What would you say to them? What would you want them to understand? Would you ask them what they needed, what frightened them, what made them happy or what they wished somebody had noticed? And perhaps, somewhere in that conversation, you might discover that the child you remember is still a part of you today, not as somebody you need to fix, but as a part of your story that deserves kindness, understanding and love.

In this guided meditation, I’ll gently lead you through a process of settling your breathing, relaxing your body and imagining yourself in a peaceful forest. From there, we’ll explore the possibility of meeting your younger self, listening without judgement and offering the reassurance, tenderness and compassion that every child deserves. We’ll make space for the feelings that arise, whether that’s sadness, happiness, uncertainty or simply quiet reflection. You won’t be asked to relive painful memories, and you never have to force yourself to feel something that isn’t there.

Before we settle in, I want to offer a gentle reminder. If you experience difficulties with your breathing or have a respiratory condition such as COPD or bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or an anxiety or panic disorder that may be affected by breath-focused exercises, please check with your healthcare professional to make sure this meditation is suitable for you. Gentle breathing can be helpful for some people, but everybody’s needs are different. Please don’t force your breath or hold it if it feels uncomfortable. If you feel dizzy, breathless or more anxious, return to your natural breathing, open your eyes if you wish and stop whenever you need to. You are always in control of your experience, and your comfort comes first.

We’ll also spend time practising something so many of us find difficult: giving ourselves a hug, allowing ourselves to rest and speaking to ourselves with the same kindness we might offer someone we love. Because sometimes, the person we’ve been waiting to hear those words from is the person we can begin learning to care for ourselves.

You don’t need any experience with meditation. All you need is somewhere comfortable to sit or lie down, a soft blanket if you have one, and a little time for yourself. You can keep your eyes open whenever you need to, move around or stop at any point. This is your experience, and you are always in control.

So, take a little time for yourself. Put down what you can, let the outside world wait for a while, and give yourself permission to simply be here. You don’t have to forgive anybody today. You don’t have to understand everything that happened in your life. You don’t have to emerge from this meditation as a completely different person.

Perhaps all you need to do is listen. Perhaps all you need to do is remember. And perhaps, for a few moments, you can offer yourself the love and tenderness you may have spent years searching for elsewhere.

This is Beneath the Scars with Zoe. Let’s begin our journey inward, meet the child we once were, and remember that healing can begin with something as simple and beautiful as learning to hold ourselves with love.

Have you ever been told to take a deep breath when you’re stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, but nobody has really explained why it might help? What if something you do every single day, without even thinking about it, could become one of the simplest tools for helping you manage stress and reconnect with yourself?

Welcome to Beneath the Scars with Zoe. In this special educational recording, I’m taking a deeper look at the science behind breath-work and exploring what actually happens inside our bodies when we consciously change the way we breathe. We’ll look at the nervous system, the body’s natural stress response, the relationship between breathing and heart rate, and what scientific research has discovered about slow, controlled breathing. I’ll also explain why breathwork can be such a valuable part of meditation, how counting our breaths can help us focus on the present moment, and why learning to slow down can be an important part of caring for ourselves.

This isn’t about promising that a few breaths will heal every wound or make every difficult feeling disappear. It’s about understanding our bodies, learning how we respond to stress and discovering practical ways to give ourselves a little more space when life feels overwhelming. I’ll share research and reputable resources so you can explore the evidence for yourself, understand what has been demonstrated and recognise where more research is still needed.

My hope is that, by the end of this recording, you’ll understand not just how to practise breathwork, but why it may help, how to approach it gently and how to begin incorporating it into your everyday life. Because sometimes, before we can sit quietly with ourselves, explore our emotions or reconnect with the parts of us that need love, we first need to give ourselves permission to pause.

This is Beneath the Scars with Zoe. Let’s take a closer look at the science of something we do every day, and discover how a little more awareness of our breathing might help us find moments of calm in a busy world.

Research and references:

These links can go in the episode description or accompanying show notes, so listeners can read the original research rather than relying solely on the explanation in the recording.

Shao, Man and Lee (2024) — The Effect of Slow-Paced Breathing on Cardiovascular and Emotion Functions: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review⁠. This review examined 31 studies involving 1,133 participants and found short-term improvements in several cardiovascular measures, while evidence for emotional benefits was more modest.

Balban et al. (2023) — Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal⁠. This randomised controlled study compared brief daily breathing exercises with mindfulness meditation over one month.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) — Relaxation Techniques: What You Need to Know⁠. A reputable overview of relaxation responses, breathing exercises, potential benefits and safety considerations.

NCCIH — 5 Things To Know About Relaxation Techniques for Stress⁠. A useful introduction to how relaxation practices may influence the body's response to stress.

What happens when the man who would have you blocking his number, changing your locks and calling your mates for backup becomes the very man you can’t stop reading about?

Welcome to the deliciously dark world of dark romance, where obsession, forbidden desire, morally grey men and seriously questionable behaviour have readers hooked. But what’s really going on beneath the surface? Is it the danger, the power, the fantasy of being desperately wanted, or something a little more complicated?

In this episode, we’re exploring the explosive popularity of dark romance, the authors pushing its boundaries, and the psychology behind our fascination with fictional men who would be walking red flags in real life. We’ll get into BDSM, dominance and submission, tantric intimacy, consent, coercive control, and why surrendering power by choice is very different from having it taken away.

We’ll also look at academic research into how readers engage with dark romance, including work published in Porn Studies in 2026 examining sexual power dynamics, arousal and the distinction between fictional fantasy and real-world preferences.

Because enjoying a dark fantasy doesn’t automatically mean you want to live it. But understanding where fantasy ends and reality begins? That’s a conversation worth having.

So grab your favourite drink, get comfortable, and let’s talk about sex, power, obsession and the dangerously seductive world of dark romance.

Because sometimes the biggest red flags are the ones we can’t stop turning the pages for.

This episode explores adult themes, including BDSM, stalking-themed fiction, sexual power dynamics, coercive control and consent.

Research and further reading

• Circana BookScan — romance publishing and sales trends: https://www.circana.com/
• Mel Monier, Reading the dark romance: exploring audience engagement with sexual power dynamics in dark romance novels, Porn Studies (2026): https://doi.org/10.1080/23268743.2026.2665166
• Porn Studies — research on dark romance, consent and reader engagement: https://doi.org/10.1080/23268743.2025.2586593
• Dunkley and Brotto, The Role of Consent in the Context of BDSM: https://doi.org/10.1177/1079063219842847

Beneath the Scars with Zoe — honest conversations, uncomfortable questions, and everything worth exploring beneath the surface.