Being At Ease in Multiple Roles 

I am a student, a teacher, a client and a coach. Accepting help AND providing it are both roles that feel good to me. I have coaching office hours at the studio after my weekly yoga class, and when I attend class at the studio I am often still on the mat when I am asked for help. Sometimes before I can help I need a minute to re-group and transition from student or yoga teacher to health coach.  It is my responsibility to see that my needs are met before I try to help others.

Sometimes making the transition between client and coach can be challenging. I have learned that if I create space for myself it is easier to experience the joy of being both student and coach. Independent of the type of client I am working with I have learned that I need to set boundaries to best support ease and success for both of us.

I have also learned that yoga is a core part of both my mental and physical fitness.  I go in part to stop thinking, to let go, and to be present with my body and breath. My personal practice is high on my self-care priority list- it is another technique I use to create space for myself so that I can shift with ease between roles.

The Joy Of Being a Student

I choose to be a lifelong learner. Studies in Ayurveda and Yoga provide a lifetime of learning. My personal practice is an essential part of my morning ritual, but when I practice at home I am still a “teacher” in charge of planning the sequence of poses.  Sometimes I want to let go of decision making and step fully into the experience of being a student. Stepping back into a yoga class lets me do just that.

Attending yoga in a studio or classroom is a great way to get out of your head and into your body. There is a simplicity in showing up, following directions, and moving and breathing in the moment. An hour or two or classroom practice each week is a treat!

One of the challenges I have faced in the past was my resistance to practicing alongside my students. Ego made me self-conscious- I was worried about being less than “perfect” in my poses and often pushed myself into performance mode.  This wrecked my experience and hurt my body.

Now my practice is more focused and precious.  I’m better able to accept the true nature of my body. I don’t take moving with ease for granted anymore.  Instead, I cultivate gratitude for the ability to move. I enjoy moving.

“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.”

–The Bhagavad Gita

If Yoga is not your thing, find a way to engage as a student or client.  I know my experiences on the other side make me a better listener and more empathetic coach.

Give With A Glad Heart

I have learned that I need my coaching relationships to be clear rather than muddy. I want enough information to be able to really help my clients, and enough time and space to coach and follow up effectively.  This means that a quick conversation after class- either one to one or in a small group- does a disservice to my role as a coach and to Ayurveda as health science.

One boundary I have set is that I generally don’t book appointments in person after class. Instead I ask clients to go through my online booking software.  This prevents us from entering into conversations that are not timely. I intentionally don’t carry my paper calendar or phone into class.  When I leave them locked in the car, I can stay mellow at the end of class knowing that I will not need to start “work” while I am still in student mode.

This is a process that works for me. Yoga class is not a place I want to multitask in.  You may be different.  You might prefer to have quick access to your booking software so you can book appointments after class. But I invite you to consider what you might be giving up.  If you are cool with handing out advice after yoga, go for it.  Turn on a dime, give with a glad heart, in ways that feel good and create balance.  Me? I need a little more space and time to feel comfortable and to make sure that my glad heart is ready to help.

As an engineer- not a natural marketer- I knew that research was my best option for learning how to develop my social media strategy.  I wanted to use planning and organization to help me identify the most effective outlets to grow my business.

There are many options to choose from, and while social media marketing may be inexpensive in terms of cash, it can cost in time and effort. As a one-person business I want to invest my time well and see results. So I decided to dig in.

Get Organized Around Social Media Marketing

My first step to getting organized? I started to read and follow business sites that share social media marketing strategy. Every article I read had ample advice on how to make social media work for you, instead of you working for it.

There were 3 main ideas that stuck with me: avoid overwhelm, understand your target audience, and schedule purposefully. Let’s take a look at each of these strategies.

Spend Time Wisely Avoid Overwhelm

The first concept to consider? How much time do you want to spend on social media versus other marketing?

For an online business, social media reaches a wide audience and can be time well spent. Although Facebook has taken some recent popularity hits, 72 % of American adults still look at Facebook on a regular basis. This is a lot of people.

One strategy you can use to help you get a decent return on your time investment is using data to target your peeps and make sure you are engaging on the right social media platforms. Supporting 6 to 10 social media platforms can take a lot of time, even be a full-time job. If it is critical to your business to be present on all these platforms, make sure that you are getting help. Farm your social media activities out to social media scheduling software, a virtual assistant, or a social media support company to help lighten the load.

However many platforms your business is on, find a way to be consistent, insightful and on target for one, two, three or even 4 channels rather than a vague presence on six or more different social media outlets. Connect to your target audience and build your reputation as a trustworthy expert. You want your community to look forward to your posts, read them, and share them widely.

Identify Your Target Audience

Who is your target audience? Choose platforms based on the people you want to reach. Start by checking in with your community. Survey your email list and your facebook group.  Look into the most popular social media channels and determine which will work best for your community.

It can also be helpful to look to your competitors. Are they using Snapchat or Instagram? Are they getting engagement? Focus in on what you are trying to do and who you are trying to reach as you navigate your decision tree.

For instance, an avatar or target client for my community might be a mature suburban woman aged 45 -70  who has had issues with weight.  She wants to age with grace and come into healthy relationships with food and life. For this target group,  Facebook, You Tube, and Pintrest work well. Snapchat and Vine are not channels this type of client frequents. So even though I like their logos, I won’t be spending much time on their platforms.

