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At 19, I was forced into loneliness and thought it was something happening to me. In this episode, I reflect on betrayal, being accused of something I didn’t do, and finding myself with the truth in my hands, but choosing to heal instead of using it against the people who hurt me. I talk about how the people we allow into our lives can shape us, for better or for worse, and how that experience taught me about discernment, protecting my peace, and choosing solitude. Now, at 27, I’m creating the space I need to build a life that has my name all over it.

Dear you, Maybe I’m the bad guy. I used to think being a good girl meant being nice, understanding, and accommodating. But what happens when being nice starts costing you your relationship with yourself? This episode is based on a true story. I’m talking about rejection, boundaries, loneliness, being misunderstood, and the uncomfortable realization that sometimes choosing yourself means disappointing people. But what if being the bad guy isn’t about becoming someone you’re not? What if it’s about finally becoming the woman you were too afraid to be? And maybe, for the first time, she gets to feel free. Warmly,Areena

We don’t need to shut the door on our past selves to grow. Nothing in us has to be erased for us to change and become something new. Growth isn’t about deleting who we were. It’s about understanding how every version of us has led to this moment. Even the parts we’ve outgrown still carry lessons, and we don’t have to reject them to move forward. We can expand without abandoning ourselves. This episode is for those becoming new without erasing who they were. Your voice matters here —  If there’s a question on your heart or a reflection you’d like me to explore, share it here: ⁠⁠Ask a question⁠⁠. Your voice is part of Self Love Lounge. As an energy exchange, please rate, review and write a loving note to host Areena Antoine on Spotify, Apple Podcast and all major Platforms. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@selflovelounge_ ⁠⁠

We all have patterns we find ourselves repeating over and over, often without realizing how deeply they shape the way we give, the way we love, and the way we lose ourselves along the way. Sometimes change isn’t something we force, it’s something we surrender into, as we begin to see where we’ve been overgiving, losing our center, and slowly drifting away from ourselves. And slowly, we begin to realize that choosing ourselves isn’t a destination, but a practice of coming back, again and again, to what feels true. This episode is for those learning to stay present in their becoming, trust what they don’t fully know yet, and return home to themselves as life unfolds. Your voice matters here:  If there’s a question on your heart or a reflection you’d like me to explore, share it here: ⁠Ask a question⁠. Your voice is part of Self Love Lounge.

Sometimes opening your heart again isn’t about rushing into love; it’s about surrendering to the process of asking for help. Sometimes your heart breaks open just enough for you to see what has always been there, not by force, but by surrender, not by seeking, but by allowing. And slowly, you begin to receive the love that has never left. This episode is for those who are returning to themselves, flowing back into their own grounding, calm presence. Your voice matters here —  If there’s a question on your heart or a reflection you’d like me to explore, share it here: Ask a question. Your voice is part of this space.

There is no blueprint for grief. There is no timeline. Sometimes we wait for a sign to give us permission to let go, but it rarely comes, because waiting is just trying to control what we cannot. Healing begins when we surrender, when we turn inward and allow ourselves to feel and release. And honestly one random day, we realize we’ve been climbing a mountain we couldn’t see. At the top, we notice our hands are empty. Not from loss, but from release. We didn’t force the next step. The path opened when we surrendered. This is what moving on and letting go feels like, a no medal type of stillness which some would call freedom. As an energy exchange, please rate, review and write a loving note to host Areena Antoine on Spotify, Apple Podcast and all major Platforms. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@selflovelounge_ ⁠⁠

Areena Antoine opens the season reflecting on love, loss, and the courage it takes to choose yourself. After a year of shedding relationships, friendships, and beliefs, she explores the heartbreak of first love and the grief that follows, discovering that grief is proof of having loved fully. This episode is for anyone who has loved deeply, lost fully, and struggled to hold themselves in the midst of heartbreak. Areena holds a mirror for Brown and Black girls, young lovers, and anyone navigating the complexities of self-love, courage, and the freedom that comes from choosing yourself. As an energy exchange, please rate, review and write a loving note to host Areena Antoine on Spotify, Apple Podcast and all major Platforms. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@selflovelounge_ ⁠⁠

A glimpse into my world, my struggles, my joys, and the lessons that have brought me here. ‘The Trailer of my Becoming’ is my raw  invitation to share the journey of a 26-year-old Mauritian-Canadian woman learning to stand in her truth. Every episode peels back the layers of my recovery from heartbreak, the moments I’ve stumbled, the ways I’ve reclaimed my power, and the small victories that remind me who I really am. This is not a polished story; it’s real, messy, and evolving, just like me.

