Lead With Spiritual Intuition ✨: Nature-based Ways to Exercise Your Intuitive Listening Muscle

We’re all intuitive. But not all of us are tapped in.

In a video conversation I had with First-Gen Latina Therapist, Claudia Parada way back in 2019, we spoke about communicating intuitively and how we’ve been conditioned to quiet our intuition as a symptom of colonization. 

In the coaching practice, our ability to intuitively connect with our clients is key to facilitating transformation. And listening is a foundational part of tapping into those intuitive muscles. Are you really listening to what this person is saying, meaning, and experiencing in the story share?

As coaches, we’re simultaneously listening to what our clients are saying while intuitively listening to how our mind, body, and spirit are receiving it. Sometimes (most times) we share the same sentiments, maybe even trauma that our clients present. So we self-manage our own emotions so we don’t bring our baggage to the session. We’re listening on multiple levels & dimensions, and that’s actually hard work! 

So how can you strengthen your intuition? Let’s start with listening intuitively. 

Listening is more than just hearing words. True listening requires presence, openness, and trust in our inner knowing. In our fast-paced world, we often forget how to listen—not only to others, but to ourselves. As natural care-givers, people pleasers, and nurturers we often listen to respond to where we can help or fix things for others.

Nature offers us a timeless teacher.

When we step outdoors and listen deeply, we remember how to quiet the noise and receive guidance from both the outer world and our own intuition, i.e., our inner voice.

Here are 3 practices to strengthen your intuitive listening skills the next time you’re in a deep conversation. Remember nature’s lessons to help guide you towards a more impactful conversation.

Listen with More than Your Ears

If you're out in nature, notice the sounds around you—the rustle of leaves, the hum of insects, or the silence between bird calls and start to tap in. Then, expand your listening. Feel how the air touches your skin, sense the stillness of the earth beneath you. Intuitive listening is multisensory; it’s about receiving information with your whole being. Try this when you’re listening to someone share a story - listen with all your senses, even your spiritual/energetic sense like the vibe of the conversation, and name that vibe!

 Listen for the Unspoken

As you sit or walk outdoors, tune into what isn’t immediately obvious. Is there a tension in your body that speaks? A thought that repeats like a refrain? A pull toward a certain place in the conversation? Intuitive listening often comes as whispers, nudges, or sensations rather than loud or even verbal answers. What emotions are leading this conversation?

 Let Silence Speak

Allow yourself a few moments of complete silence—no talking, no rushing, no expectation. Silence in nature can feel uncomfortable at first, but it’s often in those still moments that your intuition surfaces with clarity. When big emotions arise in conversations, try inviting silence rather than responding or making a statement of validation. 

A Gentle Reminder

Intuitive listening is about slowing down enough to hear what is always present—within you and around you. Like a muscle, it grows stronger the more you practice. And nature provides the perfect space to cultivate this skill.

If you want to go into a practice with us, consider the next NATURE-BASED COACHING SKILLS COURSE and sign up for our Intuitive Listening Skills Course.

Sign up for our newsletter to see when the next class is offered!

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I Coach Disruptors ⚠️ Here Are Signs You're One Of Them 🛑

Calm down.
Don’t be so emotional.
You’re overreacting.
You’re too intense.

All of these comments make my blood boil. Because I know internally these comments are meant to silence me, to make me smaller, tone me down, or control me. I’ve been told these things all my life. Growing up as an empathic kid, one who felt emotional overwhelm when someone was mistreated, I tended to speak up or ask questions to understand why the world was the way it was. And not everyone was comfortable with that.

But as I grew into my teenage years and young adulthood, I did what most people do; I molded to the comments and I consciously or subconsciously agreed to the judgments or gaslighting (we didn’t have that term growing up, btw). I think I submitted to keep myself safe from harm or from being ostracized. 

But over time, as my career developed, I realized the choice to be silenced cost me my voice and my agency. Because I was outspoken, it cost me jobs. I literally was pushed out of positions because I was pointing out unethical practices and institutional racism with my higher-ups. This happened twice.

Now that I think about it, as I was building up my leadership, I really didn’t have role models for my rage. Coaching wasn’t a thing offered for professional development, and most of what was out there were diversity programs; aka, failed attempts to have us conform to the status quo, white supremacy culture in the workplace. 

I wish I had the language, rhetoric, and supportive environments that embraced my fiery nature instead of teaching me how to be more likable.

So, how did I end up finding my voice/agency and embracing my natural rage?  TBH, I had to reach outside of my professional career and resources and start working on myself on a personal level. I couldn’t have come to the place I’m in now, fully on my path as a coach, healer, and facilitator, had I not stretched myself to go into spiritual development. 

Now that I’ve blended all parts of my leadership into my coaching style, I realized that I tend to have clients who resemble a lot of who I am and what I’ve gone through in life. I guess you can say it’s the way that my life lessons are now available to share and support others on a similar path! 

To fully accept myself I had to come to terms with my identity as a DISTRUPTOR. Once I did that I felt more whole, more complete in my identity. And I started to notice how my clients tended to be disruptors themselves! Suddenly I can recognize the rage, the frustration, and support them in a way that celebrates and empowers the change agents they are (without them losing their jobs, of coarse)! 

So, over these last 9 years of working with leaders 1:1, I noticed the traits below as the
DISRUPTOR ARCHETYPE.

Are you one of them? How many can you say "yes" to?

• Stands firm on beliefs of justice and truth: They are willing to risk positions of power to advocate for what they believe is right, acting as altruists of truth and universal law.

• Possesses powerful, often unseen accomplishments: Their past successes are not public but serve as a "secret weapon," providing a high moral ground from which they operate.

• Highly aware, empathic, and educated on societal dysfunction: They understand the root causes of problems and are fierce advocates for solutions that align with nature and universal/natural law.

• Needs balance and deep human connection: Despite their fiery nature, they crave validation, human-centered relationships, and deeper connections to prevent burnout.

• Looks to nature for validation and guidance: They believe nature holds the answers for healing and "setting things right," trusting it to guide their approach to change.

If you answered yes to all, let’s flip the script on what it means to be a disruptor and make changes in our organizations without losing a job, having fallouts in relationships, or feeling alone and “too much” of anything. You’re more than enough, you’re meant to do this work!

My private 1:1 spaces are here to accept and witness ALL of you, to nurture and embrace all the rage you've been containing. Despite what your external environment tells you about who you should be, you already know who you are in all the heightened emotions that come up when in the face of injustices. Let's get to the root of your beliefs and how you see the world doing better, being better for the sake of the collective shift towards right relationship with each other. Let's work together to find a more effective way as you contribute on the frontlines!

Let’s find a time on my calendar to talk about ways you can cultivate your leadership THROUGH your rage and characteristic of being a DISRUPTOR!

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How You Know It's Time to Heal

How You Know It’s Time to Heal

3 Signs that say you’re there

Someone once asked me, "What's the most challenging part of working in community?" I answered, "When community doesn't believe healing is needed." 

All I could think about were times where I witnessed normalized violence and toxicity in my family. For a long time I thought certain reactions or ways of viewing people were normal. Like, road raging as a young adult. I knew it was dangerous and violent, but I grew up with a road raging father. At the time it seemed normal to be around that. But then somewhere in my body and psyche, I began to agree with this attitude and response and I adopted it when I was younger. It wasn't until I started to give myself permission to pay attention to how I was impacting the world, that I realized I can do things differently. Mostly this was because my impacts on others were sometimes negative. 

But it took a lot of years and life experience to get to a point where I decided to engage in some real and deep healing. So, I wanted to share with you a couple of ways that helped me embark on a healing journey that proved to me, worth charting unknown territory. And FYI, these things still happen to me all-the-time! We don’t reach a point of being “healed”, rather healing is a constant journey throughout life; there’s always something to work on.