Schedule Purposely To Grow Your Business

Many people use a spreadsheet or external support to align posts with business activity. They plan social media activity by the month quarter or year. By posting different types of content at different times, you can  improve reach to your  community, and optimize posts for each platform.

One option you can use to make scheduling simpler is a  Scheduling Tool.  A scheduler is software that allows you to implement automatic posting to your social media platforms. You load the content and schedule the time of the post and the software takes care of the rest. Sprout, Buffer, Hootsuite, Comum.it, and Tweetdeck are all scheduling tools for managing social media posting.  Some of these have free versions with basic functionality to help you get started. Others are paid.

If you are primarily posting from your website or blog, website plugins that share to multiple channels can be helpful. One downside is that most of them share to all sites at the time you publish. Easy Social Share, Social Warfare and Jet Pack are low or no cost and help automate sharing your website generated content and blog posts.

Platform Examples

Here are some examples of today’s most frequently used platforms.

Facebook

Facebook has a number of features that you can use to promote your work. Groups are fantastic for creating community and managing information exposure. You can join groups to see what works, then create your own group to share specialized information, build authority and engender trust.

High-quality visual content (aka pictures and videos) promote higher levels of engagement.

Make posts shareable- it shocks me how many people don’t- and encourage your community to share your offerings for more exposure and traction. Create, post and publicize events to build attendance. Place paid ads when it makes sense. Live video streaming is a super easy way to share info updates with your followers. Answer questions once a month in a “Facebook Live” of streaming video to help build your following.

Most importantly- keep your personal page separate from your business.  You may not want clients to see a post from your college friend about memories of all-night parties.

Pintrest

In Pintrest you create boards that are used to save posts, blogs and video content. You can then promote and share your boards. Set up a board for each course, or topic-specific boards.  I have one for each of my websites. Think of it as a bookmarking site for ebooks, tip guides, blog posts and recipes you want to share with your community.

YouTube

Videos on YouTube are a way to share personality and expertise as you connect to your community. Video content has a high engagement rate and return on investment.  Look at videos that are successful to help plan the design of yours. Always include useful eye-catching content, your web address, images, tags, and a good title. This is a growing edge for me, so I am spending time watching YouTube videos instead of television.  Share your videos across your other platforms.

More than 93 percent of marketers are actively using video content, and more than 50 percent believe it has the best ROI among all types of content.  – Jawad Kahn

Focus Nets The Most Benefit

Before deciding which social media channels to be active on and what support you need, work out a clear plan and implementation schedule. Define your goals and be consistent. Social media takes time and an investment of your energy in order to build community and create leads to grow your business. Dig in, get organized, and reap the benefits.

Me? I fell into yoga teaching as a way to deal with being downsized from a career as an engineering manager. Yoga helped me to transition and heal. While my training worked out really well, I didn’t consider all the factors that I would, if choosing again today. Now that I have taught and know more about teaching yoga as a career, I have a better sense of what types of questions to ask.

Are you thinking about deepening your relationship to Yoga with training or by teaching?  I invite you to consider what you really want from your “YTT” (yoga teacher training) and the commitment you are willing to make.

Choose With Care

Selecting a training program is a big decision, like choosing a college or major.

Blessed to be steeped in the healing traditions of Ayurveda and yoga I have a profound appreciation for the training I have received. It is the secondary education for my heart and soul.  Over the course of my love affair with Ayurveda and yoga, I have gone from taking yoga teacher trainings to teaching in them. I still train to engage and learn.

Now that there are so many yoga teacher trainings to pick from, making the choice can be overwhelming. YTTs (yoga teacher trainings) include a range of certification levels, styles of yoga, and training in everything from fitness-based yoga to the science of yoga for spiritual evolution. Yoga teacher training is a significant investment in energy, time, money and the direction of your life. Here are some guideposts to help figure out what you want, choose a program to support your growth, and get the best return on investment.

Sorting Through Many Choices

Do you really plan to teach yoga?

This is an important question to ask.  Do you plan to teach, or is this a deep desire to learn more about yoga?  Both are super reasons to take a YTT, but the reality of public class teaching should be a game changer as you sort through your options.

I wanted to teach, so I chose programs that would both deepen my study AND help prepare me to teach.  Some YTT’s add class observation and analysis requirements on top of the class time practice and homework.  Mine did. I sat in the back of yoga classes observing experienced certified teachers.  I journaled my observations- how the teacher introduced the theme, the choice of asana sequences, and other insights.

My program also required me to connect with an experienced teacher who could oversee and critique my teaching.  This was time incredibly well spent- the mentoring process elevated and refined my delivery in the classroom.  When making your choice it is worth asking how much coverage there is on the art and business of teaching.

Month Long Intensive Program or Weekends and Immersions

Yoga teacher training programs are offered as month-long intensives, weekend based programs, and everything in between. Your choice of program will depend on your lifestyle, your learning style, and your fitness level.

A live-away intensive program steeps you in the tradition of yoga, but your stamina, day job, and kids may not allow for 30 days away. You may not be ready for this intensive learning style. Two or three 10-day segments away, or 13 long-weekends may work much better.  I liken it to the difference between an intense summer course at college where you have 3 -5 weeks to cover the same material your would in a 12 week semester. Think this through before you pull the trigger.

