Wise Wednesdays

While doing some research on liberational coaching, I heard a quote: “The opposite of slavery is not freedom. The opposite of slavery is the unknown” by Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen. She left her career in paediatrics and became a leader in integrative medicine, publishing two (New York Times) bestsellers: Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather’s Blessing.   Our amygdala does not like the unknown. Psychologists call this “Ambiguity Intolerance” and it’s correlated with indecisiveness. The fear of the unknown is the main reason we stay stuck in careers, relationships and situations that are not right for us.     Our ancient brain hates the unknown (for good reason when it evolved) and hijacks our prefrontal cortex into overanalysing, accumulating information and coming up with the perfect plan in a misguided attempt to manufacture a feeling of certainty. Yet both scientific research and ancient wisdom tell us that we’re terrible at predicting what will make us happy and t...

Have you ever thought of running away to an ashram or monastery? As a transformational coach, I place importance on self-reflection and deep personal growth. Last weekend, I spent three days in a Buddhist Monastery and felt a sense of peace and renewal as I woke up at 4.30am, meditated, and helped with tasks. The schedule, organisation, and values felt familiar, as Buddhist principles and practices have become woven into my daily life. Buddhist practice emphasises understanding the nature of human experience and living harmoniously. The time at the monastery also reminded me of our core human needs: reminded me of our core human needs: safety, challenge, respect, belonging, growth, and contribution. I was struck by how openly personal challenges were discussed at the monastery - from regretting marriage to feeling disconnected from emotions. Concerns that could have remained hidden for years were shared over a cup of tea or while planting a tree. It made me wonder if we could...

“Lean in”, they said. And women all over the world worked even harder. It helped to some extent. But if you’re overstimulated, overactive or overwhelmed, “leaning in” may just tip you over the edge. It may be time to Lean Back . You see, overstimulation overloads our nervous system and affects our health (sleep, metabolism/weight, immunity and so on – not to mention mental health and relationships). Your nervous system must be “Lean” to manifest your vision without sacrificing your health. Stay out of overwhelm by leaning back and keeping your inner- and outer-world Lean (i.e. free of overload). Here’s a LEAN menu. Choose 2 or 3 items that feel delicious to you as a Leaning Back practice. 1) LEAN BACK – APPETIZER: Regulate your nervous system for clarity and flow and keep a Lean inner-world. · Meditation – a few minutes a day will work · Mindful movement (preferably in nature) · Physiological resets like breathwork (my friend Aurore offers powerful sessions in Bali)...