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Here are just three signs that let you know when it's time to heal.

You find yourself frustrated and overwhelmed by things that normally don't bug you - here's a sign that where you are in life is just not enough. You want more and you know more is possible.

How does this translate to what needs healing? If you can thread your frustrations back into its origin, what we’re really being presented with is our sense of value and self worth. Frustrations about how things are done or how you’re observing them can give you clues into what you know to be possible. What exactly are you frustrated about? Have you felt similarly in the past and what was the core of that frustration? Find common threads in moments that left you feeling the same type of emotion and it can lead you to a place in life where you felt like you knew something was better or possible for yourself.

You're going through or have just come out of a major life event or situation - life has just thrown you a bunch of information and opportunity to flex your abilities. Here's life showing you your capacity and IT showing you that you are made for more.

It could feel more like you’re in survival mode, but doesn’t survival mode also put us in a place to search urgently for extra resources and support? Like clamoring for something to help you in times of great need, we’re also pushed out of our comfort zones or edges just to make it through the next step. Oftentimes, stepping back from the situation or reflecting back on what just happened can help reveal what needed healing from those events. Like having a realization that you just survived something tremendous, or that you just made it through those tough times. Finding out exactly what you did or what you were thinking in those critical times can bring so much awareness to your capacity to hold challenges now that you’ve overcome them. You’ve just gone through some kind of healing when you’re able to wisely observe key points in your life.

More than a few things in your external environment seem chaotic, but not always directly because of you - this is the Universe's way of saying, "I know you see this! Now, what are you going to do about it, oh wise and gifted one?"

I went through a lot of these types of messages when I was younger, about the time of my first Saturn return (typically happens around ages 28-32). So many things imploding, exploding, relationships going awry, structures and institutions unraveling…sound familiar these days? 

Now, pandemic times have certainly played a perfect example in what I’m saying here. So what healing has this pandemic revealed to us? Much of what we see today in our external environment is causing us to go inward and ask ourselves, “what went wrong?” , the challenges around this pandemic have been around the care for others and the long brewing tensions between us racially and culturally. So, when it seems like the world around us is about to topple over, we can begin asking ourselves, 

• What did I miss? 

• What was I not paying attention to or investing my time in that caused me to not see beneath the surface and now this is what would be the outcome?” 

Because life is actively showing us that we’ve missed the assignment. So, what can you do now to get back on track and focus on your well-being?

In many ways, the signs that you're ready to deepen your life experience and skills require you to FIRST know and believe that healing is needed; that you simply want things to be different. What stops us from diving into a true healing journey can be the facts that

• you’re not really ready to face the dark stuff, the shadows, the traumas, the yucky feelings

• you may be intimidated by your level up; like knowing that the different you will be more powerful puts you in a place of resistance

• you just don’t know where to start

More often than not, the majority of us WON’T sign onto a healing journey because of the reasons I just pointed out. What’s more common is to find yourself at rock bottom or in a situation where you’re left with no other choice but to begin healing. So no matter what, we all have the capacity to get started on some version of a healing journey. 

And healing isn't just about when you are directly harmed and in need of support. Healing can also mean that younger versions of you still need tending to because you're not able to access your full and whole self today, as an adult. The latter scenario is one of the biggest areas I tackle with leaders in private sessions! 

As a leadership coach with healing centered approaches, I always advocate for the normalization of these challenging times and yucky feelings because the more we ignore them, the more those feelings will start to nag at us to get to the healing it needs before you can level up. This is where triggers come from; unhealed parts of our past that get signaled to come back to us as adults. Now, have you cultivated the tools and wisdom to now offer your younger, hurt parts? That’s where someone like me can be that support for you. 

If you want to know more about where you are in your time to heal through barriers and blocks preventing you from the life of liberation you crave, you check out my offerings below

• sign up for the next cohort of Trailheads To Healing

• book a quick consultation with me to explore private coaching

• join any type of healing hike to put you in direct connection to the Universe’s messages for you

• check out other events or workshops to get to know more about my work

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Healing Hella Hurts

“If you don’t hurt, then you don’t know”

— Manongs from the I-Hotel documentary

Since I like to keep it real, it think its Important to talk about the reality of the healing process. Because it’s not all rose baths and massages.

If you’re really serious and ready to invest in the real work of healing, then get ready for ALL THE FEELS. It’s no wonder few people will dive deeply into their healing process because there’s risk in what happens getting pretty ugly or uncomfortable. In relation to your own body, things may come up, quite literally as I explain more later. In relation to those around you, since you’re changing/transforming yourself, the people around you might not recognize you and that can be hurtful for everyone.

In this post, I’d like to focus more on the physical affects of doing your transformative work, or healing. For instance, the after care piece of a healing hike, can be overlooked. I wanted to be transparent about the possibilities and encourage you to trust that if something physical and out of the ordinary does come up with your body, this is a good sign of energetic movement, change in perception, or release of toxins. Remember, our emotions are directly connected to our physical bodies, but that doesn’t mean you’re necessarily aware of what those connections are and how they can show up after doing healing work like processing through emotional baggage.

We can protect ourselves by being prepared, paying attention, and having an after-care plan. Here’s what it is:

THE REALITY

Healing work is hard because it can literally hurt. Sore muscles, migraines, even vomiting can happen after processing through some deep emotional stuff! That’s because our emotional energy can exist in particular parts of our bodies, more noticeably when there’s stuck energy. Engaging in the unseen mediums such as energetic, metaphysical, or ancestral modalities can result in some unanticipated and non-symptomatic-like bodily responses. Crazy, right? But its true.

Additionally, our thoughts can pay a big part in how our bodies feel/react to our environment. Have you read/heard the news today? Was your heart beating with frustration?

As an example, if we engage with a deep seeded trauma and work to bring up something buried so deep, then release it, this can feel a certain way. Perhaps, even resulting in the body reacting the way it needs to so the energy can move out. Like, “purging a trauma” out of your body can literally play out like vomiting all those negativities out.

So, What is needed for a safe journey ahead? Well, every person is different and has their own emotional and physical process. But here are some things we can talk about…

Let’s first talk about AFFECTS, not effects, but AFFECTS. And I use affects here because its a verb and it means to influence something. Your healing actions should influence your healing process, not result in an effect (noun) to your healing process. If we’re engaging in non-symptomatic shifts in your well-being, then expect non-symptomatic things to happen.

AFFECTS ARE SIGNS OF MOVEMENT/ADAPTATION

No pain, no gain, right? Right.

It doesn’t always have to happen painfully. What I’m trying to emphasize here is that if it does happen, trust in the nature of things. A waaay long time ago I wrote about how “stressors” in the environment cause mutations to happen in plants. It’s part of the natural process of Resilience and Adaptation. I said,

“Stress (or stressors) are actually those signs we have in life that something is happening and is calling us to adapt. Something is happening that needs some attention because a change is about to happen. And only then, when the stressors make themselves known is when we are called to do some work to figure out how to adapt.”

Just like our plant relatives, we are resilient and we adapt. The good thing about us being conscious of our environment and able to move and search for help or resources in the face of “stressors”, is that we can consciously prepare ourselves for the journey of engaging with a “safe” and “sacred” stressor, such as a coaching session, healing hike, spiritual journey, etc…

Now that we’ve started with some language and natural law, let’s talk about preparation and protection.

PREPARATION & PROTECTION

I can’t express enough, the importance of preparation; know what you’re getting into, how to find the right practitioner, and try to get a sense of how ready and how deep you’re willing to go into your healing journey. This also helps the practitioner know if you’re the right fit for them. Do your research, get your recommendations and referrals to the right practitioner or do some sample sessions! If you’ve been on one of my hikes you know that I send everyone a pretty extensive preparation welcome letter before arrival. This is key to having a good session!