Commuting, Travelling, and At-Home Programs

If you want to commute to a nearby program, remember that training can be rigorous.  Try to keep your drive time to 30 minutes or less. No commute at all?  Perfect!! A local program may be just the right fit for your work and life.

Again I liken the experience to commuting from home versus living on campus. When you stay at an ashram or retreat center for your training, your experience expands in ways beyond yoga. Friendships deepen and you are more likely to try new things.

If you are off to a destination, this can be a great adventure. There are wonderful programs all over the world.  Want some travel adventure as part of your training? Pick a teacher you know who heads off to an exotic destination to lead their teacher training.

Gotta Love Working With Your Teacher

Take at least one short workshop with the main teacher before signing on the dotted line for a YTT. You want to know you can connect to and learn from this person before you make a major energetic investment. I love teachers who make me strive, think and laugh. How about you?

Specialization Who are you called to help, to teach?

Often you will need to take a 200-hour YTT before you specialize, but some programs slant towards understanding the needs of a specific population. If you are drawn to help teens it makes sense to take a training that gives you insights on how to help them. Otherwise, follow up your YTT with specialized training. Sub-specialties include:

• Restorative Yoga
• Trauma recovery
• Elder Population
• Kids or Teens
• Therapeutics

Certification/Registration & Level

Programs can range form 200 to 300 hours or more. I am not a fan of less than 200 hours for YTT training if you want to teach.  It’s important to take a weekend workshop or even a few before you   on a  YTT to measure your interest and commitment. 200 hours creates a container to learn in. You need time and space to open to transformation.

One exception to less than 200 hours of training is programs segmented in parts that add to 200 hours.  Anusara trainings separate the program into 100 hours of study and immersion followed by a segment on teaching as part of a two hundred hour YTT.

Certification or Monitoring bodies.

YA (Yoga Alliance) and the CYA(Canadian Yoga Alliance) are two of the big organizations that set standards for yoga teacher trainings in North America.  Choose a 200 hour + program that lists the topics explored and meet standards set by the school of yoga or a certifying body.  Make sure you understand what will be covered.

Swaroopa, Anusara, Svivanada, Power Yoga, Iyengar and more all have program standards for 200 YTT. When you go to a specific style of yoga school and complete the requirements you are certified, make sure you can also register with YA or CYA at the 200 hour level.

4 Programs That Have The Goods For A Great Training

Himalyan Institute

The Himalayan Institute (HI)  offers 200 RYT and advanced teacher training in yoga and Ayurveda as well as slew of specialty classes.  Their teacher trainings have the Yoga Alliance  stamp of approval.  The programs are taught in 10 day segments and you stay at the ashram(spiritual community). Open to all styles of yoga, HI teaches yoga and deepens your spiritual connection to the practice while they prepare you to teach.

HI has the energy and clarity of a community holding and sustaining a 10,000 year living tradition of yoga.  Rather than a specific style you are invited to connect to the essence of yoga and apply the tools of yoga for your own growth while you learn to teach others. You feel the power and support of this tradition all through your training and beyond.

HI is an ashram and offers immersion programs. You go to learn yoga and learn to teach. An added benefit is you are immersed in a spiritual community.  When you leave the training you have active support and community to lean into and continue to learn from.

Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm  

The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm is a spiritual community and working farm that offers a YA approved 200 Hour program as well as advanced teacher trainings, and specialty courses and immersions. The programs are offered in California at the farm, in Vietnam, and at other travel destinations.

Teachers travel to the ashram specifically for the teacher training. The spiritual essence of Yoga is taught through a combination of practice and inspirational lessons. A teaching certificate from the International SYVC (Sivananda Yoga Vendenta Center) is awarded upon successful completion of the course.

Down Under School of Yoga  

This school offers 200 hour and advanced Iyengar yoga teacher training as well as specialty courses. Down Under is a Yoga Alliance approved school. The advanced Iyengar programs require that applicants meet specific requirements. All trainings are weekend based programs which allow you to stay locally or to commute.

Down Under opens its 200 hour YTT to everyone, but the focus is on Iyengar and Ashtanga styles.  The teachers have a deep, deep base in Iyengar, Ashtanga as well as Slow Flow yoga. Down Under is a yoga school as well as a studio.  Based in the Boston area, this is a great destination to enjoy while training in a weekend format.

YogaMaze

Noah Maze and his wife founded YogaMaze school. It offers a 200 hour and advanced teacher training, as well as specialty courses.The programs teach yoga and teaching yoga at a high level of excellence and completeness. These programs are for commuters and working people. They are weekend based training programs.

The school offers training programs in multiple locations including, California,St Paul Minnesota and Berlin,Germany. The teachers travel to teach in the different locations.Theory and practice of Yoga, Yoga philosophy and the art of teaching are the focal points of YogaMaze programs.

Choose Engage Learn Grow

The right YTT is an amazing journey of growth and a changemaker for your life.  Most push you to expand your boundaries.  You find a deeper experience of yoga, new ideas, beliefs, community and long term friendships. Find the program that is right for you and take the plunge.

