A Beautiful Space for You
For those of you who are new to The Embodied Way…Welcome! I send this newsletter out once per month, usually mid-month. You are always welcome to unsubscribe, which you can do at the bottom of this newsletter. My intention is to provide more value to you, when it comes to your life and your skin without being an annoying nuisance in your inbox! Thank you for being a client and for spreading the word about The Embodied Way:)
This month, I am focusing on staying in my experience- whether it is uncomfortable, scary, or sad. One thing that helps me is to notice my spine and the back of my body as it makes contact with the space around me. That might be a chair I am in, or the floor underneath me. A great trick is to lean against a wall or put a pillow behind your back. All of those remind me to stay present, and they give me a sense of being grounded and supported, something that is often needed when I am uncomfortable, scared, or sad.
That's why, when you have a facial, I might ask you to notice the back of your body on the bed, or to see if you can notice the support that is there for you. It helps you settle into the resourcing that a treatment can provide.
Notes from Glenda
Reading is the cheapest, most effective way to get an education, to change a perspective, or to be mentored by people who I would never have access to under normal circumstances. I do not have a book budget and any chance I can be in conversation with others about books, I will be!
I recently joined one of my coaching colleagues in the bookclub he runs. This bookclub is for personal development, a topic we are both wild about!
We love to look at the books we have read and to know, those books that we took the time to read and discuss, have become a part of us. We also appreciate the many ways our books, the people who have written them, and the wisdom inside them have enriched our personal and professional lives.
This month’s selection is called Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking by Jon Acuff. I am excited to read this book and to get some new perspectives on something that I think all humans struggle with at one time or another.
As I read the overview, I thought about the ways the different coaching methodologies I am trained in approach overthinking. Coaching is designed to help a person pay attention to the things that support them, not the things that stop them. What we pay attention to gets stronger, so what happens when we are overthinking and ruminating on the unhelpful?
Here are a few ideas drawn from the different types of coaching I do that might help you move from the unhelpful to the supportive.
In high performance coaching we talk a lot about courage and psychology mastery. The premise is that if you are focused on your weaknesses or fears, and on fixing them, you are only going to get stronger weaknesses and fears, and not the positive outcomes you want. Overthinking halts progress.
Are there weaknesses, mistakes, worries and fears that you are overly focused on? How is overthinking those affecting you? What might be something helpful to put on your radar?
In trauma-informed coaching we call overthinking the ‘what’s wrong attention’. If you are only focusing on all the trauma or what could go wrong or is wrong, then you will not have room to notice and build on the ingredients for the future that you want.
What would you prefer to move towards? What kind of present and future would you like and what will you put on your mental dashboard to help you get there? How can you set up your world so that you are supporting what you do want?
In body-oriented coaching, we call overthinking a ‘block’, which if focused on, will make it impossible to get a sense of all the resources and opportunities that are available to us.
So, we bring the body into the conversation and ask it to look for resources, wisdom, and the good that is often hidden. Our body will help us connect with our inner knower, with this wisdom, and then show us how to take the next best step. In this place, we can let go of overthinking and come from a calm, regulated place. How might you let your ‘spidy-sense’ guide you?
When we are in ‘self-trust’ we will not overthink on the things which are unhelpful, but will want to expand on what is helpful. I believe our overthinking mechanism is trying to keep us safe, it’s trying to help us. If we give it new tools and forward pointing strategies and resources to ‘overthink’ on, it will shift things.
Can you notice any areas where you overthink and areas where you could give the overthinking part of you something new, uplifting, and expansive to chew on?
And…if you choose to read alongside me, I will welcome a fun discussion when we see each other next.
Product of the Month
This cream is the balm! I have a lot of sun damage on my décolleté from living on the equator, and this cream has kept my 54 year old self looking youthful and healthy, proving its never too late to give your skin some good loving!
A firming and smoothing treatment designed for the delicate neck and cleavage area, targeting skin laxity and deep wrinkles.
Enriched with plant extracts and firming actives, it stimulates collagen synthesis, redefines facial contours, and reduces the appearance of the double chin. Its melting texture envelops the skin in a tightening veil for a visibly smoother look.
The Giving Corner
This month, The Embodied Way will be supporting YANA. I invite you to join me:)
YANA is a community organization offering help to Comox Valley families who need to travel for medical treatment for a child or for a pregnant mother. Our purpose is to improve access to healthcare by providing travel funding and accommodation.
To find out more about YANA or to donate:
Quotes
“Overthinking is ruminating on old ideas without a new lens. It narrows your focus and wears you out” —Adam Grant
“Let go of the thoughts that don’t make you strong.” —Karen Salmansohn
“Spend eighty percent of your time focusing on the opportunities of tomorrow rather than the problems of yesterday.” —Brian Tracy
Endnotes
Welcome to spring! May your gardens flourish and your lives be full of your favourite people and activities.
I will be taking a short holiday from May 16-May 26th. We are going to enjoy a roadtrip to Nelson, Kimberley and Golden and will be celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary while in Nelson. If you need an appointment around that time, please book now while I still have space.
I will look foward to seeing you either before or after:)
Glenda
