The capacity to effectively calm and clear stress as a coach, teacher, leader or healer might be one of the most important techniques you offer your clients so they can live and create from a space of calm in pursuit of achieving their goals.
But how do we go beyond mindset coaching techniques to calm stress? The answer lies in our bodies, our soma, and the power of somatic coaching techniques.
Let’s look at how stress impacts the nervous system, disrupts our calm and why it’s vital to clear stress somatically from the root so we can live in flow with life and achieve our goals and dreams.
When we experience stress, our bodies release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which activate the sympathetic nervous system response. While that’s super helpful in a short burst when we are in a dangerous situation, for many people, stress has become chronic.
Our nervous systems haven’t yet evolved to effectively distinguish between physical threats and emotional threats.
Emotional threats contribute most to our chronic stress.
The nerves or anxiety one can feel before teaching a masterclass or doing a presentation at work is the same unconscious threat to the nervous system as being chased by a lion or tiger.
Overtime, living in a state of chronic stress can lead to physical symptoms of:
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
- Exhaustion
- Fatigue
- Digestive Issues
Stress can also decrease our motivation, focus and productivity. It can be very hard to focus on achieving our goals and desires when we’re activated in a stress response!
Living in chronic stress can wreak havoc on our lives. However it is possible to clear, calm and release stress from the root so we can live from a baseline of calm and emotional stability.
The solvent to chronic stress? Body-based transformation through somatic coaching techniques so you can experience deeper levels of alignment, embodiment and freedom in your nervous system, coaching, business and life.
Explore these somatic practices in your own life, and/or with the clients you serve:
1. Breathing Techniques
Deep breathing can help to calm the nervous system and reduce stress.
Set a timer for three minutes, or turn on a song you love, and take slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Make the exhalation as long as the inhalation or even a little longer to make it most effective. This breathing technique is a great way to start a coaching session too so that your client is regulated and ready to get the most out of the session.
2. Mindful Movement
Incorporating movement into your daily routine can help reduce stress and improve focus.
Try stretching, yoga, or taking a walk to get your body moving. (Bonus points if you move in nature since being in nature also supports you in reducing stress and increasing clarity and focus!)
Don’t be afraid to coach in motion too. Coaching doesn’t have to happen in front of a computer screen sitting in a chair. I work with a client who walks as I coach her, and she feels like the coaching is more impactful for her that way. You can also invite your client to stand up or stretch during a session if they can and are open to it.
3. Body Scanning
Body scanning is a mindfulness practice that can help you become aware of physical sensations and reduce stress. Lie down or sit comfortably and focus on your breath, gradually scanning your body from your toes to the top of your head, noticing any areas of tension or discomfort.
Here are some somatic coaching questions you can incorporate into a body scan in your personal practice or when guiding a client:
What are you noticing right now?
What is your body trying to communicate to you?
Explore the sensation of ________________ in your body. What quality does it have?
Can you imagine a time in the future when your body is completely relaxed. Try to feel that in your body right now as you hold the vision of your body being totally relaxed. What are you noticing?
What else are you noticing?
4. Visualization
Visualization is a powerful tool for reducing stress and regulating the body's stress response. Try visualizing a peaceful, super calming scene, such as being on a glorious sand beach or in an expansive and enchanting forest. Imagine yourself becoming more relaxed and calm with each breath. Notice what shifts in your body after a few minutes of visualizing the peaceful scene.
By incorporating these somatic practices into your daily routine, you can:
- Help regulate your body's stress response
- Become more productive and focused
- Experience more joy
- Achieve your goals with greater ease
- Weave somatic practices intuitively into your coaching
- Provide your clients with deeper levels of transformation
By harnessing somatic techniques, you’re able to clear stress from the root, rebalance your nervous system, and embody your highest expression so you can achieve your goals and dreams with greater ease, flow and calm.
It’s coaching, evolved.
Ready to master your ‘calm’ and support your clients to do the same so you can achieve your goals in harmony with your nervous system?
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