I give talks at regional Lyme disease conferences and to local support groups to get out in front of my community.  Clear impactful communication supports my wellness career and helps my audience understand the transformation I offer.  I’ve learned that speaking effectively with a large group at a meeting or conference is different than working with people one on one or in a yoga class. I work to improve my delivery, so I can help more people.

Speaking With Large Groups

The way you deliver your message- your use of voice and body language-  can make or break your impact in a workshop or a conference. I learned a lot about delivery while studying voice and singing. My voice coach was very particular about my stance, enunciation and use of breath.  She wanted these habits established, so I could focus on the emotions and message in each piece. By the end of our lessons I was always shaking with fatigue from the work we had done to improve my delivery.

I recently attended an event where a number of yoga teachers spoke- and as I listened to their presentations I was surprised by how uncomfortable many of them were speaking in front of a large group. It made me think about all the training I have done and how it supports my ability to speak effectively to an audience. It also reaffirmed the value of the work I continue to do to improve my delivery as I refine my voice and increase my impact.

8 Ways to Uplevel Your Presentation Skills and Engage Your Audience

Talk About Your Passions

People can tell if you aren’t into your subject matter. You don’t have to know and love every detail- just be honest about what you know, what you are learning, and why it is important to you and them. You want your audience to feel the love.

Know Your “Why”

Understand your purpose in giving the talk. Is it to entertain, to educate or to get people intrigued and excited about how you solve problems? Keep the purpose of your talk front and center in your plan and delivery.

Meet Your Audience Where They Are

Reach out to your audience. Make eye contact, ask questions, do quick surveys, or pass props to engage them. Use language they can connect with, and have simple explanations for any technical terms you introduce. Remember you are speaking for your audience, to help them engage at a deeper level.

Organize Your Information

I use powerpoint or google slides for large groups to me stay on track and on time, but you can use notes, props or speak from memory. Prepare for the unexpected by being organized and anticipating how things might go wrong. I always bring my computer, a thumb drive and a paper copy of my presentation. This means I am ready to continue if things go wrong.

Shake Off the Fear

Does public speaking give you the jitters? Before you begin, do a “check-in.”  Are your palms sweating? Is your mouth dry, or your tongue four times its normal size?  If so- stop. Before you begin, get grounded. Meditate, do some deep breathing, or imagine the audience in their underwear.

“Overall, fear of public speaking is America’s biggest phobia – 25.3 percent say they fear speaking in front of a crowd. Clowns (7.6 percent feared) are officially scarier than ghosts (7.3 percent), but zombies are scarier than both (8.9 percent).”  Christopher Ingraham “The Washington Post”

Actively Manage Pace, Pitch and Volume

Be aware of how quickly or slowly you speak, and learn how to actively vary your pace, pitch and volume.  I had a tendency to speak too quickly and softly. I could see puzzled looks on the faces of the audience as they tuned out.  My solution? I got myself a metronome and used it to practice varying my pace.

Stand in Your Own Footprints

What do I mean by this?  Literally stand and be still! Move with purpose when you move. Minimize the pacing, fidgeting, “sos”, “ums” and “ohs”- they detract from your message.

“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” –Dale Carnegie

Post Talk Review

Make a constructive review checklist. Fill it out after your talk and use your findings to create a plan for improving your delivery. Record your talk when possible and listen to your words and delivery.

Here are the questions I ask myself- or in some cases my host- after I give a talk.

Talk Review Checklist- 4 Questions

1.    Was I clear in my delivery? What one thing can I work on to zero in on my message?  Narrow the topic? Use a pause instead of “um”, “so” or “and”?
2.    How was my pace?  Did I need to slow down? Did I finish on time or was the conclusion crunched? If I was rushed at the end, what section could I leave out or shorten to create space?
3.    Did anyone ask questions?  If not, build in a place for questions.
4.    Did the audience engage?  Was this the right topic for the right community?

What should be on your checklist?  Do a quick post talk analysis, and systematically refine your voice to improve your impact with your audience.  You have the power to evolve the way you speak to reach more people with your message.

How do you stay in touch with your role as a flagbearer for thrive? I reach into my community for support, remember that leading the way is not always easy, and touch the place deep inside that knows this is what I am meant to do. All the jobs, trials, illness, growth and learning have made me who I am- a strong teacher, healer, coach and a flagbearer for my community.

Carrying The Flag

I sometimes compare being a health coach to being a world level olympian. I feel a thrill when I watch the US Olympic team enter the stadium during the opening ceremony. Before each Olympics the team bestows the honor of carrying our country’s flag. Flag bearers are members of the team as well as leaders chosen by teammates and coaches for their exceptional qualities as people and athletes. Yoga Health coaches have a lot in common with high level athletes- more than you might think.

Yoga health coaches are flag bearers for health. Carrying the flag is an honor in the military- the flag bearer carries a symbol of identity and hope rather than a weapon. As yoga health coaches, we bring our community hope and concrete tools to identify and align with wellness. Awakening to the true freedom and power we have to change people’s lives for the better is a gift. Share that gift and lead your community towards the victory of vibrant health.

