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The Trust Pyramid:
• Presence - The base. What do I need to be here,
fully here, ready to expand?
• Emotional Safety - Built on presence. Do I feel
safe being all of me? What behaviors from others
signal safety? Where do I need to self-regulate
better?
• Curiosity – Can I wonder about the stories I’m
telling myself? Are they true? Are they patterns?
Are they helping me move toward my goals—or do
I need a truer story?
• Trust – The tip. Real trust can only grow after the
first three layers are solid. It requires consistency
and regular check-ins with those foundations.
Whether you’re navigating dating, conflict, intimacy,
or self-worth, it always starts here. Begin at the root
with presence, then build up. When your relationship
with yourself improves, everything shifts—the spaces
between you and everyone who matters feel clearer,
easier, and more alive.
3. Desire-Led Decision Making
You don’t need more willpower. You need permission
to participate fully in your own life.
High-performers often override their desires to meet
expectations or present a polished image. But desire is
data—one of our highest forms of intelligence. Ignoring
it is a fast track to self-neglect.
Let’s ask:
• Would it feel like a relief to say “yes” to this? How
about “No”?
• What will make me proud and heal my soul to
commit to and finish? Or walk away from?
• What would the most powerful, honest, and self-
loving version of me do in this situation?
This practice leans on trusting your truths and
recognizing your patterns. It’s about no longer bypassing
your needs for someone else’s comfort. When you make
choices led by desire, relationships clarify, creativity
ignites, and business and collaborations flow more easily.
It even helps you choose the right retreats—not the
ones you “should” attend, but the ones that truly meet
your growth needs.
BONUS: The 90-Second Trust Builder
This isn’t therapy—it’s emotional first aid. Relationship
CPR for when you need connection now.
It’s saved marriages, reopened long-stalled conversations,
and helped people reclaim intimacy without hours of
processing.
Here’s how:
1. Sit with your partner, co-founder, or even a mirror.
2. Take turns speaking for 90 seconds each. Set a timer.
3. Start with: “A story I have about ______ (situation
or behavior) is that you ______ (fear: ‘will leave me,’
‘don’t respect my choices,’ etc.), and that I will/won’t
be ______ (feeling needed: respected, seen, loved).
Is my story true for you?”
4. The listening partner responds: “Hearing you say that,
I notice I ______ (share what’s coming up for you).”
5. Switch, reset the timer, and repeat.
6. End by sharing gratitude for each other.
This tool builds emotional safety—the second layer of the
Trust Pyramid—and can deepen connection in minutes.
You Can Have It All
When you bring presence, safety, curiosity, truth, and
desire-led choices into your life, retreats and everyday
moments become powerful portals to deeper fulfillment.
You’re not something to fix. You’re someone to support.
These tools are your blueprint for living fully, wherever
you are.
VIEW THEIR FULL PROFILE ON RETREATMATCH.COM ---------
Tressa Yonekawa helps high-profile
couples, leaders, and boards fix what
success alone can’t, the high cost of
miscommunication. With 30 years of
experience and degrees in neuroscience
and cognition, she guides people to grow, get clear,
honor their own truths, and use the proven tools of
deeper connection. She’s the founder of The Soul of
Connection and EpicOto, and a mom to three daughters
from foster care. Tressa leads with science, heart, clarity,
and the tools that change everything.