When life feels chaotic, your body whispers: come home. In this episode, Areena reflects on the times she lost touch with her body through conflict, projection, and the weight of others’ expectations and how she found her way back through stillness, self-compassion, and truth. This conversation is an invitation to listen to your body's wisdom, ground yourself in love, and to become the safe space your inner child has always needed. As an energy exchange, please rate, review and write a loving note to host Areena Antoine on Spotify, Apple Podcast and all major Platforms. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@selflovelounge_ ⁠⁠

This episode is from my heart to anyone who know what it’s like to show up fully but still feel unseen. To be misunderstood, mislabeled, and told to make yourself smaller in spaces that were never made for all of you. I see you. I’ve been there too. This episode is about shedding all those survival layers. It’s about choosing peace and power, the kind our ancestors prayed for, even when the world wasn’t ready to handle our full light. It’s about setting boundaries, standing in your truth, and owning your whole self, contradictions and all, without apology. If you’ve ever felt like you’re only partially welcome in your own skin, this episode is your space to come home. As an energy exchange, please rate, review and write a loving note to host Areena Antoine on Spotify, Apple Podcast and All major Platforms. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@selflovelounge_ ⁠⁠

You know you’ve crossed over when your life reflects your soul, not your survival. My inner child is screaming/whispering, "omgomgomg," because it's finally happening. Since my teens, I’ve been choosing myself, even when it was hard, even when I didn’t fully know who I was. I kept choosing until it stuck. Now, adulthood isn’t an arrival, it’s a daily becoming. It means no longer abandoning the parts of me once called too much, too sensitive, too bold, too magical, too Black, too brown. I’m not just surviving anymore, I’m finally living as me. This episode is for anyone who hears their younger self whisper, “Thank you for not giving up on me.” As an energy exchange, please rate, review and write a loving note to host Areena Antoine on Spotify, Apple Podcast and All major Platforms. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@selflovelounge_ ⁠⁠

Sometimes we enter situations knowing they aren’t meant to last forever. We stay because it feels right, or we convince ourselves it’s different this time. But eventually, we realize the only person we needed to be was ourselves. This episode is about breaking up with the versions of ourselves and relationships that no longer align. It's about finding peace in letting go and realizing that true healing comes when we stop performing for spaces that don’t see us. If you’re navigating a similar breakup then this episode is for you. A little message from your Host, Areena: Hey listeners, I wanted this episode to be my love letter to you. This was a really hard yet freeing experience to navigate, but I’m releasing it as a gift to help align with the New Moon in Taurus, honoring a cycle closing and new beginnings. Love you. Be gentle and let peace flow within you. As an energy exchange, please rate, review and write a loving note to host Areena Antoine on Spotify, Apple Podcast and All major Platforms. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@selflovelounge_ ⁠⁠

You are here to explore, to dream, and to peel back the layers of what truly calls to you. Your desires are unfolding, revealing themselves again and again, until you are ready to fully claim them. This episode Sherhara Burrell serves as a reminder that you are the youngest you will ever be, right now. So, what’s the rush? Take your time, trust the journey, and embrace the beautiful process of becoming. The world is waiting, and you have all the time you need to discover what truly lights you up.  As an energy exchange, please rate, review and write a loving note to host Areena Antoine on Spotify, Apple Podcast and All major Platforms. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠@selflovelounge_ ⁠ Guest Speaker - Sherhara Burrell is a keynote speaker, communication coach, and Co-founder of SpeakHaus, a leadership coaching company. With 17 years of experience, she helps leaders communicate confidently and shape organizational culture. She works with Fortune 1000 companies and startups, using storytelling to drive cultural transformation. Known for her signature haircut and expertise on Coming to America, Sherhara is also a newlywed and aspiring comedienne. She's passionate about fostering meaningful connections and creating impactful leadership.

A year later, it’s hard to acknowledge all that we’ve felt, just for it to now be released. The dance between what once was before what is no longer, is now surrendered. When we run at the cost of losing someone or something we know is never going to be true, walking to acceptance is the new light. This episode, to me, is a celebration, not a lesson because we’ve already experienced enough of those in 2024. As an energy exchange, please rate, review and write a loving note to host Areena Antoine on Spotify, Apple Podcast and All major Platforms.

Spiritual awakenings are often romanticized as beautiful, but in reality, they can be overwhelming and full of pain. We often find ourselves seeking, only to realize that what we seek has always resided within us. There comes a time in our healing journey when we are prompted to release everything we’ve sown, allowing our soul to blossom—a process that can only happen in the dark. Allow the dark parts of yourself to be, rather than maintaining a façade you know isn’t true. This episode is for YOU. As an energy exchange, please rate, review and write a loving note to host Areena Antoine on Spotify, Apple Podcast and All major Platforms.