“Being nominated to carry the flag at the Opening Ceremony is one of the greatest honours that has ever been bestowed upon me. – Todd Lodwick 2014 Winter Olympics flag bearer

How Yoga Health Coaches Carry The Flag

Yoga health coaches choose to wave the flag of health to direct others onto the path of thrive.  Since most yoga health coaches are householders, they make every-day life choices based on habits of health like the 10 habits of Ayurvedic Dinacharya taught in Body Thrive. They prioritize health in the same way Olympic athletes build their lives around optimizing performance. They embrace habits that deliver capability and health. Yoga health coaches lead and teach from a place of passion to help members of our community thrive.

Waking up every morning and embracing a daily structure in support of a goal takes a lot of dedication, hard work, and consistency. It has to spark joy. For a yoga health coach it is all about embodying the habits and authentically sharing insights to teach others. Being a health coach springs from a deep desire to help yourself and others.

World Class Athletes wake up passionate each day and work hard to achieve their fitness and performance goals. Internal fire and desire fuel the path of an Olympian and a health coach. Athletes who excel in their sport and demonstrate a high level of personal excellence might be chosen to be a Flag bearer.

“Do activities you’re passionate about – which make your heart and soul feel perky – including things like working out, cooking, painting, writing, yoga, hiking, walking, swimming, being in nature, being around art, or reading inspiring books.” – Karen Salmansohn

Yoga Health Coach Flagbearer Characteristics

Often the first things we see when we look inward are our faults. Here is suggestion: forget the term “fault” and instead identify opportunities to get better at what you love to do. Athletes analyze their performance using video and slow motion replays. With the help of their coaches they identify where they need to place their focus to get to the next level. Look at yourself through a similar lens and honor your desire to excel and serve.

Do you see great characteristics and mad skills in yourself? I am sure that your peers and clients do. When I interact with yoga health coaches -and I know many- I see amazing qualities in action. Check out  the coach of the month to meet a someone with these capabilities. While none of our coaches will be standing on the podium with the national anthem playing any time soon, they earn the right carry the flag of health everyday. As Yoga health coaches you live what you teach, you lead your community, and have you have some amazing abilities.  

You are able to:

• See and plan with a long view.
• Orient towards defined goals and success
• Take consistent steps to actualize goals
• Practice integrity- and expect it in your clients
• Shape lives with dedication and discipline.  
• Hold space for client progress
• Grow & evolve in leading your community

Which of these strengths do you see front and center in coaching your community? Celebrate and tap it for success.  Where are you focussing your energy in your desire to become a better coach? Reach out and get some extra training to keep refining your gift.

Each Olympic Games or world cup is over within a couple of weeks.. The walk and work of vibrant living goes on. Are you a flag bearer for thrive?  I’d love for you to share a victory in your journey as a health coach in the comments below.

“Don’t focus on having a great blog. Focus on producing a blog that is great for your readers.” –  Brian Clark

My Favorite Reasons to Blog For YHC

Passion

Find what sparks joy and get clear on your message. Writing drives me to think through issues and questions that I really care about.  A blog gives me the structure to explore in a deeper way than reading.

Expertise

The more you explore a specific a niche topic in writing the more you know.  People read your stuff and start to get that you are an expert that can drive change.

Attract New Clients

An expert who regularly demonstrates their ability to help attracts people who want that help.  Someone reads your blog and says Mary needs help with this. They forward it and Mary contacts you.  Blogging is free publicity for your services and expertise.

Add value to the community

Sharing our expertise enriches our community and makes us all stronger better coaches more able to architect change.

Learn

Writing stimulates reading and learning, so blogging is its own kind of school.  You learn and share to help your community help themselves.

Scope

For my website, I write to help people get the information and support they need to optimize their outcome from Lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses.  When writing on Yoga Health Coaching, I get to explore new topics and share. This energizes my creativity and keeps me engaged.

Network

Reading other writers work and meeting with them to exchange ideas makes you a better writer.  Some of the YHC bloggers are extremely successful and willing to share how they built their readership.

Collaborate

Writing with a group of writers generates opportunities to collaborate.  You read a blog that covers something your readers can use. Get on the forum and ask to do a joint blog or for them to guest blog on your site.

Feedback

When you are just starting out, it is often hard to get feedback, because you haven’t built your community.  Writing for a more established platform can get you a better sense of what people need and gravitate to.

Community

It can be tough to build a community from scratch.  The more places you show up in writing, the more likely the right people will find you.  You really want your people, the ones you can best help to find you.

Structure

The structure of the Yoga Health Coaching Blogging group is an example to use to add value and leverage content on your own platform.  Figure out the avatars of your audience and write to meet their needs. Make a blog plan and schedule to build momentum.

Editing

Editing feedback is way crucial to be sure your message is clear. Editing makes you a better, stronger, communicator.  The Editing staff at Yoga Health Coaching is the best. Working with them has improved the impact of my message.

Training

The Editors set up and record training to help all the writers. Training material is focused on the YHC Blog, but it directly applies to your other writing as well.

It must be clear how much I enjoy blogging in general and in particular for YHC! Zero in on one or two of the benefits that you connect to. Writing and blogging are critical tools to help you get your unique message out there. What do you need to help you boost your writing and build your business? Use these benefits to motivate you to blog for your site or apply to blog at YHC and enjoy the benefits of the community and individual support.

I knew I had my work cut for me to help her leverage success. First on the list, get her to see the opportunity to take control of her life and buy into the work of change. On my drive home I started to build a mental plan to help her help herself.