Your healing journey needs a protected container. This is why the opening and closing circles of our healing hikes are soo important to the entire experience. It’s an essential part of building the sacredness of our time as well as setting the tone (or intention) for our experience. It’s also a good way for us to protect ourselves from any distractions or interruptions from other park visitors. Think of this process as a metaphor for your process of any type of healing session you engage with. Get grounded, call in your source(s) and proceed with faith.

AFTER CARE

I often mention this at the end of our hikes or sessions, especially if we’ve just had some deep emotional experience in nature;

pay close attention to how your body is reacting and what your emotional state is like for the next few days

The affects of emotional processing sometimes takes a few days to cycle through or reveal itself. It’s important to take note (no matter how subtle) of any changes you might be feeling or if any unexpected physical or emotional things bubble up. This again, is a good sign and it might not feel good or look pretty.

Here are some of my after care tips for healing hikes or private sessions:

• always stay hydrated, before and after; water is a good “leveler” of energetic exchange/change. You might notice after an emotional session you’re super thirsty. Know that you just did a lot of work!

• rest well after a session, especially if you felt a sudden onset of fatigue or lethargy. This could be a sign of an emotional hangover or detox. Take a day off if you can’t concentrate or function well at work

• if your gut instinct is telling you your physical or emotional affect is from the session, trust it is from the session and will pass as you take care of yourself

• if your gut instinct is telling you your physical or emotional affect is from another person, trust it is from another person and will pass as you take care of yourself. You might be more sensitive to others’ energy than you thought!

• the most important in this container is to PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to yourself with the intention of understanding more about how you process through things.

  This is where you’ll benefit the most and one of the main reasons why I always say, this is a JOURNEY, not a cure.

You can heal yourself!

*always seek advise from a medical professional in any case that you feel like what you’re experience is something more serious. The after care and advise I give here and throughout my website is not meant to diagnose or prevent or cure any clinical ailments.

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5 Steps to Shift From Madness to Mindset

A few years ago I offered a deep reflection tool that allowed you to recognize when changes in behaviors happened..

And in recognizing those changes in behaviors, my hope is that you’re able to see those as a major step forward. If you haven’t done that exercise, I suggest giving it a try this year. Because you might be surprised by how much growth you’ve been able to accomplish with just behavioral shifts! You can do last year’s activity by reading about it here. It includes some downloadable worksheets too!

Now, to take your reflection even deeper towards transformation this year’s tool will help you understand your mindset. I can talk actions all day long and you can engage with actions that change the way you do things, but if you’re mindset, or beliefs around those actions aren’t aligned, you’ll often find yourself reverting back to your old ways.

Take this beginning of the year season where we typically see folks committing to “a better diet”, “more exercise”, or some other form of better living. When the enthusiasm and stamina around that change wears off, say around February or March, excuses start to take over. Without a strong mindset aligned with that change, belief systems from other people, societal norms, or just those stories you developed on your own can take over a derail your plans. The madness sets in.

So, as a way to make your shift a holistic and solid one, we’re going to focus this year on shifting from this madness of varying beliefs in your head to developing a strong mindset that sets you up for making an actual change that is aligned and long lasting.

So what does a successful shift from madness to mindset look like?

Simply put, these 5 steps can help you put some back into it! Below I give you some examples to help jumpstart your reflection and I also encourage you to download this worksheet and FULLY engage with the activity.

1. Name what you want to change. Bottom line it.

   In 2019 I want to change the way I eat to have a more plant-based diet

2. What are your beliefs (madness) around that shift? For instance, what goes on in your head when you think about making this change in your life?

   a. Plant based diets are healthier and will help me lose weight

   b. It takes too much time to prep food for a more plant based diet and I’ too busy

   Where did they come from? You, someone else, societal norms, etc…?

   a. I see it all the time in the media, a couple of people in my community swear by the a plant-based diet reversing chronic illness and other things, and ever since I started eating more plant based foods I feel better about my overall body

   b. I grew up with fast food and TV dinners, so making food from scratch is too time consuming and I’m a really busy person

3. Determine which of those beliefs serve to your benefit versus ones that result in preventing you from making a successful, long term shift. Can you add an action to take to make that change?

   Example

   Mindset - I see it all the time in the media, a couple of people in my community swear by the vegan diet reversing chronic illness, and ever since I started eating more plant based foods I feel better about my overall body.

   Action - 3 out of 7 days in a week will be a plant-based lunch

4. Bottom line your mindset in a statement. This is the part that shifts from madness your mindset. Affirm it and ritualize it into an affirmation or reminder to yourself, especially when you have the urge to revert back to old habits. Write or draw this statement out and put it on display in a sacred place in your home so you can see it and recite it at least once a day. Do this for at least 21 days!

   a. I make time to have more plant-based foods in my diet because it supports my overall health

5. Keep yourself accountable by looking back every week and tell someone.

   • How many times were you able to implement the change?

   • How many times were you able to state your mantra (mindset) to yourself?

   • Celebrate the wins and when you’ve been consistent in using this mantra and don’t be hard on yourself if it’s not perfect! Your mind is, after all, conditioning itself to a new norm! But also don’t have a gallon of ice cream, instead, share with someone who supports you that you reached your weekly goal!

   Tip: If you’re not consistent, next week, customize the action so that it fits better into your unique life and try again. It’s all good as long as you don’t quit all together!

Finally, its always a good idea to have at least one “transformational buddy”; someone who can witness your change and cheer you on! I personally would shamelessly plug that hiring a coach is the ultimate game changer! But if you’re not yet ready for that type of investment, I’ll leave you with some final tips to identify who that buddy can be:

• Someone you trust and has been a natural and true champion of you all along

• A person who can keep their personal agenda out of your goals and be an active listener

• Someone who can empathize, not sympathize with you

Good luck in the next year of change towards your best life!

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What is Trauma Informed Coaching?

What is Trauma Informed Coaching?

with Coach Reva Patwardhan

Finding the right person to help you through major challenges in both life and career can get a little tricky for a person of color. Lack of options or financial access are certainly barriers. And the importance of representation in professional and personal services is becoming more and more a need and requirement in cultivating a safe and inclusive environment to do work where vulnerability is critical. Often times a disconnect or lack of cultural awareness on the part of the practitioner can cause more harm than help.

Listen in on this conversation I have with Reva Patwardhan, of Greater Good Coaching as we talk about

• What trauma informed coaching is

• What oppression informed coaching is

• What’s important about these aspects of our practice as women coaches of color and how it shows up in ourselves as well as our clients

• How we manage and do the work WE are responsible for doing to prevent causing more harm.

This was a really interesting and enjoyable conversation with Reva and I hope it sheds some light for you as you seek or work with practitioners that hold space for the more tender parts of your growth and development!

**Scroll down below the video to see the minute breakdown of the conversation!

00:33 Introductions

03:27 Why we coach

10:03 How healing shows up in our coaching

13:36 Defining trauma

20:20 Being trauma informed in our practice

23:26 Oppression informed coaching

29:23 Consequences of NOT being trauma & oppression informed

31:53 Being there for the client

38:32 It's okay to fire your coach!

41:25 Final messages from each coach

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Nature & the Apocalypse - Tapping Into Your Untapped Resources

Nature & the Apocalypse

Your Untapped Resources

In apocalyptic times it’s easy to forget about the multiple dimensions of resources we all have to make it through challenging times.

So I thought I’d break down these dimensions unique to my message and what I created as a pillar of the Radical Nature Framework.

Click this image of Terry Crews & Jameela Jamil in conversation about toxic masculinity and an emphasis on 2 ways that people get inspired (1:34).

