…as she worked on her peace walk, it slowed her body, slowed her mind, she became intentional with her breath and more aware of her surroundings.

Dr. Moira Hanna

Introduction

I’m Dr. Moira and I’m a college professor, instructor, coach, and passionate mentor to health coaches around the world, but I haven’t always been that confident and committed to my coaching career. I wasn’t sure if I could make it work or even what the best approach was to success and fulfillment. I decided to step up and step into my dream of guiding health coaches on their journey from Hesitant Health Coach to Committed Health Coach. With a unique approach to coach growth, the Health Coach Catalyst program creates a strong hexagonal effect. The Coaching Hive podcast is your glimpse into the concepts, ideas, and approaches that underscore the Hexagonal Effect while giving you the opportunity to implement tools and tips along the way. Are you ready to dive into today’s podcast? Then let’s go and remember that this podcast is family friendly so go ahead and play it through your speakers!

Diving In

Welcome to Episode 12 of the Coaching Hive Podcast!

Over the last several weeks we have really dug into the concept of mindset and mindfulness. For our family and our business, the first part of 2021 has been busy and challenging. It has been our regular practice of mindfulness that has allowed us to persevere and take a time out when needed.

Today we are going to explore practicing mindfulness and I’ve even incorporated time for you to practice mindfulness. A time to pause from your busy schedule and sit in the silence.

The Topic

As a coach, business owner, or just human being, you likely know how easy it is to get into a go-go-go mode. We often hear ourselves saying, “my schedule is packed” or “my calendar is full,” but continue to add things to that packed schedule or full calendar. We form this habit of saying “yes” instead of saying “maybe” or “not right now”.

What I have discovered in practicing mindfulness is that I slow down, I’m more present, and almost by default more willing to say maybe or even no. I want to protect my ability to be fully present in each activity without worrying over the next thing on my schedule or what still needs to get done. I am by no means perfect at this, just ask my husband, but the days when I make mindfulness practice a priority, I am more engaged in the moment.

Being engaged in the moment also, happily, makes engaging with clients and quieting the inner noise when coaching much easier. It is easier to offer empathy and compassion. It is easier to step into the client’s shoes and see their perspective. It is also easier to protect ourselves from taking on the client’s emotions as our own. This allows us to be better coaches.

Now, I did not start with a formal mindfulness practice years ago, and if we are honest, I’m still not as regular about practicing mindfulness as I would like, but instead I started with something a little simpler.

A licensed social worker once explained to me the power of a peace walk. “Peace” as in p-e-a-c-e, peace. I was still in grad school, was constantly busy, was stressed, but I slowed down enough to listen to what she had to say. I was intrigued. Peace sounded nice right about then. So, what is a peace walk? She explained to me that she would go outside, or anywhere that she could walk and with one step breathe in. On the next step she would breathe out the word “peace”. She would whisper on her breath out. This served to do many things. She became aware of her pace. In order to breathe in with one step and out with the next, you have to slow down. By slowing down, she was slowing her whole body. By speaking the word p