My Heal Your Life Coaching and Teaching Journey - so far..........

Louise Hay was an international, best-selling author, metaphysical lecturer and teacher. The book which brought her fame was  “You Can Heal Your Life”. She developed her philosophies into an accessible format which anyone can apply to their own lives. Louise helped people, worldwide, to discover and implement their own power for personal growth and healing. This simple, yet powerful, philosophy states that we are 100% responsible for our own experiences and that every thought we think creates our future. The point of power is in the present moment. Underlying this is the core belief that NO MATTER WHAT THE PROBLEM, LOVING YOURSELF IS PART OF THE SOLUTION.

I first became aware of Louise Hay’s work about twenty years ago when I, by chance, discovered her book. Something about it resonated with me. I think it was its uncluttered simplicity coupled with the profound, easily accessible philosophy. I began to put some of the ideas into practise in my own life and began to see small changes. I became interested in learning more so I signed up for a Weekend Transformational Workshop. This was an intense and truly life changing experience. I was able to go deep within and to start my own healing journey. I followed this up with a ten week study course which enabled me to continue to grow and develop. At that time, I remember thinking that I would love to be able to teach this work and bring it to others. I tried to make it part of my life and to live it for myself. I saw, and continue to see, many changes as a result of living this way.
I have always worked in education and over the years, while working with students, I was able to use much of what I had learnt. I came into contact with a lot of people who had mental health issues and, more recently, Aspberger Syndrome and I was able to share strategies and techniques with them.
In 2017, I had the opportunity to take the Heal Your Life® Teacher and Workshop Leader training and, twenty years to the month from my attendance on that first course, I qualified as a HYL teacher. In 2018, I did the advanced training and became a Coach. In January of this year, I took the step of giving up my employment as a specialist tutor to focus on my work as a Heal Your Life® Coach, Teacher and Workshop Leader.
In the past, I have always been employed by someone so, when I left the security of paid employment, I began to think about how I wanted to take my work forward and that’s where Link4Growth/Link4Business comes in! I realised that as well as wanting to set up a successful business, I wanted to be part of my community. I discovered our local group and went to a coffee event. The next thing I knew, I was part of the PHS group. I then developed a collaboration with another member, Caroline Byrne. Caroline is a Leith trained chef and nutritionist. We have joined forces to present an 8 week course, “Reframe Your Thinking for a Happier Healthier You”. This course incorporates Louise Hay philosophies and techniques for loving and accepting yourself. It supports participants to explore the underlying patterns  that have led them to overeat or gain weight and offers ways to examine and change old behaviours. Caroline teaches participants practical cooking skills for a healthier life. She includes ways to eat “smarter” and how to be mindful of what they eat.
In the future, alongside my other work,  I hope to be able to run some more groups and be involved in more collaborations.

I can offer a variety of small group workshops and can tailor them to meet the participants’ needs. Some of the topics I cover in workshops include;

• Building Your Self-Esteem
• First Steps to Loving Yourself
• Prosperity Consciousness
• Healing Your Heart After Loss
• Vision Boards and Intention
• Goddess Workshop – The Ageless Woman

• 2 day Weekend Transformational Workshop
• 10 week Study Course

• 8 week Reframe Your Thinking For A Happier Healthier You (in collaboration with Caroline Byrne)

All the workshops incorporate exercises that Louise Hay pioneered including mirror work, affirmations, forgiveness, inner child work, meditation and visualisation etc. There is space for group work, working alone sharing - and some fun! The workshop space is a safe one where participants are free to explore within and to share, learn and grow.

My coaching work employs the same philosophy and techniques as the workshops. Coaching allows a person to work one to one and to examine the areas where they feel stuck, blocked or lost. As a coach, I do not try to fix my clients, rather I listen deeply and compassionately, hear their story, ask questions and make suggestions. I will guide clients to include the HYL techniques and inner work into their lives and I support each individual to find balance and clarity on their own healing journey. It is a shared process between equals.

All Heal Your Life® work incorporates a non-denominational, spiritual aspect. It recognises that there is a universal power and an inner presence that supports us. We guide our clients to become aware of, and to access, the intuitive part of themselves. This type of work fits within most philosophies and belief systems.

If you would like to know more about either 1-1 Coaching or group workshops then please feel free to contact me.

The Importance of Not Being Right

I have been thinking about how divided we seem at the moment and how difficult it is to see a way forward. Most of us believe one thing or another and each and every one of us is convinced that we are right! We are so attached to being right that we can't hear what the other is saying. Our beliefs and ideas are fuelled, reinforced and entrenched by social media and those around us. We seek out ideas that chime with our own and everyone else is the enemy. Each person feels so strongly and isn't willing to discuss or compromise but, sooner or later, we will have to come together and continue to live and work alongside each other.