I remember talking to my business coach and he asked me, ”What is it that actually motivates people to get a real start on their true life’s work and invest in the real support needed to get there?”. And I responded and told him that we typically don’t take a leap until we get to our extremes. So, near-death experiences or arriving at what might seem like the lowest point in your life will get someone to take action. Those are usually the times when we generally see people create their businesses or “launch” their life’s work. Not everyone needs to get to extremes, but I see it as an example of a general human tendency.

Today, I’d say there’s also this apocalypse. And by apocalypse, I’m taking its root definition, below. Our ability to now see the truths of our world has caused us to face, head-on the many things we need to repair and heal to move forward.

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Not what we expected as an apocalypse the way Hollywood depicted it? What we’re faced with is an existential crisis. And this existential crisis requires us to ask the deeper questions about WHO WE ARE and WHAT OUR PURPOSE IS while we’re here on this Earth.

I think this is why when I introduce my “Belonging & Identity” diagram to groups it seems to be the illustration that hits people viscerally in what work needs to happen to make it through to see what world we’ll arrive to after all of this chaos.

Source: etymonline.com

Why does it seem to hit home for most? I’m guessing that this is the missing piece in the narrative of leadership, organizational development, or entrepreneurship;

the fact that we are made up of more than just our human existence

We have multiple dimensions of being and our sense of belonging to things not ONLY this Earth. It’s like a breath of fresh air to just acknowledge that we exist on multiple planes. And this is what came to me when I took a deeper look into nature’s systems from multiple disciplines; science, spiritually, coaching, etc…

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So let me break down each of the dimensions as they relate to our human sense of identity and belonging and leave you with some ways to start thinking about this for yourself.

The goal is that you can find the many untapped resources of your resilience and begin engaging with these dimensions as the world as we know it begins to dissolve….

Look at the multiple dimensions of your being, from the human self all the way into the expansion of your place in the Quantum or Universal Realm.

How do you relate to each dimension?

How does each dimension show up in your life?

Consider answering the questions posed with the breakdown of each of these dimensions below:

SELF - your body, DNA, physical abilities, capacity to intellectualize, living family, existence in your specific life time

REGION/LAND - the place on the planet where your ancestors come from, your lineage, all the specific plants and animals found in that region, your capacity to relate to particular plants and animals because they are part of your origin story

GLOBAL - the world’s resources, the things we all have as a global human species like emotions, basic needs, our capacity to see yourself in others (kapwa), our connection to land and water on this Earth

PLANETARY - your connection to the stars/planets/solar system, your birth chart, your capacity to see your spiritual position in relation to the Earth and other starts

QUANTUM/UNIVERSAL - our collective consciousness, the place where everything exists and belongs to, beyond the stars. It’s the universal energy of our existence, your capacity to reach your ancestors and become one and back and forth...

Take this resource with you and your answers and apply your multiple dimensions the next time you need to find answers to take the next step during the apocalypse! And let me know what shows up by commenting below!

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Access this "Trauma Response Toolkit" That Includes My Healing Hike Activity!

This year has yet to fail in its epic and ongoing show of turbulence.

So I must assure you that in these times, we pull together and offer up our best support. As a trauma-informed coach, its really important to know what tools and approaches are out there and how the deep healing work we do can provide some accessible and practical tools. In the case of referring out services or sending extra tools and resources during sessions, it’s critical to know where to send folks.

That’s why when I was invited into contribute to MyLife’s Trauma Response Toolkit, I was really excited about providing the opportunity to experience nature’s healing abilities via technology! Now you can access a healing walk through the meditation app, MyLife and connect with nature anywhere!

I had already experienced the need to pivot the in-person healing hikes into virtual space in 2017 when the first episode of CA wildfires ravaged The Bay Area. No, it wasn’t actually the pandemic that initiated the pivot although the virtual healing hikes did ramp up this year due to the pandemic!

So I invite you to check out the entire Trauma Response Toolkit online series where many other experts, including myself, were interviewed to talk about ways in which we can tap into our personal power to overcome the many challenges of our lives and current societal turbulence.

Also, to be real about this experience for me, you better believe the imposter syndrome came in strong! I leaned in, took a deep breathe, and let the experience flow. Because when I saw the list of experts in this series, I couldn’t help but notice how I was one of two “experts” in the series without a PhD! That darn imposter syndrome had a brief nano-second guest appearance into my mind and I quickly ninja-chopped it out and replaced it with a healthy dose of empowerment. I told myself that this was something to celebrate, loudly and proudly! That I was really proud of myself in being visible enough for a company to recognize me in this way. And I became overwhelmed with gratitude for being part of this spread of awesome experts. I definitely gave myself so love this week! Most importantly, I know it can be a testament to encourage others that have deep, maybe disabling or toxic relationships with their ‘imposter syndrome’ thoughts. That commitment to your truth and life experience is also important to stand by amidst the norms of this world needing credibility in the form of degrees or publications.

I truly do believe that if the support you’re getting from anyone makes sense to you and does something to shift you into your truth and healing, then it’s valid. It’s worthy. It’s real.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the other guest experts:

Some of the other topics I cover in this interview for the first time, publicly is the connection to our ancestors when we heal with nature and how important ancestral healing is to our efforts to heal relationships with each other and the land we live on.

You don’t want to miss this conversation!

Now, go ahead and head on over to MyLife’s YouTube channel and check out my interview alongside other amazing practitioners offering up their perspectives and tools. And don’t forget…each practitioner has an activity in the Trauma Response Toolkit, FREE for you to access by downloading the app! Just click the links below to access all of this good stuff!

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Are You Using 'Accountability' Accurately?

In my coaching certification program it was made more clear to me, this thing called accountability.

You see in my practice, one of the first things to establish in a new coaching relationship is the creation of a safe space to work through challenges. And because vulnerability is required for transformation, part of creating that safety is to establish a safe system of accountability. Not to just say we’ll be accountable for each other’s actions, but to create a system and process so that accountability is used accurately and for the powerful function it has in healthy relationships. 

What do I mean? Well, let me ask you, what is accountability?

Simply put, it’s one’s ability to take into account what just happened/what they did/the harm they just caused. And that’s it! 

So, when you hear accountability being demanded in response to the hurts and harms done onto ourselves and our communities do you think it’s being used accurately? I personally think that a majority of the time it’s NOT. Typically when I hear the request or demand of accountability, my deep listening tells me that what is really wanted is that the person who caused the harm needs to face the consequences or be held responsible, as in go to jail, or lose their job, etc... 

It’s fair to say that we become emotionally charged by these harms, BUT facing consequences or being held responsible is not the same thing as being held accountable. Again, being held accountable is being able to recall what you did. And only this.

And until we get better at saying what we mean and meaning what we say, we’re probably not addressing our issues with each other head on or solving problems efficiently. So, let me add some more pieces to this puzzle...

Accountability is only one piece of establishing a healthy relationship. The other pieces that are often overlooked are

• the process of recovery once a hurt or harm is done

• the process of repair of the relationship after a hurt or harm

*sidenote: replace hurt or harm with “broken agreement” and you can apply this system to your workplace, or any social institutions

Our healing can start with accountability, but it doesn’t end there. Restorative justice requires that RECOVERY and REPAIR become the steps included into a normalized process of healing and transforming the way we relate to each other.

So I challenge you to (1) think about whether you want accountability or really just want someone to face their consequences and (2) figure out if it’s accountability you know is needed, then ask the leading, critical questions:

1. What actually happens after accountability is established? 

2. Is there a system in place that takes into account the recovery process for everyone post harm?

3. Are there agreements in place about how the relationships will be repaired?

Chances are if the critical pieces of recovery and repair aren’t coupled with accountability, then you have a broken or dysfunctional system upholding (or not) that relationship. 

Requesting accountability without knowing how the entire system of recovery and repair are involved in that process is like setting off an avalanche of more harm and destruction.

We just end up with more to clean up!

How are you setting up your SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTABILITY for yourself?

