As dictionary.com defines it, Spirit is “the principle of conscious life; the vital principle in humans, animating the body or mediating between body and soul”. To “inspirit” means “to animate with fresh courage, to encourage, urge on or stir up, as to action.” Inspiration has a similar meaning “stimulation or arousal of the mind or feelings to special or unusual activity or creativity. To inspire means to breathe – to inhale.
As Dr. Andrew Weil so wisely proposed, I too have discovered, that “If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly.”
Breathing correctly facilitates balance, self awareness and renewal. Mindful breathing is a practice. I invite you Stop and Catch Your Breath and listen to the audio recording to help you relax, breathe deeply, and let go of the concerns that are keeping you stuck. It will guide you through a simple series of steps to show you how to relax, let go of what you no longer need or want; create inner space; and let your life open up to you.
In a coaching session as well as in a healing session, I hold the space and listen deeply with the intent to hear what wants to emerge. It’s when my clients tell me they feel listened to, that I know how well I am doing; that they know that I respect and value them – receptive to their stories and attuned to how they feel – that trust is born and with this trust comes the possibility for inspirational coaching. It is the experience of inspirational coaching that grows the co-creative partnership – reflected by the quality and quantity of insights and inspired “AHA” moments that arise with an increasing frequency and sense of ease and flow throughout the coaching session.
I think of “calling spirit awake” as facilitating a process that empowers the client’s own intentionality – the ability to create intention. Calling the human spirit alive is the preparatory step. This paragraph taken from “Being Called Awake: The Role of Transformative Learning in the Lives of Environmental Activists” WAby Kovan J., & Dirkx J. 2003 speaks volumes about the role of deep inner listening in this process:
Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it,
I must listen to my life telling me who I am.
I must listen for the truths and values at the heart of my own identity,
not the standards by which I must live –
but the standards by which I cannot help but live if I am living my own life.
As the client experiences the safe, non-judgmental healing space and depth of personal connection facilitated in the coaching or healing sessions, they begin to trust both the coach/healer and the process, relaxing into and accepting their own perception of their lived experience.
As they learn to do this, the dreams being born in their inner being give rise to a vision for a desired, ideal future – the future life their Spirit intends for them to live and challenges them to step up into that ideal future life and believe in it. As their belief in themselves and their ideal future reality grows, so does their courage and with it the energy to act. As they commit and follow through on the action commitments they make to themselves, their self confidence grows. Their attitude towards themselves and their mindset shifts resulting in new, hopeful and creative and empowering ways of seeing, thinking, feeling and acting based on a refreshing new insight and a greater sense of self-acceptance.
By aligning personal values, vision and mission they have created a clear and focused direction or life path. Every action taken, aligned with this life path, brings them an enhanced sense of peace and strength. They are less and less in their own way and experience their life with an increasing sense of joy and ease.
Supporting my clients in their journey is a step by step process. And while I’ve created a road map for this process 12 Steps to Becoming An Authentic and Mindful Leader the pace, rhythm and length of each journey is unique to the traveler. It is when you are ready to put yourself first; to let go of their fears, self-doubts and worries that real personal growth can begin.
This article was first published in the July 2015 edition of Worldwide Coaching Magazine.
About Julia von Flotow
