What Makes Love Feel Safe
What makes love feel safe in the body? An exploration of emotional safety, relational clarity, and self-connection as the foundation for secure, lasting love.
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The Balance Formula
Serenity + Strength + Love + Life = Balance®
Created by Justine Astacio, LMHC, The Balance Formula is the framework that guides everything we do at Lotus Theory.
These four variables shape how we define calm, courage, connection, and success in daily life.
They remind us that balance isn’t a fixed state, but a practice of returning to ourselves.
Why It Exists
Many people come to therapy seeking balance, clarity, and self-expression, but aren’t sure what that actually feels like.
Over time, Justine began to notice a pattern. First through her own self-reflection, and then in her work with clients. When you can recognize which part of yourself is asking for care, you begin to move toward change with greater clarity and compassion. That process became the foundation for The Balance Formula.
The Balance Formula helps name what’s needed, respond with intention, and return to center again and again.
It’s a framework you can personalize into your own balance toolkit, a guide for staying connected to yourself through life’s shifts.
Balance isn’t a destination. It’s a daily practice.
Emotional freedom, self-exploration = strengthening self-awareness.
The Four Variables
Each variable represents a form of balance we move through and personally define.
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Together, they create a grounded path toward self-awareness and embodied balance.
Serenity = Calm
Cultivate stillness and presence so you move through life with ease clarity.
Serenity invites pause reflection and space to reset your nervous system gently.
Love = Connection
Practice compassion and connection so you move through life with ease clarity.
Love creates safety reflection and space to soften your nervous system gently.
Strength = Courage
Build resilience and courage so you move through life with ease clarity.
Strength builds mind body connection and space to trust your nervous system.
Life = Success
Honor values and meaning so you move through life with ease clarity.
Life celebrates growth reflection and space to define success internally for yourself.
Ready to explore how these show up in your life?
Is Balance Realistic?
Balance is not about having every variable in perfect harmony all the time.
What matters is noticing what’s present and what you may need more of.
The Formula gives you a way to understand and explore where you are and what you might need, without judgement, without pressure. And with emotional freedom.
How to Apply the Formula
The Balance Formula is a practice of awareness and realignment.
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Use it as a simple weekly check-in or a daily reflection when you feel off center.
1. Pause and notice
Pick a day each week to check in with yourself.
āāDo a quick self-scan, a gentle check-in with your body and emotions to notice tension, heaviness, restlessness, or places that need a bit more care or attention.
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Which variable feels low or unattainable?
Do you need calm from Serenity, courage from Strength, connection from Love, or success from Life?
2. Respond with care
Choose one small action that supports that need.
It might be rest, expression, reflection, reaching out, or going to a place that’s yours and where you feel safe and at peace.
If you’re exploring the Formula daily, focus on one variable at a time, let it guide how you move, connect, or rest that day.
3. Return to balance
Use your awareness to choose one small way to realign.
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Slow you breathing to invite calm
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Stretch to reconnect with strength
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Reach out to someone for connection
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Reflect on a recent success
Practice without judgment and allow yourself the freedom to grow and change along the way.
Over time, this process becomes your personal Balance Toolkit, a set of practices, reminders, and rituals that help you stay grounded and whole.
Set aside a moment each week to reconnect with where you are in the Formula and notice what’s shifted since your last check-in.
Work with a clinician to deepen your Balance Formula practice and create tools that fit your life.
What If You’re Not Ready?
If this feels new or uncertain, start small.
Begin by simply noticing which variable speaks to you most. Awareness itself is part of the practice.
When you’re ready, we’ll help you turn that awareness into action through therapy, somatic work, or community experiences that support your growth at your own pace.
How We Use It
At Lotus Theory, The Balance Formula lives within everything we do.
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It shapes how we structure therapy sessions, design somatic experiences, and create community offerings.
Through talk, movement, breathwork, and sound, our goal is to help you find the balance that’s true for you, one that honors your story, your body, and your pace.
Experience the Formula
Whether you’re seeking calm, courage, connection, or success on your own terms, every Lotus Theory offering is rooted in The Balance Formula. Each one is designed to help you experience balance in a way that feels personal and true to you.
Every experience is an invitation to return to balance in the way that feels most natural to you.
FAQs
You might still have questions about how The Balance Formula works in real life. Here are a few that often come up as people begin exploring balance for themselves
What makes The Balance Formula different from other wellness approaches?
The Balance Formula isnāt about perfection or performance. Itās a living framework that helps you understand what you need in the moment and return to yourself with compassion. It combines clinical care with somatic and emotional practices so balance becomes something you feel, not something you chase.
Do I need to understand the Formula before starting therapy or a session?
Not at all. Youāll learn it naturally through your sessions and experiences. The Formula shows up in everything we do at Lotus Theory. Youāll begin to recognize how Serenity, Strength, Love, and Life play out in your day-to-day without having to memorize anything.
Can I apply The Balance Formula on my own?
Yes. The Formula is designed to be both personal and practical. Once you understand the variables, you can use them as a simple check-in whenever you feel off balance. Our clinicians can also help you deepen this practice so it becomes part of your daily rhythm.
How will I know which variable I need to focus on?
Start by noticing how you feel mentally, physically, and emotionally. Do you need calm, courage, connection, or success? That awareness alone is part of the practice. Over time, it becomes easier to recognize what you need and how to respond.
Which services are right for me?
If youāre looking to explore your emotions and patterns through conversation, start with Therapy. If youāre ready to reconnect with your body and release stress, try Movement & Breathwork or Sound Therapy. If you want to explore all four variables in a community setting, join one of our Events or Retreats.
Does Lotus Theory offer tools I can use outside of sessions?
Yes. Lotus Theory offers two ways to bring The Balance Formula into your daily life. The My Formula, My Balance Journal is a guided reflection tool that helps you explore Serenity, Strength, Love, and Life through prompts that build self-awareness and help you create your own balance toolkit. The Hello, Joy card game is a fun, connection-driven game that can be played solo or with friends. Itās designed to spark laughter and meaningful conversation. An easy way to practice joy, presence, and belonging wherever you are. Both are simple, accessible ways to keep your practice going between sessions or to begin exploring balance on your own.
How do I experience The Balance Formula for myself?
The best way is to begin. Book a therapy session, join a session, or sign up for an event. Every experience at Lotus Theory is built around this framework and offers a different doorway back to balance.
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