Clients Have Unique Strengths and Weaknesses

In health coaching we shift paradigms and foster positive change. Clients who book time generally want to reboot or reinvigorate their lives. Unfortunately not every client understands or is prepared for the work of change. As coaches we need to constantly learn about client issues and bring tools to bear to leverage success.

After a while health coaches meet a whole spectrum of people. It is crucial to see and honor clients as individuals and be realistic about your skill set and who you can help succeed.

Does the client see the need for change and have a desire to do things differently?

They require support to build;

• in the moment awareness,
• discipline to change entrenched behaviors,
• Habits in alignment with new goals.

A health coach can adds value by shining the light of awareness, sharing tools to build discipline and supporting the journey. Awareness, discipline and support are a powerful trio to drive sustainable improvement and leverage success. Unfortunately not all clients are at a optimal stage of readiness for the work of transformation

Assess your client’s stage of readiness and identify potential blocks. Is your client a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner? Do they have trouble starting something new or are they keen to start but don’t sick with it. Are they completely overloaded taking care of everyone but themselves?  Understanding your clients strengths and weaknesses will empower you as a coach. What client archetypes are you working with right now?

5 Archetypes of Tough Clients

Overachiever  (Not so tough)

A client who is easy and fun to work with, clear and mobile in a good way. She is ready, willing, and able to learn and will put in the effort to change. She writes a note before each class to let you know where she wants to focus and does all her homework. Ask her to read a book and she brings it to the next session with all kinds of bookmarks and questions.

This client is truly ready to take charge of her life and experience. Likely after a few months and big progress, she is ready to graduate, because she is doing so well. This client is a gift that gives you the perspective to deal with more challenging situations.

Delicate Flower

A client who comes in with full blown disease, ojas (natural resiliency) depleted, on lots of prescription meds, or someone whose life is crashing or is pregnant or in the middle of menopause, very old or very young.

Dial back the pressure and set their expectation for slower progress. Meet them where they are and engage with their health care team to carefully move them forward. Kaizen them towards their goals.

A very delicate client can be easily overwhelmed or even derailed by too much intensity. The challenge as a health coach is to set the speed of progress in way that supports her physiology and desire.

Just Stuck  

Clients who comes in who really do want change but who are tough and stuck with no idea how to get unstuck. In Ayurveda we call this low energy stuckness tamas.

Tamasic clients need a lot of support to make change. You will need to stir things up to help this person take action on their own behalf. Look for the glue that is holding them in place, is it fear or just habit. It may be that you discover the person wants change, but is not ready for the actions required to manifest it.

All Talk And No Action

She or he wants to use the sessions to vent. We have all met someone who continually chews on their problems and feelings from the past.

Start by gently redirecting the discussion, or just outline the purpose of each appointment and help her or him focus. Then bring activities like a stretch or a foot massage or putting self care on the calendar into each session to mirror taking action with them.

Challenge them to commit to a small doable actions and follow up. As a health coach it is great to have empathy for the tough situations we all face in life. But venting about the past, missing the present and neglecting the future helps no one.

One Foot On Gas,  The Other On The Brake.

Clients may unconsciously self sabotage. I often see three subtypes of this one. The client who won’t try anything you suggest. Encourage them to replace their “No, But” with “Yes, And…”

The client who uses a list of excuses for lack of effort. With this client I share that I use “shoulda woulda coulda, the dog ate my homework” when I catch myself making excuses. Laughter can help bring perspective on our behavior. As grown ups we are responsible for our own choices and only change will drive change.

Finally is someone who cancels at the last minute. For last minute cancellations, decide what is acceptable and make it clear. A coach’s time is valuable and it denigrates the work and the relationship when clients abuse a cancellation policy.

All clients have their ups and downs, coaches too. Recognizing who you are dealing with drives better solutions. The wisdom to understand you can’t help everyone is a huge.  Sometimes it’s just not the right fit or the right time.  When you do engage, follow these 8 coaching tips to leverage success for you and especially for your clients.

8 Coaching Tips To Leverage Success  

• Pre Screen.  Not every coach is right for every client.  If you think it is a really bad fit, you are doing everyone a favor by recommending a friend who is better suited. It is about success for the client, and she or he will respect your honesty.
• Set a Goal(s). At the beginning of each session set goals and make them measurable.  This will focus each session. It is fine to change the goal based on client communication.  Have a brainstorming session to refine the goals.
• Hold the seat of the Coach. We learn in yoga teacher training to “hold the seat of the teacher”, but this applies with client work as well. You are there as a professional resource to help your client. Don’t get sucked in. Keep the focus on the work and personal stuff and distractions out of the session.
• Use the parking lot when necessary. Decide with the client, how to best utilize your time together and put other issues and distractions in the parking lot to be dealt with later.
• Create clear accountability.  At the end of each session review to do’s on both sides and secure client buy in. Follow up so the client understands the importance of homework. Habits are built in the daily doing.
• Fill your tool box with a wide range of powerful techniques.  Different clients learn and engage in different ways. One person might be willing to read a book or blog and another will need a podcast or a practice to anchor into new habits.
• Plug into your community. Reach out to your health coaching community and teachers if you need perspective or have a question. The yoga health coaching forum is a well spring of support.
• Graduate clients when the time is right. Help when and how you can, then physically and energetically release the client. Sometimes clients need space to work or a new support system to work in. Create a graceful transition that allows the client freedom to work with you again if the need arises.

