Before I started coaching with Julia I was lacking in confidence and also lacked the awareness and knowledge of how to go about helping myself. An experience years before undermined any confidence I’d had, both real and not real. Through coaching, I have overcome many inner obstacles and in the process found and have grown in confidence which I felt I no longer had.
Learning mindfulness, and the mindfulness tools and practices Julia has given me has given rise to many things, inner peace being one of them, which was the reason why I went to Julia in the first place. I remember Julia asking me that first day, “What is it you really want, truly deeply want?” and without a moment’s hesitation I found myself saying “inner peace. True inner peace.” The mindfulness tools and practices have also helped me open to a deep, inner sense of knowing and trusting leading up and into sense of true Joy, Peace, Love, Awareness and Acceptance – a feeling of being blessed.
This transformation I’ve experienced has helped in a myriad of ways, one of which was developing my ability to set and maintain boundaries. Before, if riled up enough or ‘desperate’ enough I could set and maintain a boundary but it was in irritation and of course the energy accompanying it was far from ideal! Now I feel more quietly peaceful about boundary setting. It’s a case of ‘This is how it is. It just is’.
Healing, a Process of Acceptance
Living with painful headaches from time to time I’m now able to periodically work with them rather than panic and/or try and fight them! The difference in how I am handling/experiencing them is noticeable, for example, I no longer go into immediate denial when they start, closing myself down and then catapulting into a fearful place, tense and frightened. Instead, I’m starting to be able to accept and gently work with them giving my head, my body, myself, love, care and encouragement by using some of the tools I’ve been given, and so helping myself cope with the pain. It’s proving one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life, as everything in me is fighting to go the other way. I’m grateful to now know I can start to help myself this way. Working on my own with a headache and accompanying pain is exhausting, so for the moment it is only possible when it’s a low to medium grade one. If it is a more severe one then Julia via skype, helps me in a healing session. My gratitude knows no bounds.
Coaching, A Co-creative Partnership
I have complete confidence and trust in Julia as my coach, the coaching process and the practices and tools I now have available to me. I can’t stress strongly enough how wonderful it is to feel this trust I have in my coach and with it a complete sense of safety in being able to simply open and explore my emerging self and so grow with no feeling of anything like vulnerability. The deep relationship of safety and trust I have with her has allowed me to face some of my deepest fears and shift my perspective. I love the awareness, the discovery, the fullness I now experience, and realize that living mindfully is not only a perfect way in which to live, but such a beautiful one, too! I often say “I’m a work in progress” – and how very true this is – but the work is so enjoyable, and I delight in the rewards continually being reaped moment by moment as we work together.
The coaching process is both fascinating and captivating, and the results experienced are wonderful….
Oh, and BTW there’s no 2 ways about it, I have the best coach! 🙂
Karen Berdou, August 2014
About Julia von Flotow
