Just north of Copenhagen, we step into a place of serenity, the home of author, psychologist, and body SDS therapist Sarah Zobel. Looking around, her books stand stacked like mementos of the versions of herself she has moved through over time. Family photos rest nearby. A photo of her guru watches over the room. And in the bathroom, affirmations are written across the mirror.
The mirror, she explains, is a practice: telling yourself what you need to hear, and what your nervous system, specifically, needs to hear. By saying the words out loud, seeing them, and letting the breath carry them, you embody their frequency. Right now, the words you are loved hang there, a reminder of how much love she has in her life, and a moment to lean into that feeling while brushing her teeth.
Her mornings vary depending on whether her kids are home, but one rule stays constant: no phone for the first hour of the day. Coffee, aioss, and grounding music set the tone. Sometimes Indian mantras play in the background, a habit carried from childhood, growing up with a spiritual mother and visits to ashrams throughout her teenage years.
"The music gets me back to myself. We all know the feeling of waking up in a certain mood, we don't always know why. The music helps me let go of that, and come back to myself, no matter what starting point I come from."
"Everything I do in the morning is meant to create a positive ripple effect for me and my kids' day ahead."
She pauses before adding another thought.
"I'm aware that all these rituals I have right now aren't always possible. Small kids, or a family crisis, will disturb that. But when I'm able to, it has a profound effect."
At the center of Sarah's morning is her breath, the foundation of how we show up, and of our ability to release what we no longer need. The breath calms the nervous system, which she explains is shaped by everything we've lived through. If there were one thing we should be taught about the body, in school and in life, she believes, it would be the inner workings of the nervous system.
Growing up with spirituality as part of health, not only the physical and psychological, gave Sarah a depth in how she relates to herself. It doesn't mean she overlooks diet or emotional health, but her spiritual connection is what sits behind all of it. She calls her approach an integrated one, combining every part of herself to feel her best.
"Right now, embodiment is something I'm deeply interested in. It means to walk the talk. We get so much information today about health, but if we don't embody that wisdom, it will never make a difference in our lives."
With age, Sarah has learned to set boundaries, saying more no than yes, in service of her own idea of health. It's come from years of growing awareness of what feels right to her and what doesn't. Not only in her work, but in relationships, both friendships and romantic ones. It's about communication too, learning to speak her truth honestly, rather than trying to please others or avoid conflict.
We end the conversation with one question: who is Sarah, right now?
"Sarah, right now, is somebody who has come home to herself. She is stronger, both physically and psychologically, than ever before. She's clear-minded, but still very curious about life. Actually, curiosity is my number one strength in what's called positive psychology."
From here, we leave Sarah's home carrying a small piece of her practice with us: the reminder to pause, to breathe, and to say, even quietly, even just to ourselves, the words we most need to hear.