How are you setting up your SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTABILITY for your community/work place/organization?

Share in the comments below. I’m curious to know how you can apply this!

THANK YOU FOR READING MY STORY!
 IF YOU FOUND THIS RESOURCE HELPFUL
PLEASE SHARE WIDELY TO YOUR NETWORKS & FRIENDS!

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Energetic Communication Video Series Part 4 - FINAL Wrap Up & Claim Your FREE Workbook!

HERE’S THE LASTOF OUR COLLABORATIVE ONLINE SERIES
TO HELP YOU LEVEL UP IN YOUR SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL AWARENESS!

Watch the full video to find out what’s included in the FREE downloadable workbook!

Join us right here on the Hike It Out Coaching blogosphere as I get into conversation with Energy Worker and Curandera, Claudia Parada. In this 4 part video series on Energetic Communication we’re going to take you through several energetic pathways to bring awareness and action to the ways we can get to know our inner emotional landscapes. As we go deeper every month on Energetic Communication, we’ll be examining what happens to us when we share space with other people and how that can impact your ability to be in relationship with ourselves and others.

In Episode 4 this is the finale! Listen in on the full episode 4 of our conversation as we recap the main takeaways of the series and give you your instructions on how to claim your FREE Guided Activity Workbook:

• Quieting of the Intuition discusses how our intuition can be silenced and ways to connect and grow our intuitive nature

• Interpersonal Vibration focuses on interpersonal energetic communication.  We talk about how to recognize when and how your energy is interacting with someone else's and what you can do

• Communicating Through Trauma discusses what happens to our energetic body when traumatized and the importance of community when moving through traumatic experiences.  

• Claim your FREE Guided Activity Workbook here!  This workbook is specially curated by the coaches to help you practically apply the energetic communication tools in your life.

It’s a wrap! A big thank you everyone who tuned in to our video series.  Follow us on social media to stay updated on upcoming events, classes, and giveaways.

Please leave us comments or questions below!

Where to find us:

IG @soylaclandestina
FB www.facebook.com/claudiaholisticlifecoach/
www.communitwellsf.org

IG @hikeitoutcoaching
FB Rino Consulting Solutions
www.rinoconsultingsolutions.com

And if you’re so inspired to get in on the dialogue, please do contribute your thoughts to the comment box below! We’d love to hear from you!

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO VIEW THIS CONVERSATION.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, PLEASE SHARE WITH OTHERS AND JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION BY COMMENTING BELOW!

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Energetic Communication Video Series Part 3 - Communication Through Trauma

HERE’S THE DEEPEST LESSON OF OUR COLLABORATIVE ONLINE SERIES
TO HELP YOU LEVEL UP IN YOUR SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL AWARENESS!

STAY TUNED FOR OUR LAST VIDEO OF THIS PROFOUND SERIES
AS WE OFFER YOU A CULMINATING CONVERSATION NEXT MONTH!

Join us right here on the Hike It Out Coaching blogosphere as I get into conversation with Energy Worker and Curandera, Claudia Parada. In this 4 part video series on Energetic Communication we’re going to take you through several energetic pathways to bring awareness and action to the ways we can get to know our inner emotional landscapes. As we go deeper every month on Energetic Communication, we’ll be examining what happens to us when we share space with other people and how that can impact your ability to be in relationship with ourselves and others.

In Episode 3 this is it! We are deep down into this series and facing trauma head on! Here, we focus on is our ability to recognize the experience of our energetic bodies in the moment of trauma so we can get to a point of attuning to its impacts on us. Naming our trauma can help us identify a way forward, through it.

By now we hope you’ve been able to view episodes 1 and 2 as an awareness about your intuitive skills and your ability to recognize energetic vibrations between you and another person. By viewing these two before watching this month’s video, you’re sure to gain a solid grounding on energetic communication to be well on your way to a higher emotional awareness in your everyday!

In video 4 of 4, we talk about how we each view trauma in the context of an energetic experience and its importance in the work we do as practitioners. Acknowledging that there are many different ways and disciplines in approaching trauma, we offer our own experiences and insights for processing through these events. In this episode we cover:

• The work of trauma is important and so prevalent in our communities, AND we are always working towards the healing through it

• An important part of re-grounding from trauma is the process of reparenting and inviting back in the spirit that was lost from that trauma

• Being able to be seen and validated in the trauma and reach out to our communities for support empowers us to heal holistically

 

And if you’re so inspired to get in on the dialogue, please do contribute your thoughts to the comment box below! We’d love to hear from you!

•  What has been your experience with trauma?

• What were the key takeaways in this video for you?

• What have been some powerful examples of your ability to recognize your trauma and did you feel safe and able to process and heal through your experience(s)?

• What’s important to you in learning this ABOUT YOURSELF that can elevate your ability to SUPPORT OTHERS?

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO VIEW THIS CONVERSATION.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, PLEASE SHARE WITH OTHERS AND JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION BY COMMENTING BELOW!

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Energetic Communication Video Series Part 2 - Interpersonal Vibration

EPISODE 2 GOES DEEPER INTO THIS COLLABORATIVE ONLINE SERIES.
LEVEL UP YOUR SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL AWARENESS!

Join us right here on the Hike It Out Coaching blogosphere as I get into conversation with Energy Worker and Curandera, Claudia Parada. In this 4 part video series on Energetic Communication we’re going to take you through several energetic pathways to bring awareness and action to the ways we can get to know our inner emotional landscapes. As we go deeper every month on Energetic Communication, we’ll be examining what happens to us when we share space with other people and how that can impact your ability to be in relationship with ourselves and others.

In Episode 2 we get into the understanding of what it’s like to listen and manage your field of energy when you’re in contact with another person. Interpersonal Vibration is that dance we do when we’re in community with others. Paying close attention to your own vibes and what’s going on inside of you in a situation may just as well be hard enough, but insert a situation where at least one other person’s vibe is influencing the feel of the room? What do we do then?

In video 2 of 4, we talk about these “vibes” in the room and what happens when we’re listening to each other energetically. Listen in on the full episode of our conversation as we hit three points:

• From the lessons of listening to your intuition from Episode 1, we can start recognizing what is your own energy vibration and what is the other person’s vibration and story

• How we can cultivate our agency in each interaction so we are empowered to decide how we want to hold interactions in our life

• Move forward in the relationship with clarity and intention while protecting your energy

And if you’re so inspired to get in on the dialogue,
please do contribute your thoughts to the comment box below!
We’d love to hear from you!

• What’s your vibe like?

• What do you notice about your own vibe in tricky situations?

• What have been some powerful examples of your ability to discern between your vibe and others’ vibes to utilize your awareness and hold the conversation with agency?

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO VIEW THIS CONVERSATION.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, PLEASE SHARE WITH OTHERS AND JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION BY COMMENTING BELOW!

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Energetic Communication Video Series Part 1 - Quieting of the Intuition

WE’RE STARTING 2019 OFF WITH A COLLABORATIVE ONLINE SERIES
TO HELP YOU LEVEL UP IN YOUR SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL AWARENESS!

HERE IS PART 1 ON “QUIETING OF THE INTUITION”

Join us right here on the Hike It Out Coaching blogosphere as I get into conversation with Energy Worker and Curandera, Claudia Prada. In this 4 part video series on Energetic Communication we’re going to take you through several energetic pathways to bring awareness and action to the ways we can get to know our inner emotional landscapes. As we go deeper every month on Energetic Communication, we’ll be examining what happens to us when we share space with other people and how that can impact your ability to be in relationship with ourselves and others.

We begin our series with a talk about what a “QUIETING OF THE INTUITION” means, how we’ve noticed it’s presence in our work, and what simple solutions we can offer to begin awakening our inner wisdom.