Wayne Dyer suggests that our attachment to being right stems from our ego and a fear of being wrong however, for us to be right, we have to make someone else be wrong. This then triggers their fear and leads to anger. Matters can quickly escalate with all parties holding on to their own righteous anger. So, how do we let go of the attachment to wanting to be right at all costs? Dr Dyer proposes that you reply, "you're right about that" to the other person. I find that quite difficult to do especially if I don't actually agree with them! In almost all cases though, I ask myself if it really matters that they have a different viewpoint to me and, it usually doesn't. I don't have to be right and it becomes easier to let it go and not feel anger. I am working on hearing what they have to say and keeping an open heart and mind. I try to reply with "that's an interesting point" or "tell me more". I don't have to agree with them but I don't have to put them into the wrong either. I can just walk away. I can also choose to positively support the things that I believe in rather than fighting others.

We are all human beings trying to find our way in the world. The information, people and attitudes we surround ourselves with subtly feed our beliefs. If we try to live with peace, compassion and understanding these will, in turn, flow from us and spread out into the world.

One Year On

This is a very personal post as it is a year today since my dad left the planet. He took his last breath at ten to six in the evening and slipped away from us in the way that he had lived, quietly and without much fuss but leaving a profound impact.

When you are in your fifties, a lot of your group have lost one, or both,  parents or have parents who are ill. You are certainly not unique in your loss but, at first, you feel like you are the only one. To paraphrase the great teacher, Juliet Vorster, grief is a dance. Sometimes it is a raging, angry pogo and, at other times, a gentle waltz. I believe that you can't refuse the dance or hide from it. It is necessary to accept and engage with the dance on offer. If you are angry and need to rage, scream or shout, that's okay. At other times, you might just want to drift slowly around with your thoughts, memories or tears. That's okay too. The most important thing is to remain present with your feelings, acknowledge them and let them pass. You can no more hold onto them than you hold onto the person who has passed. If you ignore the feelings or push them down they will keep on coming back, stronger, harder and more painful each time, until you deal with them. They are a tide, raging at first but eventually gently washing everything clean and moving along.

This doesn't mean that you forget your loved one. On the contrary, you start to see them clearly and remember them with love. Dad's physical form is gone from us forever and it is hard knowing that we will never see or hear him again. You miss the smallest and strangest things (hearing Elvis singing "How Great Thou Art" on the radio set me off the other day!) but his energy remains with me always. His influence is still with us every day.  We carry his mannerisms and humour and we see and hear ourselves doing and saying the things he did. This is a comfort and a source of happiness.

When the tide comes in now it brings memories and when it goes out it takes away sadness, leaving clear, sparkling water behind.

Dad's legacy is one of steady love and influence. He enjoyed life, fun, friendship and laughter. A year on and I am very grateful for that.

Sailing Into The Unknown

Sometimes it is hard to see the path in front of you. You may have an idea of where you want to be or what you want to to do but no idea of how to actually get there. This can be difficult and unsettling, particularly if, like me, you like to be in control of events! This is not always possible. We cannot control external influences but we can control how we respond to them. Things don't always seem to go our way and we can struggle against people and events or we can go with "the flow". That's not to say we have to put up with the unacceptable because we most certainly don't. In these situations, we must act with positive intention to keep ourselves safe. It is different however, if you don't like the direction of travel because you can't see where you are going or you are going in a different direction to the way you planned. In that case, try going with the flow and see where it takes you. Metaphors of rivers, the sea and water are often used and help to illustrate the point. In "Creative Visualisation" by Shakti Gawain, she suggests imagining life as a river. Many people cling to the bank and are afraid to let go. They spend their lives fighting against the flow. If you dare to let go and trust you will be carried safely,  you will see that you may meander along or sometimes you may go fast, sometimes in a straight line and sometimes on a winding route but you will eventually get to where you are going.

This is something I try to remember as I navigate the changes in my own life. It is not always easy and I sometimes have to take a breath and step back. I ask myself what I am fighting against or what am I afraid of? Sometimes it's just change itself or a fear of the unknown. I tell myself, "it is safe to go with the flow". I remind myself that no matter how turbulent the waters around me are, if I take control of myself and create inner calm then outer calm will follow and I am safe as I sail forward into the unknown.

Motion

I was struggling to think of something profound to write for my first ever blog post and I turned to my Earth Oracle cards for inspiration. The card that I drew was "Motion". As ever, this was very appropriate for where I am in my life.
Everything in the Universe is in constant motion. If you feel stuck in any way, it is worth looking at your limiting beliefs and examining what is holding you back. Is it guilt, fear, old beliefs or something else? Take some time to uncover your block. A shift in your thinking can release creativity, insight and confidence leading to the changes you desire. One step leads to the next but you must take the first step. Sometimes this is all the movement that is needed to set your goal or dream in motion.

This is easier said than done. I made a big change last January in order to work on my goal of being a coach and teacher. I have joined local community groups and met with other like-minded people. I am at the beginning of my journey and it can be difficult to see the outcome. It is important to hold faith with the vision and to believe that each small step is a movement in the direction you want to go. Everything is working out for the best and we only need to take one step at a time.