An Interview with Megg Kwan
A former Play & Creative Arts Therapist with a degree in psychology- Megg has retrained as a life and somatic coach. Megg makes her home in the UK and has fully devoted herself to the work of embodiment- especially as it pertains to women realigning with their inner power. You can find her on her website She Embraces It All
Megg and I had a delightful conversation about the power of curiosity, how it supports a person in their life (especially when there is burnout as Megg experienced) and just how important it is to get underneath the surface of what we have created or built for ourselves.
We discussed how to make shifts in our lives, develop new perspectives, and connect the body and mind. We also touched on the different ways we try to fit into our surroundings and allow the responses of others to drive our behaviour.
A key belief we both hold is that there’s wisdom in our coping mechanisms, that they are useful and can be remoulded into superpowers. Our hard hard stuff becomes the medicine we need to shift and grow.
Please enjoy our conversation and see what it might hold for you.
Wisdoms
Nervous system exhaustion, whether it takes months or years, presents us with an opportunity to tune in to our bodies, make necessary changes, and design our lives very differently.
Pressure from without and from within…There’s a great deal of pressure to present ourselves how we think others need us to be and then try to keep things all tied neatly together. For me, this shows up by attempting to hold myself to some standard or expectation that was given to me by someone else. It also shows up in the shoulds and buts of life.
There is more to life than what we have tied ourselves into!
And then comes the awakening… something needs to change. We know that making the change is necessary and yet, it can feel so scary! There is resistance to listening to what we know to be true!
Enter curiosity… Curiosity is the key to moving through the resistance and being with our experience. Curiosity is also the bridge between the head and the body- allowing the two to work as a team. Lastly, curiosity is how we identify what is best for us, instead of ignoring our experience, living on the surface, or living according to someone else’s expectations.
We notice in our body and then our mind helps us make choices as to what’s next.
Beginning a conversation with our body… It can be as simple as noticing what’s happening in the sensory experience. What is your external and internal sensing experience at the moment? Are you hungry, hot or cold, needing the washroom, uncomfortable, stiff, needing a rest, or tense? What might need to be cared for in the here and now? Can you attend to what you need?
Notice what happens in the body...when you attend to it to meet its basic needs. As basic needs are noticed and cared for, you might notice an increased ability to hear what your body is saying and what it needs next- in the most gentle of ways. When the body feels noticed and cared for, your biology will naturally regulate and release tension.
Next steps in curiosity… Once you have identified your sensory experience, use the Realive questions in the section Coach's ReAlive Questions (below)
ReAlive Tools
One of the biggest things I get asked for as a coach is to have practical tools to implement change. I love to create these! So often, we receive some coaching or counselling, or we hear a great podcast, but implementing and integrating the insights can be a daunting process. Not here! If there is a specific tool you want or a topic you'd like covered, please reply to this email and ask.
This month, reconnect with the part of you that is naturally curious! Download The Sensory Experience Cheatsheet by clicking HERE.
Quotes
I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity. Eleanor Roosevelt
We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. Walt Disney
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. Albert Einstein
Coach's ReAlive Questions
- How might I want to explore that?
- How might I want to deal with/care for that?
- Is there a new way I’d like to meet this?
- Is this the only way I want to be, or is there something better?
- Is there a better way?
- What might work for me?
Endnotes
Every day I find new ways to be more embodied. It’s such a relief to not rely on my thinking brain for everything and it sure cuts down on the anxiety hamster wheel. The most useful process for me when I am in a total spin (and Megg uses this too) is to get underneath what is happening in me.
For instance, if I am anxious, what’s in that anxiety? Is it sadness, fear, worry, excitement, pain? What are all the ‘things’ which are bubbling around inside me which don’t have enough space to be heard?
As I unpack what is underneath, I place those ingredients in front of me- allowing myself to become an observer. There is such relief in having clarity! Now I can make decisions, see what needs attending to, what is a non-issue or a story I am making up, and what I can do to deal with each item.
Next month, be ready for my interview with Jill Krush who specializes in psychodrama therapy and is also a somatic coach. I can't wait to pass on her wisdoms.
A special thanks to Megg for her time and insights 🌟❤️.
Until next month,
Glenda
PS
Want to get into more conversations about embodiment or have something you want to work on with a coach? You can check out my articles on Medium (link at the bottom of this email), or book a FREE 30 minute call with me to see if coaching is right for you. |
