I am writing this post from my home in Franklin, TN after spending three weeks in Croatia. I had a nice trip back – with a stop in Atlanta to hug my son Blais and meet some of his new college friends.
The flight was long and crowded, my luggage got delayed for two days, it took me longer than usual to get over jet lag, and I feel most grateful for the tools I learned through my Wellness Coaching training – especially the practice of making space for Silence (aka having a consistent meditation practice).
In Croatia, I got to perform with some of the region’s top musicians, and I got to spend time with a few artists who live such beautiful lives – peaceful, fulfilling, and with a lot of room for creativity and that slow process of allowing inspiration to become music and story…
They moved me to the core, stirring new depths of emotion and renewing my courage to keep expanding in love.
On the other hand, I noticed the constant noise that those who aren’t comfortable with silence create – which then adds to the anxiety, stress, and even hurt. There were a few situations in which I couldn’t answer the question I was asked without being interrupted. Lol. Once, I even stopped the conversation and asked them if anyone was really interested in hearing my answer, or if they asked me only to hear themselves speak. lol.
But I understand…
People are uncomfortable with silence and all that silence brings – the possibility that someone else has something to say that may hurt us (hurt our ego); the awareness of how we feel in our bodies and in our hearts; and the emotions that we suppress or try to ignore.
In the quiet, we begin to hear our thoughts louder than the noise around us, and we get a chance to notice how our thoughts make us feel.
For example, if someone interrupts us, we may think ‘how rude of them’ and feel ignored, disrespected, or angry. Without noticing or processing what happened, we end up holding onto that emotion and carrying it around until it bursts out in a situation completely unrelated to it. We may yell at our kids for closing the door too loudly or leaving a pair of socks on the floor when we could have just asked them nicely.
When we spend time in silence (in practicing meditation), we become able to create tiny pockets of quiet where we can notice what we think. When we get interrupted, we know to pause, notice our thoughts, and choose to think ‘I’m curious what’s behind their need to interrupt’ or ‘It’s ok if they aren’t interested in what I have to say. I’m not going to take that personally’ instead of reacting emotionally. This then creates space for us to notice how we feel and enables us to process our emotions.
Practicing meditation – and spending time in silence over the past 13 years, has been the most powerful gift.
It’s why I was able to be present during my trip, enjoy it, and give my best – through many meetings, media appearances, and performances. Even though I had an intense schedule, because of this practice, I was able to stay balanced and give my body/mind the rest it needed to function properly (even if I only had small pockets of time to rest).
And yes, a part of the balance is to come back home and enjoy the peace before I go back out to work.
This experience has been so powerful, and I am even more motivated to offer it as a Wellness Coach!
Currently, I’m working on two different courses – one that I facilitate as a trainer for Wellness Coaches at the program accredited by the International Coaches Federation, and one that I am taking at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Chopra Center that will prepare me to sit for the exam with the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches.
I even got invited to make a presentation for the International Coaching Federation titled “How Music Enhances Core Competencies in Coaching” on November 15! This is a huge honor for me…
If you – or someone you know – are interested in Wellness Coaching (as a client or a coach), sign up for my email list – I send links with more information each Saturday morning.
Until then, enjoy some peace and quiet. Watch the leaves fall gently to the ground and just observe – without judgment or analyzing.
And join us for meditation each weekday at 7:30 a.m. – a great way to develop a practice!