Coach Approach

Our friends the squirrels go through some distinct seasons.

Those that live in northern climates know just when it's time to start stockpiling for the cold winter months. They remind us that it's good and right to think and plan ahead and to conserve an investment of energy and calories for times when those are less abundant in the natural way of things.

For humans, this includes choosing what nourishes and sustains us long-term, through the cycles of life. It includes trusting that more goodn…

Skin is beautiful: the largest organ in the body with astonishing sensory abilities. I was recently at the beach on the Kenyan coast, reveling in the soft, white sand, enjoying the warmth of the sun, the breeze on my face, and the refreshment of a saltwater pool. My skin made all of those gorgeous sensations possible.

Skin protects: I added protection to the skin on my feet by wearing my Tevas when walking in places with coral and sea urchins. I protected the skin on my face and arms by wearing…

Holding Close and Setting Free as a Way of Living

"Holding close and setting free is not a common concept. Most people tend to think in terms of “holding on” or “letting go”—choosing one or the other. The idea of holding something or someone close and, at the same time, setting them free—two gestures becoming one—opens a new world of possibilities.

For me, holding close and setting free has become a beautiful and grace-filled way of living. I believe that the highest form of relationship—wheth…

Today, I want to give you a little more insight into the coaching profession. More and more people are hiring coaches, and yet few people know what coaches actually do, or what skills they are trained in. 

What's your why? What makes it important to you right now to learn to grow as a person, communicate more effectively, listen more attentively, or encourage others in their growth?

Coaching skills are highly transferrable and exceedingly valuable - you can use them as a grandmother, as a line…

Some of us had caring mothers or other care-givers who consistently provided kindness and support. Some of us had more difficult experiences.

Our natural ability to be gentle and kind to ourselves has been shaped by those early voices of safety and nurture, or lack thereof. Good news!  According to one of my all-time favorite teachers, Kristin Neff, even if you did not feel secure with your parents or care-givers as a little one, you can still learn to feel secure by practicing self-compassion …

I could only fly when no one was looking, and not for very long. But when I was alone in the house, if I wore my favorite Peter Pan outfit, I could glide down the staircase silently, hovering gently a few inches above the floorboards. 

I also knew how to climb high into a tree, waaaay above the roof of the house, and feel the breeze swaying me and the ever-narrowing tree trunk and my fingertips covered with sap. My muscles were strong with the feeling of having run and leaped and clung to the l…

Have you ever gotten into an argument with someone about what REALLY happened? It can get pretty crazy-making.

Memory is a weird thing, and our brains are excellent at deleting and distorting most things and selecting the pieces that fit into a pre-conceived story that makes sense (and that makes us look good). Especially when we're feeling self-protective.

Even as adults, we can get into our own versions of "Did not!" "Did too!" ad infinitum. The best of us, in our worst moments, can be caugh…

One of my all-time favorite places to be is Diani Beach. When our family lived in Kenya, we had the privilege of traveling to the coast several times and staying right on the white sandy shoreline, where I was filled with awe and wonder at each quiet sunrise, and I would wade out into the warm waves. 

I can still feel the ultimate stillness coursing through my body the moment I placed my snorkeled face into the water. Suddenly, a whole new world of light and color and movement opened up, as bri…

Imagine a giant, hulking Elephant with huge tusks.

It doesn't take much for me to imagine, because I nearly fainted when I saw a ginormous elephant eyeball peering through the roof of our flimsy tent in Amboseli National Park. I can still vividly see its eyelashes and the thick, dusty folds of its skin! And I will never forget its even more ginormous right tusk blocking our escape route to our puny-looking car. I could scarcely move or breathe as it loudly tore branches from the bushes just ar…