We all have intuition. It’s the part of us that says, “fight or flight”. It’s that gut instinct that sends you a message about something you’re observing or experiencing. When it comes to creating ways to navigate situations, create boundaries with others, it’s often intuition that tells you what you should do. But, more often than not, if we don’t recognize this message from our bodies, what are the consequences.

In video 1 of 4 below, we talk about the various reasons for our intuition may be quieted down, which can often lead us to make decisions that are either misguided, or divert us from a decision we originally wanted to make. Listen in on the full episode of our conversation as we hit three points:

• How can we recognize when our own intuition is quieted, dimmed, or dismissed?

• How we’ve learned from real life situations when we’ve quieted our intuition.

• Awakening of the intuition is something we can implement as a practice of empowerment.

 

And if you’re so inspired to get in on the dialogue, please do contribute your thoughts to the comment box below! We’d love to hear from you!

•  How has this quieting shown up in your life?

• What do you notice about yourself when you decide to NOT go with your intuition?

• What have been some powerful examples of your intuition allowing you to thrive in who you are?

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO VIEW THIS CONVERSATION.

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5 Steps to Shift From Madness to Mindset

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting the same results”

— unknown

At the end of last year (2017) I offered you a deep reflection tool that allowed you to recognize the changes in behaviors you were able to make that year...

And in recognizing those changes in behaviors, I hope you were able to see those as a major step forward. If you haven’t done that exercise, I suggest giving it a try before doing this year’s activity. Because you might be surprised by how much growth you’ve been able to accomplish with just behavioral shifts! You can do last year’s activity by reading about it here. It includes some downloadable worksheets too!

Now, to take your reflection even deeper towards
transformation, this year’s tool will help you understand your mindset. I can talk actions all day long and you can engage with actions that change the way you do things, but if you’re mindset, or beliefs around those actions aren’t aligned, you’ll often find yourself reverting back to your old ways.

Take this upcoming “New Years Resolutions” season where we typically see folks committing to “a better diet”, “more exercise”, or some other form of better living. When the enthusiasm and stamina around that change wears off, say around February or March, excuses start to take over. Without a strong mindset aligned with that change, belief systems from other people, societal norms, or just those stories you developed on your own can take over a derail your plans. The madness sets in.

So, as a way to make your shift a holistic and solid one, we’re going to focus this year on shifting from this madness of varying beliefs in your head to developing a strong mindset that sets you up for making an actual change that is aligned and long lasting.

So what does a successful shift from madness to mindset look like?

Simply put, these 5 steps can help you put some back into it! Below I give you some examples to help jumpstart your reflection and I also encourage you to download this worksheet and FULLY engage with the activity.

1. Name what you want to change. Bottom line it.

   In 2019 I want to change the way I eat to have a more plant-based diet

2. What are your beliefs (madness) around that shift? For instance, what goes on in your head when you think about making this change in your life?

   a. Plant based diets are healthier and will help me lose weight

   b. It takes too much time to prep food for a more plant based diet and I’ too busy

   Where did they come from? You, someone else, societal norms, etc…?

   a. I see it all the time in the media, a couple of people in my community swear by the a plant-based diet reversing chronic illness and other things, and ever since I started eating more plant based foods I feel better about my overall body

   b. I grew up with fast food and TV dinners, so making food from scratch is too time consuming and I’m a really busy person

3. Determine which of those beliefs serve to your benefit versus ones that result in preventing you from making a successful, long term shift. Can you add an action to take to make that change?

   Example

   Mindset - I see it all the time in the media, a couple of people in my community swear by the vegan diet reversing chronic illness, and ever since I started eating more plant based foods I feel better about my overall body.

   Action - 3 out of 7 days in a week will be a plant-based lunch

4. Bottom line your mindset in a statement. This is the part that shifts from madness your mindset. Affirm it and ritualize it into an affirmation or reminder to yourself, especially when you have the urge to revert back to old habits. Write or draw this statement out and put it on display in a sacred place in your home so you can see it and recite it at least once a day. Do this for at least 21 days!

   a. I make time to have more plant-based foods in my diet because it supports my overall health

5. Keep yourself accountable by looking back every week and tell someone.

   • How many times were you able to implement the change?

   • How many times were you able to state your mantra (mindset) to yourself?

   • Celebrate the wins and when you’ve been consistent in using this mantra and don’t be hard on yourself if it’s not perfect! Your mind is, after all, conditioning itself to a new norm! But also don’t have a gallon of ice cream, instead, share with someone who supports you that you reached your weekly goal!

   Tip: If you’re not consistent, next week, customize the action so that it fits better into your unique life and try again. It’s all good as long as you don’t quit all together!

Finally, its always a good idea to have at least one “transformational buddy”; someone who can witness your change and cheer you on! I personally would shamelessly plug that hiring a coach is the ultimate game changer! But if you’re not yet ready for that type of investment, I’ll leave you with some final tips to identify who that buddy can be:

• Someone you trust and has been a natural and true champion of you all along

• A person who can keep their personal agenda out of your goals and be an active listener

• Someone who can empathize, not sympathize with you

Good luck in the next year of change towards your best life!

THANK YOU FOR READING!
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The Messages in the Flames

In the wake of our most recent wildfires…

the overwhelming sadness of our reality hit me in a way that validated what I had written about just a few months ago in, “Nothing Left to Justify” . This time I felt this overwhelming feeling of, “it’s really happening” come over me. As I sifted through my emotions and what I was “seeing”, the compounding tragedies of Thousand Oaks, CA came to mind. This was the incident and the moment that hit me with validation. As reported in the Washington Post, it was “non-stop chaos” for this community. For me, it was the incident that brought my connections of the violence of people and nature’s destruction much closer to each other; in fact literally, into the same location.

While I was engaging in conversations with my community, a common struggle to find ways to come to terms with what is going on in our world and “how do we manage all of this “chaos” and find a place in our individual hearts to do something about the devastation without being stifled by hopelessness”. So, a sister healer, Claudia and I decided to have a 1:1 conversation to discuss in more depth what my visions have been and what they meant to the larger view of “where does that leave us as a people moving forward?”. We hopped on Instagram LIVE and talked through some of her key observations of these fires as I discussed aspects of viewing them from a place of our nature identity.

In general what this conversation held where some key moments outlined below

• honoring those impacted by the devastation, loss, death, the rescuers, and those continually helping community on the grounds

• having conversations about these fires but not understanding how we can contribute meaningfully

• support and healing through the experience and after care plans acknowledging the grieving process

• the lack of knowing how to connect to nature and who we are traditionally as a result of societal norms and how the impacts of this disconnection are greater now

• the messages in the flames being one of nature mirroring how we as people treat each other

• being able to recognize fire of the element that brings in swift change and rebirth, knowing how this is a metaphor for our collective society to focus on moving forward

• the work ahead is to look into you and your own conflicts, healing through those points will bring more harmony to the Earth

It’s no doubt that for us in California, our year-long fire season has in itself, ignited this need

to search more deeply into our lives and become more aware and observant of what’s actually going on around us. I end this video by reminding our audience that there’s nothing separate about a seemingly minor argument you have with another to the potentials of this energy being reflected in the behavior of nature’s systems.

We are nature, nature is us

View the conversation in full by clicking the video below. Comment and subscribe my youtube page and let’s continue this conversation!

 11/21/18 IG LIVE @la_clandestina_ @hikeitoutcoaching This was a 1:1 conversation with my sister healer, Claudia to discuss more in depth what my visions have been and what they mean in the larger view of “where does that leave us as a people moving forward”. We hopped on Instagram LIVE and talked through some of her key observations of these fires as I discussed aspects of viewing them from a place of our nature identity.