Ask for Guidance

I often say a prayer and ask the universe to invite people I can help into my practice.  It goes like this.  

“Please bring me the clients I can truly help. May I grow in my ability to affect change for the better in their lives through our work together.”  

I do the best I can to empathize, understand and motivate sustainable positive growth for whoever asks my help.

Connect to the Community

Do you have a favorite client who challenges you as a health coach? How do you deal? Share in the comments and get some input down below. You are not alone. As a community we can help each other. There is opportunity for growth and learning for all of us.

The relationship between these sciences is not always an easy one. But when you start putting them together it is amazing how well they fit and what a beautiful tapestry of care the combination creates.

It’s All About Fit

Western Medicine and Ayurveda have different aims and out of each aim an ingenious system to care for people has evolved. These different aims fit together really well. Medicine defines health as lack of any diagnosable disease or injury. The aim of medicine is to cure disease and repair injury.

Ayurveda defines health as balanced nature, well working processes and a mind, soul, and senses full of bliss. Ayurveda has 4 main aims; to prolong life, promote health, to eradicate disease and dysfunction. Where you go depends on what you need.

“Contemporary medicine has not yet been able to either prevent or retard the progress of these age-related disorders, and that is the reason why elderly people look toward Ayurveda with hope.”  Bhushan Patwardhan

Medicine grew from its definition to an amazing science that treats illness and injury with great success. Western Medicine is magnificent in a crisis and in the US Ayurveda has blossomed into a system to build wellness and up level health.

Ayurveda Elevated My Western Medicine Results

“Life is one percent what happens to you, and ninety-nine percent how you respond to it.”

― Shubhra Krishan, Essential Ayurveda: What It Is and What It Can Do for You

How does the combo work in a real life crisis?

I integrate the sciences, of Ayurveda,Yoga and Medicine in my life. Emergency issues or systems failures head me straight to western med, where I know I will get fast symptom treatment and system & tissue repair. I advise my clients to do the same. But also carry Ayurveda into these situations.

Here is an example: In the middle of nowhere in New Mexico, a few years ago on vacation I had a serious eye problem. I looked over at my husband and said: “I can’t see out of my left eye anymore.” Instead of a view there was a grey river, which it turned out, was blood.

Off we went to the nearest medical center not the nearest Ayurvedic Practitioner. I sat in the ER waiting room meditating.The ER doc looked in my eye and said, “Wow I can’t see anything.” I said “Neither can I”.

I took this as a bad, bad sign and went back to meditating. A specialist was called in and he sent me up to Tucson to a larger facility. The problem turned out to be a detached retina with a lot of bleeding in my eye.

After examining me in Tucson, the doc gave me 3 choices, lose the sight in my eye, have an operation and potentially have to hang out in Arizona for up to 6 months to heal or head home immediately for care. The Boston area where I live has some of the best eye surgeons in the United States. Off I went eastbound on the next plane and into surgery that very day. I used meditation and pranayama(breathing) to still my mind and relax on the plane.

I chanted quietly during my operation until the doctor gently said, “This is the delicate part I need you to be quiet and hold really still.”

Able to Hold Still

Who knew that “hold still’ would be a key part of my recovery? I had to hold my head at a specific angle 23 hours a day for around 3 months for the operation to work. I couldn’t read or watch TV, so I meditated multiple times each day and listened to books on tape.

Before, during and after my operation I used mind body healing techniques from Prepare for Surgery Heal Faster by Peggy Huddleston to boost my recovery. A fabulous therapist she helped me to let go of any residual anger and fear.

Mantra was also an essential part of my healing process. After recovering from the operation, I contacted a natural vision coach, upped my daily eye care, worked on balancing the heat in my eyes and used yoga therapy to help my neck muscles loosen up and recover.  

Why Does a Yogi Get Sick?

You might ask how in the heck this happened to someone who practices Ayurveda and yoga? I was doing meditation, yoga and walking each morning on the trip.  

But for many years before I found these practices I ran myself pretty ragged. Poor food choices, stress and chronic exhaustion set me up for health problems.

The universe gives you what you need to learn and grow. This experience was full of growth for me.

Where in your life did western medicine and ayurveda work together to drive the best outcome? Share your story in the comments below.

A Life Long Partnership

In my life Yoga, Ayurveda and western medicine is a sweet combo.  Ayurveda & Yoga may not prevent all illness injury or accidents, but they totally elevate the outcome. Is a health crisis karma? a lesson? or the luck of the draw? I would say it is part of the puzzle of life and full of learning.

Western Medicine has saved my life multiple times. Western Medicine, Yoga and Ayurveda in combination empower me to take action and live my best life.

Yoga and Ayurvedic self care practices stay in my daily routine because they work, and add more and more value over time. I fundamentally believe that Yoga and Ayurveda will help western medicine extend the quantity and quality of my life. Healthy habits built into my day combine to help me express my true nature in the brightest way and give me a long full happy life with moments of bliss.

“Ayurveda teaches us to cherish our innate-nature – “to love and honor who we are”, not as what people think or tell us, “who we should be.”

