FAQ

How often do we meet?

We aim to meet 2x per week for approximately 3 months

This Program aims to provide an intensive foundation with consistent feedback and workshopping so that you create  new patterns to serve you going forward.  Meeting less frequently makes it more difficult to practice new patterns of movement as well as staying committed to moving through any issues that are holding you back.  Of course I allow for plenty of flexibility in our busy and fluid schedules, but I highly recommend aiming for the 2 times per week as suggested. 

Are these exercise classes?

This program is more than that. When we address issues with our body, we’ll look at movement patterns and habits and work to re-educate our body with more balanced ways of moving. What you’ll experience is less an exercise class and more a method for developing awareness and better patterns of movement. 

Of course, you may feel it as exercise, and that’s good… 

However, what you’ll  develop through our sessions are not a routine of exercises perse, but rather the “meta-skills” for movement and life - meaning they will be tools you can use in nearly any physical and mental activity you engage in..

What will we do in these sessions?

In general, one session per week will be focused on working with the body: addressing the problem areas and building new habits and skills. The other session per week will focus on life coaching where we’ll engage in conversations about addressing the points of least satisfaction in your life as well as practicing methods to move through obstacles and to navigate change with more ease. Over the course of the 3 month container, we’ll develop new habits, perspectives, skills and movement capabilities that will serve as a foundation for moving forward in the life you desire.

How is coaching different from therapy? (Movement coaches vs doctors and life coaches vs. therapists)

Some aspects of therapy and coaching overlap, however it’s helpful to think of the relationship between the two as similar to the relationship between a doctor and a personal trainer:

Doctors have the training and practice that makes them qualified to assist those with sickness, disease, and injury to make them well. Whereas a personal trainer can both help someone get out of dysfunctional movement patterns into better ones so that they avoid injury as well as guiding and working as a support system to help that person achieve their goals for physical health. Likewise, a therapist also has the training and practice that qualify them to assist those with forms of mental dysfunction. Whereas a life coach works with those who are already in a relative state of wellness with the intention of helping to optimize their life experience. This may include processes such as shifting dysfunctional thought patterns, uncovering limiting beliefs, and finding a clearer vision for the future as well as developing a plan of actionable steps toward greater fulfillment. 

In short, Doctors and Therapists are equipped to bring someone back from dysfunction and sickness toward wellness, and trainers and coaches are equipped to guide people from relative wellness toward greater potential.

Just as, in some cases, you could work together with both your doctor and personal trainer, it is also possible to work with both a mental health professional as well as a life coach. Rest assured, if you are uncertain from whom you should be seeking help, or if I feel you may be better assisted by another type of coach or mental health professional, I would be happy to help refer you to someone who can meet your needs.

Why combine movement and life coaching together?

In the pursuit of greater fulfillment in life, movement coaching and life coaching can be closely intertwined:

Our cultural conditioning, lifestyle, habits, beliefs and thought processes can all affect how we move in our body- those may be addressed through life coaching. Conversely, how we are moving in our body may be affecting our thoughts, feelings and beliefs about both ourselves and the world, as well as influencing our lifestyle, habits and whether or not we move toward achieving our goals. In this case, movement coaching can help guide you in a better direction. Also, movement itself helps people feel more energy and enthusiasm which in turn may inspire positive decisions and actions toward greater fulfillment in life. If moving in your body is causing pain, frustration, and suffering, we’ll use a combination of both life coaching and movement coaching.

Through Life coaching we can:

• Reevaluate how you approach movement
• Explore what ways of moving actually bring you joy
• Dissolve limiting beliefs on what movement & exercise “should” be
• Assess if shifts in lifestyle habits and your everyday environment could lead to better movement and quality of life.
• Find ways to decrease stress in your life and increase the relaxation response (High levels of sympathetic arousal can actually make you more prone to feeling pain. As stress decreases and the parasympathetic nervous system takes over, you may find your pain subsides and moving becomes more enjoyable.).

Through Movement coaching we can:

Assess your alignment and determine where you are overusing or underusing parts of your body so that we can develop a program to bring a better balance of overall use and muscle activity which will decrease the wear and tear on the parts of you that are currently experiencing pain.

Develop a movement lifestyle that helps you move better and move more. In both Movement and Life coaching my intention is to help you to let go of troubles and suffering in order to uncover more joy, peace, and enthusiasm for what you wish to be and do in life.

One difference between Movement and Life coaching is that in movement coaching, I offer my expertise and experience in principles of the body to direct you toward moving better and living a more movement rich lifestyle; and with life coaching the process is focused on bringing forth your own knowing as the expert on your life.

And there is a third way that movement and life coaching combine…

There is a realm of metaphor where Life and Movement reflect upon each other like mirrors. Sometimes it is more fruitful to allow the creative mind to make connections by looking, not directly at the issue or problem with which you’re struggling, but instead, slightly askance at something seemingly unrelated. Then, we can ask “How is this like that?” and sometimes answers you never knew were there will become apparent. In this way, if there is a life issue, we can look to the body: moving, observing, exploring and then review with metaphor how your body may be giving answers to your life’s questions. Likewise, if there’s a movement/body struggle, we may look to issues in our lives and how we “move” through them. Often, it’s possible our knowing and way of living will present a metaphor to answer the issues with our body. It’s a bit magical, and a bit analytical at the same time, but by bringing both those sides of ourselves together, we learn to Wayfind toward our right life.

What if I just want some personal training? Can I work with you without doing this whole program?

I’m happy to talk, but I’ll likely ask “why do you want to settle for a less holistic and (in my opinion) less effective solution?” 

The truth is most issues in our body have some origin in our culture, lifestyle, beliefs, and the relationship our mind has with our body. Exercises alone are usually just treating symptoms. On top of that, building and sticking to new habits and patterns are often difficult to accomplish on one’s one without some guidance and accountability. 

That’s why I suggest at least sticking with a 3 month program that is designed to help you take a holistic look at multiple aspects of your life and build the resources, skills, movement patterns, and mental awareness that you need to navigate your own way forward from here on out.