THANK YOU FOR READING!
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The Last Episode of Your Telenovela

I used to joke about Filipino melodramas and movies because the story lines were always so predictable. Given I have minimal understanding of the Tagalog language I knew in general that the stories were always the same; lots of crying, cheating, lying, someone's parent always dies, there's several verbal altercations and insults thrown around and like all melodramas (or as they're called in Latin America, The Telenovela) the story takes FOR-EVER to progress. That's how they get you craving for more until you're hooked!

As I became a mother I began investing more time on improving my communication skills, engaging in my own healing, and leveling up in my professionalism. Then, I started seeing these shows in a different light. I started to realize just how toxic these stories were. As a conscious woman of color I couldn’t simply see The Telenovela as entertainment. They were negative and disempowering messages of women and relationships.

I've always craved positive portrayals of women and
healthy relationships because that’s
what I would want more of in my life

So speaking about my “leveling-up” in my career, I came across a really hard lesson in how I was portraying myself during presentations. After one of my training I shared my background then a colleague of mine offered her feedback and said I was using a lot of “self-deprecating” language. I guess I wasn’t thinking about how I talked about myself, but naively would just talk about my story the best way I knew how. But her feedback put me on this mission to find out what was behind all the negative self-talk and figure out what I needed to do to change my story language.

Living in a patriarchal family structure and society were obvious components influencing my disempowered female stance. And maybe cultural components played a part in being “humble” about my accomplishments, maybe not even acknowledging them at all. At the end of the day I knew I had to understand myself more deeply to know how to SHIFT and talk about me in a positive and impactful way.

Language has energy and words carry weight

So, when I reflected back on that self deprecating talk, I remembered that the story about my not finishing graduate school or not wanting this or that in my career, revealed language that focused on the negative aspects of my life. But in my mind at that time, I didn’t think it was a big deal because it was my truth. The biggest lesson was that it really didn’t matter what the outcome was of my specific story, people will remember more of the energy you bring to the room.

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel" - Maya Angelou

When I do deep listening with clients I pay attention to the language and words they choose when telling a story or giving a response. Just like my colleague pointed out for me, these are the underlying ways our notions of self-worth can manifest. It can passively reveal some of the hidden beliefs we have about ourselves that may not necessarily come from our own beliefs, but beliefs that other people/society have about us. So when negative self talk happens acknowledge it then get curious about it; where does it come from? How has it served you?

Over the years I’ve discovered more of the complexities that have played a role in this self-deprecating language. There’s so much ongoing work I do like self-reflection, spiritual healing, even reframing simple sentences in email responses, the list goes on and on...it’s FOR REAL challenging sometimes. But if I can offer you three simple ways to reflect on your own story language perhaps we can see how our empowering stories can add so much more to this world, YES?

Here are some reflections I offer you...

What you choose to talk about is what’s most important to you

Without judging yourself or having any expectations about your story, think about those stories you tend to tell others about yourself. Continually sharing specific stories that focus almost entirely on the situation (vs. how it impacts you) is a sign that something hasn’t been resolved in that story. Bring awareness to the drama.

• Are they mostly positive or negative accounts, opinions, or beliefs?

• Can you still feel the rawness in the emotion from that situation each time you tell it?

• What larger lesson is attached to this repeated story or topic?

• What’s important to you about the stories you choose to talk about?

Listen to yourself

There’s no harm in simply recording yourself talk. Oddly enough this action can reveal a lot about how you sound to yourself! Or if you have a trusty mentor or friend who is willing to actively listen to your stories, share with them the stories you hang onto. Ask them for some constructive feedback. You can even have them just ask the questions above after you talk.

Time to level up. Write the last episode of your Telenovela! NO MORE DRAMA!

Write that final episode about the person you were before you realized you were in a telenovela! Gather all your main characters and predictable scenarios for this episode. Consider this your character’s last chance to stay the same cycle of drama, or story line. Then set them free with an epic ending. 

• What disheartening stories do you have about your life?

• What happened to you that created the negative outlook?

• Have you given yourself permission to accept these situations?

Now, the challenge; create a new path with a different story language!
 

• How will you put an end to the drama? Do you (as the main character) die? Transform?

• And who is this new person you’re writing about NOW?

THANK YOU FOR READING!
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MEET THE COACH

Raynelle Rino, CPC

A long time social sector professional, Raynelle began her career in the sciences as an ecology field researcher then moved onto environmental education and social justice at the grassroots organizational level in the Bay Area. Her love for nature and youth development brought her to teach in unique settings like alternative high schools, environmental justice neighborhoods, parks, and juvenile justice facilities.

In 2016 Raynelle started Rino Consulting Solutions, a nature-based consulting firm that provides coaching and consulting services for professionals and other businesses. It’s mission is to support and inspire the leaders of today to live in the confidence of their identities as they move through a world in the midst of social, racial, and environmental transformation. Raynelle is a graduate of Humboldt State University with a BS in Biology, a Rising Leaders and 2042 Today fellow, and lives in Oakland with her husband and daughter.

"Waiting For Them to Leave or Die..."

I found myself saying this a lot in my career as I made an effort to climb into organizational leadership. Coming from an industry where progress was stalled one way or another by leadership, new ideas were met with skepticism and fear, it was an easy excuse to just get through the day to day. It was that last ounce of hope I would give myself saying, "I can just wait for them to leave or die, then things will change, it will get better"

But knowing me, that wasn't going to last long. I needed to leave or it would crush my soul to stay! Now, don't get me wrong, if you're feeling the frustrations of a stagnant organization or one where your values aren't aligned, I'm not saying you should leave, but what I AM saying is

 THERE ARE OTHER WAYS  TO BE   IN A SITUATION

For me, I realized that I can either be in REACTION to the situation or I can TAKE ACTION ABOUT the situation. So, what action did I take? I started to pay more attention to the PATTERNS that were showing up in my overall career as well as personal life experience. I realized that those patterns were actually messages telling me where I should or shouldn't be. And I say this to a lot of folks seeking their purpose, 

"Whatever dims your light, move away from it. Whatever brightens or gives more light,
move in that direction."

Even after I reflected on the many things in my life that brought me joy and invigorating challenge, I still didn't now how to step forward. Now, as a coach, I realized what was missing in the process was a step I'll call

"NAMING"
 

Sometimes all it takes is just one quick and highly impactful session to simply NAME what life is placing in front of you to take the next step forward.

If you're at that stage in life of wondering, "what else could I be in life?", I encourage you to reach out to me for just a quick 20 minute talk to determine where you are in your journey towards a happier more fulfilling life's work and to set some goals! 

Today, I know for sure that the "naming" step is just one of the three beginning steps I've laid out for the introductory level of work I do in supporting others through their journey. As we begin with naming what life is presenting you, we can get deeper into your knowing of Self and build your AWARENESS.

But I didn't get to the "naming" on my own. I had help. With the guidance of many others with their own life and professional experiences, I found those names. They knew the names of situations, they new the names of similar behaviors I was experiencing. And I took those as my tools to move forward. 

I had to NAME my situation. I had to NAME what I was feeling, experiencing, and reacting to. Because without naming, I wasn't able to validate my situation or experience and contain it into a thing to work on. Without a name I would have no direction to look or walk towards. I was goal-less. 

Curious to know what happens after
you name it?

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A Directional Tool for Supporting Your Life's Purpose and Passion

Who knew that something as simple as the directional compass can support and guide you through any of life's challenges and wanderings, both literally and metaphorically? Well, it wasn't until I began looking into more traditional healing when I realized the compass we were taught as young children also had some powerful significance for our ancestors and how THEY walked through life. In my work today as a nature-based coach, the compass, or Medicine Wheel is the central piece in reconnecting people to nature. 

I even found it a valuable reflection tool for business development. As I was guiding high school students through a workshop on entrepreneurship, I gave my own story as an example of how my journey was reflected in the Medicine Wheel. So, I wanted to offer this priceless knowledge over to you as another reflection tool.

