Presence and Navigating Change
As a coach, I have focused my life on learning and sharing practical, accessible methods of living more effectively.
I believe that with awareness and presence, we have the ability to observe the way our mind works, and to notice the stories that the mind creates.
I also believe that we have the ability to choose what we give our attention to. We have the ability to move our attention away from a mind that is not helping us. We also have the ability to use our mind in ways that are helpful and supportive, but this only happens when we are present and embodied.
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Experiencing change generally implies moving from the familiar, the known and the comfortable into an experience that is less familiar, less predictable and less comfortable.
When we encounter unfamiliarity, uncertainty, and discomfort we often want to understand, and also want to predict outcomes and try to control the situation. In these situations, the mind will often create “stories” to explain what is happening and how things are going to turn out. Focusing our attention on the mind and the stories it generates generally takes us further away from what is actually happening, and what we have control over.
When in the midst of change, if we can trust ourselves and trust that we will move through each situation in a way that will be ok (if not perfect and amazing!), then we can stay connected with our body and the present moment. Focusing on the present which encompasses our physical form and all of the information from our senses, allows us to remain in connection with what is really happening and what we can control.
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With a present moment connection, we can then use all of our physical resources as well as the mind, to create, envision, collaborate, communicate, research, learn and solve problems. The mind can be a very helpful resource when it is being used intentionally with a grounding in the present moment.
Many believe that there is nothing they can do to change how they work with their mind. Many more are not even aware of what their mind is doing. To be apathetic and dissatisfied with how the mind functions is truly unfortunate. As humans, we each have an essential opportunity to learn to more effectively work with our mind and body.
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To create the life we want, it is important to learn how to effectively work with our mind and our body. Dissatisfaction with the functioning of the mind and the patterns of thought is an important invitation to learn to work with the mind differently.
I specialize in helping people to more effectively work with their mind and their body to create the life they desire. My motto is do more important stuff with less mental noise!
If you have questions or would like to discuss how Balance Mind Coaching could be helpful for you, please reach out. Thanks!
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The Five Essential Practices
How do we learn to engage with the mind when it is helpful and disengage when it is not helpful? The skills needed to consistently engage and disengage with the mind can be found in the 5 Essential Practices.
These are the 5 practices that allow us to balance and more effectively engage with both the body and the mind:
Observe yourself – Cultivate the ability to observe what is going on within your body and your mind, so you have awareness of your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and knowing. This information is critical for knowing what’s going on and what’s important to focus on – what is true/right for you, as well as where you are stressed or noticing resistance.
Know your values - Know what is important and the interplay of these priorities in your life, and then use these to inform your plans and actions.
Do the stuff that's important – Your actions need to be in alignment with your values. If they are not, what is getting in the way? The challenge always is to find a way to move through/around/past the things that are impeding the alignment of your values and actions.
Calm yourself and carry on – Often when you are doing the important stuff, there will be moments where you will feel resistance, discomfort and/or overwhelmed. There is great power in being able to calm and soothe your mind and body so that you can continue to do the important stuff. There are lots of practices and methods for doing this, so find the ones that work well for you and utilize them as needed.
Redirection for unhelpful thinking – The mind can be a helpful tool in doing the important stuff (researching, learning, strategizing, planning, organizing, visioning, creating, problem solving). The mind can also be detrimental to doing the important stuff (unhelpful mental noise like worry, doubt, indecision, negativity, perfectionism, and self-criticism). In situations where the mind is not helping you to do the important stuff, you would be well served to redirect your attention to the present moment by connecting to your body, your surroundings, and/or the task at hand (the important stuff). Rarely do we get out of a mental trap by thinking more, even though that is what we often try to do!​
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These practices are deceptively simple.
The mind can read through this information, and “understand” it, and then dismiss the practices as unworkable or unhelpful for any number of reasons.
They are called practices, meaning that we need to practice them and apply them to our life in order to experience the profound impact that these practices hold for each of us. Understanding with the mind is not enough. The invitation is to apply, engage and practice.
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I regularly apply these Essential Practices in my own life, and I also work with my clients to do the same. My familiarity with these practices allows me to observe your process and help you to identify patterns of mental imbalance, and then support you in applying these simple, profound practices to the areas in your life where you are stuck, confused, and overwhelmed. Over time, you will develop a greater proficiency with these practices and you will become increasingly confident and adept at applying them in your own life. These are the fundamental human practices that allow us to successfully navigate and engage in life, and help us to create the life we want for ourselves.