"What Is...?" Wednesday

A Life Coach

Life Coaching is different from consulting, mentoring, advice, therapy, or counseling. The coaching process addresses specific personal projects, business successes, general conditions and transitions in the client's personal life, relationships or profession by examining what is going on right now, discovering what your obstacles or challenges might be and choosing a course of action to make your life be what you want it to be.


To put it plainly, as Lynn Grabowski, an excellent Life Coach whom I have had the pleasure of working with recently, puts it this way "A Life Coach is someone who works with their client as their peer in a co-creative relationship to reach a specific goal. It's different than a therapist, in that you assume your client is inherently perfect and doesn't need fixed...rather, they already have all the answers and you, as a coach, work with them to draw those answers out."

Lynn works primarily with women who have lost their sense of identity due to being mom, wife, etc for a length of time. Most coaches, including herself, are often willing and able to work with other life goals and issues outside of their specialties as well, especially when people feel a real rapport with their coach after a trial session. 


Take myself for example...I speak with Lynn often, usually through Twitter but started up a conversation last week concerning Life Coaching. She very graciously offered me a sample of her coaching techniques, I'm sure most of you are aware that I suffer from a couple different issues...so I said sure!


I suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) but PTSD does not happen with one defining moment...it's gradual and happens over time until there is a "straw that broke the camel's back" moment. I reached mine nearly eight years ago. So the area I chose to look at was my life in general and from there we picked out three goals. It's very easy and like she says, you indeed hold all the answers within yourself, they just need to be coaxed out. I had my "Ah Ha!" moment when she asked a very specific question of "What holds me back?" and I immediately answered "fear." 


My "fear" stems from a time in my life where it was so insanely troubling and stressful that "I may lose everything I hold important at any moment"... but that is no longer the case anymore, so that "fear" I held on to for so long is no longer serving me and once that dawned in my head, I felt as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. It's so strange that I wondered why hadn't I put that together before but it was so defining and resonating, I suddenly felt like my own super hero.

Most of Lynn's clients usually have one big goal, with several smaller goals to work through to get to it, so for some, getting through those first smaller goals is a success because at first even those seemed unsurmountable. One may have a big goal and realize through coaching that it's not what's right for them and even that is a form of success.The types of successes vary from person to person, some may come back for a refresher session or two to tackle a specific challenge. She considers it a success when her clients leave with the tools to continue reaching any goal or challenge that arises.


Lynn's website is under construction at the moment but I encourage you to contact her and try it out for yourself, I was astounded at the simple information that I was able to glean from myself! You can contact Lynn at her email, lynnlifecoach@gmail.com or on Twitter @sheepmama

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Healing

I love to find new meditations and visualization techniques to see if I may be able to integrate it into my meditation practice and came across this website that has a few really great ways to relax and focus on healing, relaxing and finding your spirit guide, called "The Meditation Room"
Below is from their Healing Meditation...I encourage you to check out this website.


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Find a comfortable space, either sit or lie in a relaxed position. As you become settled, begin to focus on your breath.

Inhale, then exhale at a comfortable pace – an even breath.

Close your eyes.

Continue your rhythmic breathing. If you become distracted refocus on your breath.

As you sink into comfort and relaxation, see yourself basking in a waterfall of sunlight and crystal elder water.

As the sun and water cascade over your body you absorb the healing oxygen carried within your blood vessels though your whole system.

The oxygen heals and releases the holding contraction of each muscle. Each muscle becomes taffy… soft and pliable.

All tension gives way to relaxation. The cascade of sunshine reminds you of the source of all energy.

Your whole being sings with release and renewal as the source refuels and fortifies your body and spirit.

In healing all is possible. As you heal your spirit and body your gifts to the universe emerge.

Your loving compassion explodes for sharing with your fellow travelers. As you heal yourself you heal all who cross your path. Your connection to others heals as you move to your new level of evolution.

You are the incarnation of universal healing. It begins with you.

The healing vision of cascading sunshine and water is yours whenever you want it to be. Come back to this space whenever you want to, know that this space is always available even for a moment.

Be aware once again of your breath.

Inhale… exhale as your re-enter the space around you. Open your eyes and carry your renewed energy to all with whom you come in contact.

Candle Magic

Candle magic is a very old and powerful form of what is called "sympathetic magic," this type of magic is based on the belief that your environment can be influenced through an object ( in this case, a candle) and the focusing of your energy or will. I like to compare it to going into a room with a big smile...sooner or later the smile becomes contageous and others begin to smile too. It is also one of the simplest types of magic to use and a person doing the spell can make it as simple or as complicated as they desire. Fancy complicated rituals are not necessary and once you are familiar with the basics involved in candle magic, it is simple to customize a spell to your needs.

Some of the colors and their correspondences:

* Light Blue - Is a spiritual colour and is helpful in devotional or inspirational meditations. It brings peace and tranquillity to the home and radiates Aquarius energy.

* Blue – Is symbolic of the spirits of the West, and the elements of water. It is used in rituals to obtain wisdom, peace, healing, tranquillity, truth, sleep, prophetic dreams, friendship, physical protection and hope.

* Brown – Is symbolic of the spirits of the North, and the elements earth. It is used for rituals involving animal magic and the home in regards to material increase

* Orange – Is used for creativity, attraction, stimulating energy, legal matters, success, new home, intelligence and mental clarity

* Pink – Promotes romance and friendship, and is the standard colour used for rituals to draw affections. It is used for love, honor, friendship and fidelity.

* Purple – Is used for psychic ability, wisdom, spirituality, success, independence, spiritual growth, power, healing and the feminine divine

* Red – Is symbolic of the spirits of the South, and the elements of Fire. It is used for strength, courage, power, passion, health, energy, vitality, love and will power

* Yellow – Is symbolic of the spirits of the East, and the elements of Air. It is used for charms, confidence, attraction, wisdom, visions, psychic powers, mental powers, activity, creativity and unity.

* White – Is a balance of all colours and is used for meditation, healing, truth seeking, peace, spiritual strength and enlightenment, rituals involving "lunar" energy, purity, protection, happiness, masculine divinity, and may be substituted for any other colours.