― Prana Gogia

My complete health care toolbox uses the best of self care, western medicine, yoga and Ayurveda, to build, repair, help, heal, and grow my body mind and spirit as I move through life.  The combination saved my sight on vacation in Nevada and will continue to shape my life and health.

Add a little Ayurveda style healthy eating to the mix to stay connected and on track. This video explains my challenge with the Thanksgiving feast and how I moved my holiday towards healthy eating.

Decide to use natural healthy food products on your body. You will love how you feel. In choosing health as the cornerstone of a full rich life, examine how all the stuff you apply to your body every day builds or depletes your vibrancy and take action where needed. Share this wisdom with your clients. Reducing pollution in the body really counts to support recovery and rebuild wellness.

Most commercial products for the skin, hair and face are not food and can’t be used to nourish and replenish tissues. So your body has to both detoxify and dispose of them. When the trash can’t get taken out it builds up as ama, or undigested waste in your body. Too much ama can hurt your health. Make the changes you need to feed and nourish your skin, hair and face each morning.

The Facts on Chemicals in Personal Care

An article by Dr. Mercola quotes research from the Environmental Working group. The data is scary and startling.

“The average US woman uses 12 personal care products and/or cosmetics a day, containing 168 different chemicals, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). While most men use fewer products, they’re still exposed to about 85 such chemicals daily, while teens, who use an average of 17 personal care products a day, are exposed to even more.””

When you are trying to recover from illness or uplevel wellness you have to examine everything that will help your body make the journey. I know I needed to do this as part of my recovery from Lyme disease. My body was overwhelmed with infection, inflammation and toxic build up, I was miserable.The last thing it needed was extra work for my detox channel.

Everything I put into or apply onto my body needs to nourish it, build health and vibrancy. With this perspective would you make changes to your skin and hair care?

My illness drove me to examine and learn about the chemicals that I used on daily basis. Drastic change was imperative. So I went through my bathroom cabinet and threw out almost everything and instead I started buying organic foods to use on my body.

How about you –  do you want to clean up your personal care? Coaches – can you help your clients build wellness by lowering their chemical exposure?

Clean Up Your Skin Care Products

Apply Organic Oil not lotion on your skin.  Instead of using lotion massage oil regularly onto your skin.  Your skin is your largest organ.  It is permeable which means things flow in and out.  Your body has to detox anything unnatural that gets in through your skin.

The probiotic organisms that live on our skin and our skin cells know that oil is food and lotion is not. Oil massage keeps the body’s first line of defense, the skin, lubricated and healthy. Our skin and biome face a hostile environment filled with pollution, harsh soaps, and chemicals.

A healthy skin biome helps protects us and helps us stay well by;

• Promoting smart healthy skin reaction to toxins and allergens
• Mounting a more accurate response to occasional skin inflammation.
• Enhancing the skin’s protective capabilities.
• Making the skin less fun for bugs to bite.

In addition oil massage supports lymph movement and detox. When you practice abhyanga or oil massage you put less toxins in and help move the ones you have out.  I call that a win win. Simple oil massage done regularly has been shown to improve our immune response to toxins stress and pathogens. Oil has a heavy quality which grounds, balances and support a strong container ready to face a fast paced world.

Why oil and not lotion? Oils are a natural substance, a healthy fat that the body can use directly. It is clean, unlike lotion (which can often contain preservatives and other ingredients that are foreign to the body and contribute to toxic build up).

Kick Hair Dye to the Curb

Go natural. Consider not coloring your hair. Over 70% of women color their hair, so this is a big one. Hair dye is full of toxins and you are applying it to your head where your brain and sense organs live.  Many women get rashes and headaches from the dye chemicals. This should send up a warning flag. Check this link for some more details on the chemicals in hair dye.

I dyed my hair for years, but when I got sick hair dye was one of the first toxic practices I kicked to the curb. My hair dresser argued with me, that I would look older and haggard, but I was committed to regaining wellness.  Funny, building wellness made my whole body, skin, hair and face look younger and more vibrant. It was liberating to stop. I love my salt and pepper locks.

Here is a lovely quote on gray hair.

“They’re not gray,” Mom barks at me as she opens her door. “They’re strands of glittery goodness.”

― Margaret McHeyzer, Dying Wish

It is okay to go gray!  Here is an article on ways to ease the transition to gray. Dying your hair is expensive, and time consuming. Many people color once a month for 30+ years.  This adds up to a lot of chemical exposure. If you have to be a redhead and nature gave you gray, go organic with dye and stretch out time between dye jobs. EWG has a listing for safer hair dyes. Check it out.

Feed Your Face Not Just Your Mouth

Buy face care cleansers, makeup, and lip balms with no petroleum based ingredients or parabens. There are food grade moisturizers and makeup available. For cleaner less toxic options stick with organic or go straight to organic food.

Try shea nut butter instead of petroleum jelly. Organic rose water makes a great toner. Apply foods like organic avocado to your face for moisture instead of chemicals. I don’t use many products now, I prefer organic foods.

Start your journey to kick toxins to the curb by applying healthy organic foods to your skin hair and face. This will lighten the load on your detox channel and your hair and skin will love you for it.

Do you have a favorite food based skin or hair care idea?  Please share in the comments below and help us all cut the chemicals in personal care and feed our body.