Archives for Mar,2021

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Would you like to Facilitate Transformation in Others?

Coaching With Spirit is our most popular non-academic program and many of our students have been attracted to this Certification in addition to their graduate education.

Do you believe that coaches are here to heal the world, to help end suffering, to bring the light of love to others? The creator of our Coaching with Spirit (CWS), Guthrie Sayen, would say so and he adds, “To do that, we must heal ourselves. We must come home to ourselves, so we can help others make the same journey home. We are bearers of light.”  

“The road to mastery leads through the temple of your own heart. Your heart contains every treasure you are looking for. When you uncover your own light, you can help others uncover theirs.”

Would you like to Facilitate Transformation in Others?

We asked Guthrie, “What have you learned about yourself while teaching Coaching With Spirit?” 

We are attaching some of his words of wisdom below as well as his recent video interview – if you would like to experience the depth of conversation which is waiting for you tonight!
We often think that our pain comes from our circumstances: our job, our finances, our partner, our lack of a partner, our overloaded schedules, our childhood wounds. Whatever it is, it seems to stand in the way of our happiness and to prevent us from answering our deeper calling.

Here’s the paradox. The circumstance we most want to change or remove is the doorway to the treasures we seek. Pain is the portal to self-acceptance, a self-acceptance that is so deep that it transforms how we relate to ourselves, to others, to the source of all life and love.

You arrived here because you are called. Your calling shows up as curiosity, confusion, or discomfort. Your discomfort or pain—sometimes in the background, sometimes in the foreground—is a gift. Your pain is your bridge from where you are to where you long to be.

One way to cross the bridge is to go on the inner journey of self-acceptance. Do you want to learn more about this journey?

Another way to cross the bridge is to find your soul’s purpose, that is, your deepest calling, the reason you were born. Do you want to find your soul’s purpose?

Finally, you may be a coach who wants to cross the bridge into full mastery of your unique set of gifts. Do you want to go deeper in your own process so that you take your clients deeper? Do you feel called to bring more light into the world through coaching?

Guthrie Sayen PhD PCC

Presenter:

Guthrie Sayen created and leads Coaching With Spirit, the ICF-accredited coach-training program offered through The Graduate Institute; he also creates and leads advanced training programs for coaches and faculty at Leadership That Works, an ICF-accredited coaching school; and he co-created and offered advanced training for coaches at the True Purpose Institute, dedicated to serving change agents, messengers, and visionaries. Guthrie mentors coaches at all levels of their careers from beginners to seasoned masters. In his private practice, he works with wounded healers, helping them do for themselves what they are called to do for others. He also helps seekers come into the presence of the Divine so that they can live their soul’s purpose. His mission is to end suffering on this planet. His website is www.BridgetotheDivine.com.

 

Do you ever ask yourself: why can’t I do for myself what I am doing for my clients?

Coaches often harbor a secret sense of not being good enough. Few things are more painful than being called and feeling that you are falling short at your calling.

Your pain is the hidden door into who you are and what you are most skilled at doing for others. This is true no matter where you are in your career, whether you are a coach in training or a competent coach moving into mastery or a master coach moving into artistry.

We often think that our pain comes from our circumstances: our job, our finances, our partner, our lack of a partner, our overloaded schedules, our childhood wounds. Whatever it is, it seems to stand in the way of our happiness and to prevent us from answering our deeper calling.

Here’s the paradox. The circumstance we most want to change or remove is the doorway to the treasures we seek. Pain is the portal to self-acceptance, a self-acceptance that is so deep that it transforms how we relate to ourselves, to others, to the source of all life and love.

Coaches are here to heal the world, to end suffering, to bring the light of love to others. To do that, we must heal ourselves. We must come home to ourselves, so we can help others make the same journey home. We are bearers of light. We are technicians of the sacred.  

The road to mastery leads through the temple of your own heart. Your heart contains every treasure you are looking for. When you uncover your own light, you can help others uncover theirs.

You arrived here because you are called. Your calling shows up as curiosity, confusion, or discomfort. Your discomfort or pain—sometimes in the background, sometimes in the foreground—is a gift. Your pain is your bridge from where you are to where you long to be.

