Getting Wise – Embodied and Systemic Wisdom
23rd December, 2014
Why do I love mBIT?
I qualified as an mBIT coach (a methodology with roots in NLP) in mid 2014 and have been overwhelmed by the positive responses and outcomes clients are experiencing.
What is it? mBraining (the ‘m’ stands for multiple) accesses three intelligences within each of us (in our head, heart and gut) seeking new insight relating to self-expression.
As an advocate of emergent coaching, this approach works in harmony with the methods developed from my own MA research into leveraging ambiguity – a programme I celebrated graduating in early 2014 (hip hip hooray).
mBIT leans towards my preference for embodied coaching as a proActive coach. Somatic experiences (where wider physiology is engaged) are proven to vastly accelerate cognition and learning and to and increase motivation – oh… and they are more often than not fun too!
Intrigued to know more about “self-authoring”? Explore the website further.
mBIT breathing exercises are enhanced through an understanding of yoga pranayama. In May 2014 I completed a two year journey through a 200 hour yoga teacher training programme and now have even more options for encouraging and enabling clients to develop and achieve physical and mental alignment within the coaching experience.
I have introduced aspects of mBIT with groups too, using “emwave” technology to playfully observe heart rate variability and really recognise the impact of our thoughts upon our physiology. Through teaching balanced breathing techniques to business owners and teams we can all start to be a little more coherent and make decisions from a place of “wisdom”.
mBIT elegantly provides a perfect framework which benefits from a range of skillsets which have (by coincidence rather than planning) featured within my coach CPD over the years and the results have been very exciting.
Why am I Going Coastal
The benefits of working outdoors are really beginning to gain more mainstream attention with more and more studies into the impact our environment has upon our health and wellbeing.
Those who have worked with me for a while will know the coast has always played a significant role in my coaching and facilitation offer, with the beach acting as my main office / training room backed up by my coaching studio where relevant.
In July 2014 my friend Wallace “J” Nichols (J) launched his book BlueMind and as part of celebrating this achievement with him I champion this book at every occasion possible, whole-heartedly – the research resonates closely for me.
During 100 Days of Blue I swim daily in wild water (the invitation is to be in on or around water – but living at the coast the latter two are a little too easy).
We protect what we love and so if we can encourage others to fall in love the water they might protect it. The water offers such restorative qualities that the more people who experience blue space the greater our collective well-being.
By encouraging friends and business associates to get into the water and to read this book we can reconnect with the environment and gain the health benefits of Blue Mind time, whilst raising awareness of (and funding) a range of marine conservation projects.
Various business associates / frien
ds (some pictured) joined in beach walking and swimming and through the magic of social media – each year on Day 100 a fabulous group gather on Perranporth beach for a sea swim followed by breakfast. It is awesome to see this mixed group connect through a common love of water, there is so much laughter and a simple recognition of gratitude for the environment we live in.
Each person is asked to consider; what one thing they could and (more importantly) will do to tread more lightly on the planet in the coming year? The answers are rich, varied, resourceful and encouraging… from beach cleans to reducing use of disposable plastics.
Above is a picture of some of my Blue Mind compadres – thank you so much for being a part of this movement and setting positive intentions for sustainable actions.
100 Days of Blue has run each year since 2014 – starting on the longest day. Get involved!
World Ocean Day is around 7/8 June too!
So – What has this to with coaching?
Going Coastal emphasis has become more and more overtly linked to environmental psychology and a convergent path with BlueMind further influenced the direction of this consultancy. I get involved in some pretty in depth academic research exploring the impact of natural environments (particularly water centric locations) upon our biochemistry and mindset.
Having primarily worked within coastal locations since 2009, I am a specialist in blue-space coaching, exploring how the relationship between environment and psychology impacts upon motivation and performance. I have developed and I am further extending a coaching toolkit which specifically targets: ambiguity and coherency, gratitude and awe and incorporates blue space at the heart of this.
Working with a range of businesses experiencing growth has created the opportunity to evolve and develop a unique applied psychology offering that establishes “sense of place” an essential aspect of coherent leadership. #mBIT and #BlueMind centred coaching and events explore personal and professional coherence.
- If you want to know more about blue space coastal coaching explore this website further and the links to the current research in this field, perhaps book yourself a coastal coaching session to experience it for yourself.
Body Intelligent
Many aspects of yoga have relevance in the context of coaching. Anusara yoga is based in Tantric philosophy one aspect of which explores being aware of the relational context of oneness and connection. In simple terms this is – being aware of (and immersed in) the here and now whilst recognising how our sense of being individual versus part of a greater whole shifts moment to moment.
An essential principle of yoga is to “observe the good” ie look for and build upon what is going well and seek to notice the positives within others. These are great principles to adopt for team-working and managing work and personal relationships alike and happily they align with the core presuppositions of NLP.
When working with conflict or simply exploring how groups can communicate more effectively I regularly use gestalt techniques to help people experience new perspectives. For those who are more adventurous physical yoga poses can also offer new angles of reflection and these have added a playful angle when assisting team building this year – facilitating some powerful discussions.
The mind and body are one system and seeking to develop strength, balance and flexibility in both encourages a greater consciousness of: Intention, Attention and Action.
Next time you aim to be influential consider – what precisely is your intention, where must you place your attention and what action will have the most powerful and ecological impact.
- If you would like to know more about mind-body coaching and the range of ways NLP can be blended with yoga to unlock the positive emotions that will enable you to progress in the way that you wish, please get in touch.
Super Brain
What do bees have to do with leadership? As a lover of systems thinking (and honey) I took up bee keeping. Attending a four week course to learn the basics and then getting hands on with two of my own hives. My experiences have already provided some valuable reminders:
Shared Challenges – It is so much easier to share successes and challenges with others: Daniel (a friend of mine) has bees too and it has been really reassuring to navigate the ups and downs of becoming an apiarist with a fellow learner. Quite often when things become tricky we can think we are on our own – this has been a helpful reminder there is always somebody to ask! In the words of Ken Blanchard “None of us is as smart as all of us.”
Collective Goals – Did you know a bee hive is described as a super organism? Bees work like a single brain, rather than in isolation each bee’s primary function is the survival of the hive. If part of the hive fails, bees can quite literally genetically change to fulfil a new role. Talk about being flexible whilst aligned in their goal! When we recognise our place within and our connection to a larger system than ourselves, our roles become so much clearer and our collective motivation exceeds that of the individual.
Behaviour is a Reflection – Bees are fascinating, they are never aggressive… they are at worst defensive – a great reminder that “the meaning of your communication is the response you get.” When bee keeping (or communicating in general) it is essential to observe the state of others as a potential reflection of how they might perceive your communication! Facilitation and Leadership 101 (from the world of Gestalt) – always manage your state first – considering the energy you plan to introduce to any system is as important as planning the content or message you hope to deliver.
Respect the System – When assisting businesses with organisational development I use a range of systems thinking methods to ensure that your “hive” is positive, productive, efficient and aligned and that your leadership promotes a healthy communication. You are already resourceful, so I address your growth and sustainability aiming for maximum impact with minimal interference, whilst holding an awareness of “you within context” (ie you don’t operate in a vacuum). When working with individuals either business or personal coaching exploring areas such as values and goals it is essential to recognise the wider implications of our actions. I will often use “clean language techniques” and “symbolic modelling” to challenge how ecologically sound your ideas are, this enable your less conscious insights to emerge without contamination giving you the clarity to progress ideas into well thought through action.
- If you want to know more about systemic coaching or organisational development please explore this website or get in touch for a Coaching consultation or an OD health check.