Download the activity and get deep into a reflection on your life's purpose.

Specifically, this downloadable activity is ideal for

• someone wanting to start a business or begin a major project
• a transition time where your next step can go one direction or the other
• if you need to re-evaluate where you are in life and need an organized way to sift through your thoughts

It'll help you to

• Intentionally reflect on YOUR PERSONAL PASSION, YOUR STORY, and YOUR SERVICE BACK TO
  OTHERS
• Reflect on what it will mean to you to begin walking this path or walking in it with more
  ownership
• Connect to the universal compass, the Medicine Wheel, and their respective natural ELEMENTS involved in developing your true path.

To deepen your exploration and walk into your true path with a guide, book a quick consultation with me by visiting my Contact Me page

The Growing Up To Do With Nature

As natural disaster levels intensify, I can't help but connect what's going on in Nature to what's also going on with our collective understanding of each other. I don't think its a coincidence that we're seeing unprecedented scales of hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires, simultaneously to shifts in our understanding of societal structures such as power, patriarchy, and race. As we are waking up consciously to our social structures, Nature herself is also coming in with her message, unapologetically. Perhaps there's a correlation there? I'll leave that up to you to ponder.

So now that Mother Nature is saying, 

 "We're playing a different game now,
and its a grown up game. So listen deeply
and do differently,"...

what do we do now? How can we really start to THINK and DO in a way that we haven't before? I think it's time to play that grown up game of listening to her. So, what will it take?

INTUITION
Flex your intuition like your survival depends on it. The next time you have that gut feeling, trust it as your truth all the time. If you have a "bad feeling" about it, don't do it or hesitate for a healthy pause. And in that pause, think about the very first image or word that comes to your mind when something doesn't feel right and ask, "what was that image/word about in relation to that discomfort?" You can also scan your body for the location of the discomfort or tension and try to draw on what that body part represents. Ask yourself about that connection, maybe think creatively about the metaphor embedded in the body connection. 

FEELING & SENSING
When we take the daily observations and attach an emotional feeling or intuitive sense to it, we're actually putting into action our listening. And this is what Nature wants since we don't "speak the same, literal language", our senses are there to help guide us towards knowing, or sometimes, survival. Even if survival means surviving that difficult conversation with your boss, being able to feel and sense your way through things allows you to be PRESENT in the moment and make more mature decisions about what to do. Challenge yourself to "feel" more of life. 

GET BACK TO BASICS
This is exactly what we do on our healing hikes. We get back to the basic interaction with nature, which is so much more than just "spending more time outside". To get back to the BASIC way of moving around our world will only serve us well because the evidence is in the way our ancestors lived. They survived the world many thousands of years by living simply with the land; they had a deep relationship with her. But how do we do that in this modern world and still follow the ways in which they lived? One simple beginning step is to be outside in a different way with the land. And that's one of the first steps we take when we gather; 

We give GRATITUDE and ask for PERMISSION

Do this every time you go out and I guarantee you, your relationship with Mother Nature will shift! You don't have to make a huge ceremony out of it. Just think about the words in your head and be honest and intentional about being grateful and humble about your presence.

If the tips above have ignited more curiosity, I encourage you to explore and practice outside! This is the essence of growing a deeper relationship with Nature. And answering the cries of Mother Nature doesn't only mean being more "sustainable" in our lifestyles. In addition to making greener and sustainable decisions, it also means having a deeper and more mature relationship with her and connecting with her in ways we're not used or ways that have been taken away. Reject the belief that we have no language to communicate with her and listen to the lessons of our ancestors that lived with the land.

Like what you read? Have something to contribute? Want to share feedback? Leave it in the comments and let's get to talking!

 

The 4 Essentials to Pack for Our Journey

I call this work a journey, because that’s what it really is. There are no hard stops or starts with me, there are cycles. As you are actively living your cycle of life, I am as well. The moment we cross paths is when we explore where each of us are on our paths. As your coach I make sure to pack these essential items I know we’ll need as we move forward. We actively co-create how these function for us as a strong foundation and as tools to cultivate and nurture our unique relationship. 

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If you are ready to step into this deeply transformational journey with me, schedule a quick 15 minute consultation to discover if my supporting you in nature is right for you! 

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SAFETY
Safety is synonymous to sacred space. Your body is sacred, your identity is sacred, the places we visit in nature are sacred. And so is the space between the two of us as we grow and develop on this journey.
On group hikes I've created sacred space by calling in the four directions and the elements they hold as a way of grounding us into the physical surroundings. I've witnessed plenty of hikes when we're walking in the middle of tourist traps and as soon as the group needs to gather and talk, because we've created sacred space through ritual, people begin to disperse and give us space!
In the coaching practice the initial steps of creating safety is called, creating a conscious relationship. From stating our preferred pronouns to designing ways in which we'll check in with each other when times get challenging, these are all ways that we create safety and ensure a process where we both are seen and heard. 

ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability is one of the key things that is sought after in coaching. After all,

"A goal without a plan is just a wish" -Anthony de Saint-Exupery

And setting goals can be a straightforward process, but making a plan to meet those goals....well that's where you can end up with a bunch of wish lists! As a coach, I'm with you on this path to keep looking upwards and onwards with an actionable plan to meet your goals. I'm a dynamic coach, so whether I'm behind, along side, or in front of you, I bring with me accountability in the form of empowering and challenging you to meet your goals with the best of your resources. The process of being held accountable is also something we can co-create because achievability of your goals also depends on me meeting you where you are while challenging the best parts of you. This brings us to the next item I take with me...

Just like the spokes of a bike, balance and alignment creates a smooth ride and cyclical rhythm. Imagine where you can go with your wheel of life! 

ALIGNMENT
These, "best parts of you", are some of those many parts that make you a whole person. Sometimes we don't even know all the parts of us and that can create some roadblocks to meeting our full potential. Awareness of these parts can support an understanding of how they serve us, or not. Working towards aligning those parts to your core values creates a more "balanced wheel of life" ready to ride whatever type of terrain comes its way!
You can read more about this process of alignment and balance from the April blog post, Inner Balance & Alignment  And I assure you, this process of alignment is fairly critical in opening up the pathways to your true self. It allows you to be acknowledged in all your parts. This brings us to our last essential item to pack...

RECONNECTION
It feels like FREEDOM when you're aligned with your core values and can be seen and heard as who you truly are! Alignment can take you there. And what I'm offering is my unique gift of guiding someone into feeling this truth in your heart AND IN NATURE. Because WE ARE A PART OF NATURE, I truly believe that reconnecting with nature means we reconnect to our true essence and open up direct pathways to self-determination. To know how nature works "out there", we can also understand how the nature "within" us works.
I guide you through a profound process in nature that takes us back to our basic knowledge and understanding of our place in the world. Everyone knows that feeling of happiness, freedom, lightness, and pure joy when spending time outside. Coaching outside in nature reignites and reclaims your natural abilities to heal and find answers for any of life's challenges. It's both profound and empowering. 

Here's what one client, Alexis had to say about a session that involved a hike:

"...she guided me through the process of tuning into my inner guides and challenged me to relinquish my fears so that I could embrace my own light. We began our journey with a brief but important “check in” wherein she encouraged me to create and hold onto an intention for myself. During our hike she provided me with many opportunities to inquire about the process but also to voice any revelations that might have surfaced from our meditative hike. She helped me to tap into my own strength and urged me to trust in the answers I was receiving. It was at that time that she utilized her gifts once more to help me make connections that I hadn’t noticed before. Eventually we made our way up the quiet hillside toward a warm setting sun and rested while my heart processed all that I had learned. It was a truly awesome experience to feel so grounded and at peace with the world but more importantly with myself."

If you are ready to step into this deeply transformational journey with me, schedule a quick 15 minute consultation to discover if my supporting you in nature is right for you!