One way to cross the bridge is to go on the inner journey of self-acceptance. Do you want to learn more about this journey?

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Mindful Engagement Online: Avoiding Virtual Exhaustion & Burnout

Mindful Engagement Online: Avoiding Virtual Exhaustion and Burnout

“Burnout is what happens when we ignore the soul whispering against an unhealthy job or relationship.”

—Dina Glouberman, PhD, Psychotherapist and Author

Lately, I’ve noticed the way extensive Zoom calls have been zapping my energy and spirit, and I am experiencing an unhealthy relationship with my computer. So when asked to write an article about virtual exhaustion, I realized I’m not the only one.

But how do you function in a pandemic without the internet?

It feels unnatural for a human being to sit in front of a screen and be “on” for hours.

Indeed, the psychological consequences of “Zoom fatigue” are so widespread, they are now being studied at Stanford University. This month, Professor Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab, published the first peer-reviewed article on the subject.

Bailenson’s study systematically deconstructs “Zoom fatigue” from a psychological standpoint and identifies four reasons why it happens, along with suggestions to help relieve the stress.

Four basic reasons for Zoom fatigue and exhaustion:

  1. Excessive amounts of close-up eye contact
  2. Seeing yourself during video chats
  3. Limited physical mobility
  4. Increase in cognitive load (trying to read and give gestures)

Bailenson’s suggested solutions for Zoom exhaustion and burnout:

  1. Reduce the face size of participants by shifting out of full screen mode and increase the space between yourself and the monitor,
  2. Use “hide self-view” button,
  3. Adjust your camera so you can pace or doodle in a virtual meeting and turn off video periodically,
  4. Take “audio only” breaks and turn the body away from screen occasionally so you aren’t bombarded by the gestures of others.

mindfulness -exhaustion Zoom v

Our Eyes Are Zoom Fatigued

Focusing the eyes in one spot all day can affect our vision. Computer Vision Syndrome was explored by California optometrist, Jeffrey Anshel. He developed a way to relieve computer eye strain called the 20-20-20 rule published in Optometry Times. (This can also be a way to connect and recharge with nature.)

Every 20 minutes, refocus the eyes to something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

 

Avoiding Burnout through Mindfulness:

Invite Mindfulness Online

From a mindfulness perspective, we can cultivate an online practice to notice what is happening inside our minds, bodies, and hearts. It begins with recognizing our relationship to our computer and workspace. Is it difficult or comfortable; hostile or nurturing?”

“Set peace of mind as your highest goal and organize your life around it.”

—Brian Tracy

The moment we notice that we’re lost in a mindless online vortex, we become present. This simple shift opens space to recognize the level of fatigue in the body and spirit.

Becoming aware of the effects of virtual exhaustion and taking steps to nurture ourselves can shift the relationship with technology and invite a renewed feeling of empowerment and ease.

In any moment, we can gently check in:

  • Is it necessary to be online?
  • What is my energy level?
  • How does my body feel?
  • What am I participating with?

Similar to the way mind chatter unconsciously controls mood and behavior, mindless use of technology can become habituated and addictive. Without noticing, we become drained, disconnected, and unaware of this unhealthy pattern.

Many of us feel like we’re at the mercy of our virtual lives, but with some nonjudgmental, open-hearted awareness, we can begin to shift our relationship with technology and experiment with new ways of nurturing mind, body, and spirit, opening space and relieving exhaustion.

 

“Awareness is the greatest agent for change.”

—Eckhart Tolle

 

MIndfulness Teacher

Blog is written by Kimberly Ruggiero.

Kimberly Ruggiero is a long time meditator. She works as a transformational coach and artist. She has a BS in Chemistry, MA in Consciousness Studies and studied at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Art. Kim has training in MBSR and is certified through the Engaged Mindfulness Institute. She works as a Program Coordinator in Integrative Health and Healing and facilitates a Mindfulness Meditation Group at TGI –  every Tuesday evening online –  https://learn.edu/events/

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