Embrace Your Gifts and Soar!

Circles - Never Ending

How do you turn an ordinary white candle in a glass container into something special? By placing one of Stacy Will's mandala stickers on it! See more of Stacy's mandalas by visiting A Magic Mom  and her Mandalas.

Each woman in today's final Women's Coaching Circle received one of these candles. It's my way of telling them 'thank you' for showing up and sharing their hearts, wisdom and support to one another while participating in the Friday morning circle that met weekly over the past few months.   

I love circles. I love to sit in circles, I love to look at circles and I love the symbolism of the circle. What's your favorite symbol and why?

Blessings!

Beverly

Hello! I'm Cartwheels! What's Your Essence's Name?

Essence: the most significant element, quality, or aspect of a thing or person.

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Friday we had the best time in my women's coaching circle. After connecting to our hearts, we each adopted a name for the essence of our being. I offered the women in the group these questions to help them connect with the unique name of their essence.

Who does your heart want you to be next week?

What word, phrase, animal or object symbolizes who your heart wants you to be?

I named myself Cartwheels to represent my essence. Why Cartwheels? I see cartwheels as being fun, playful and joyful. They make me think of movement, adventure, risk taking, strength, and a willingness to look silly. Cartwheels offer me lots of points of view so they remind me to try on different perspectives and CHOOSE one that works for me.

I also like the open heart pose that comes with getting ready to do a cartwheel. Imagining that I am doing a cartwheel under the sun or in the rain connects me with the earth and my love of nature. Also, Cartwheels holds the intention that I will remain strong, flexible and physically fit. However, if I fail while doing a cartwheel, that is okay. I can just pick myself up, recover and go for it again.

I get very excited when I think about the possibility of doing cartwheels anywhere and everywhere! I can do them on the beach, indoors, in green luscious grass or while hiking on a mountain trail. Cartwheels makes me think of being big, versatile and expansive. Also, I love that a cartwheel is a circle since circles hold sacred meaning for me.

Another thing I love about naming my essence Cartwheels is that other people can do cartwheels with me. This means that cartwheels symbolize community, friendships, laughter and joyfully co-creating with others. Also, I can see myself wearing fun, bright colorful clothes while doing all kinds of cartwheels. Like snowflakes, every cartwheel is different and unique so I have lots of inspired actions and freshness around me.

Cartwheels demand that I take up lots of space so my big, bold self can be Free and Alive! This makes the little girl in ME and adult part of ME giggle with delight. I'm also glad that Cartwheels connects me with my breath as breathing deeply is essential to generating the energy I need to keep a cartwheel (and my life!) in motion.

I bet by now you think I am a pro at turning cartwheels. Here's the truth. I can not do a cartwheel! After trying many times when I was a little girl, I finally gave up and admitted defeat. So, another thing that Cartwheels brings to mind for me is doing things I formerly believed I could not do. Cartwheels turns the idea of defeat into an opportunity to create from all that is around me...even failure.

Wow! This essence name is loaded with meaning for me. Now, here is my challenge to myself. I am going to go outside and stand in my freshly mowed backyard and attempt to do a cartwheel. I'll have to drum up some courage for this one because I can't begin to remember how many years it has been since I've tried to do a cartwheel. The best thing about this is I know it's okay if I still can't do one. At least I will know I had the courage to try. (Of course, this brings the "ask for help" piece to mind too. No way I'm going to try to do a cartwheel all by myself! I'll have a spotter named Greg close by!)

What name would your give your essence? Please leave a comment and tell me. I'd love to hear what comes up for you around this question!

Blessings!

Beverly

Empowering Words

Here's a neat way to create and customize an empowering message for yourself.

I found these cardboard letters at Michaels and couldn't resist buying them even though I did not know what I would do with them. After a sudden jolt of inspiration, I used Elmer's Glitter Glue Pens to cover the surface of the letters. Next, I applied fun, positive words that I cut out of magazines.

I'm sure there are many other ways to decorate the letters and make them look great. The idea for jazzing up the letters popped into my mind when I made my latest vision board a few weeks ago. I wanted to include the word SOAR on my board in a big way. All it took was a little Elmer's glue to attach the letters to my sturdy vision board.

What is your favorite, empowering word? How would you decorate it?

Would you like to create your own vision board? Check the Embrace Your Gifts and Soar! website for upcoming dates. I offer collage circles almost every month.

Beverly

PS: Click here to read more about SOAR!

PPS: Only two days until the drawing for The Book of Druthers. Click here to see details.

What I Know About Women's Coaching Circles

"What's a Coaching Circle?" I hear that question a lot and sometimes I just want to say, "oh, it's a place where women can get a good dose of oxytocin and walk away feeling inspired, uplifted and motivated to make positive changes in their lives." (For more on oxytocin, see Women Need Women!)

Do you want more? Ok, here is what I know about my coaching circles. I create a space where a small group of women join together to support and inspire each other to move forward. We often have productive group conversations that allow women to be heard and seen in a setting that is safe and supportive. Occasionally we do fun activities that spark creativity or promote experiential learning. Other times, we focus on an empowering book.

As the leader of a coaching circle, I listen for coachable moments and toss out appropriate questions that deepen reflection, growth and learning. Guess what? I'm not the only one who tosses out powerful questions! The women in the group ask them too. Each woman is respectfully viewed as a participant AND leader in my coaching circles. The feeling of equality surely adds to the sacredness of the circle. 

Anything that serves one woman in the group serves everyone to some extent. We are all connected and we all experience similar challenges in life even though the challenges might show up in different forms. While the circle is supportive, this is not a place to come to "be fixed." Why? Because you are not viewed as broken. The circle is a place for you to get in touch with your inner wisdom. This happens because you are in the presence of other women who are also connecting with that sacred place inside themselves. Group energy is powerful! The benefits of a coaching circle last well beyond the two hours that you sit in the circle. Synchronicity and miracles multiply. Why? Because you are expecting them too! The circle promotes the perspective of unlimited possiblities!

Now, here is something you can't put a price tag on. One of the most satisfying parts of leading a coaching circle is witnessing the close friendships that women develop with each other. A women's coaching circle is a great way to meet new friends who are dedicated to living a life filled with meaning and joy. Some of the best friends I have are women that I have met in coaching circles. 

There you have it. This is what I know for sure about my women's coaching circles! Join us! You've got very little to lose and everything to gain. Why not go for it?

See a schedule of my latest women's coaching circles here.

Onward!

Beverly Keaton Smith, CPCC

PS: The above photo of a sacred women's circle was taken on August 6th, 2007 on the Gunnison River in Colorado while on a river retreat with Coach Helene Van Manen. That's me in the red pants!

The Retreat is Open!

If you prefer a chair, I'll get one for you but most of the time, we throw pillows on the floor and sit wherever we land around the sacred rug. I can't fill up this cozy meeting space with furniture. I dance and move my body in here! Oh, that's not all. I write, talk to myself, pray, relax, meditate and read in The Retreat. I adore sharing this sacred space with others too. This is the pefect place to meet with clients and host women's circles!

The Retreat is a small guest house that came with our main house. The front room is filled with wonderful windows and the view is heavenly! It is always a treat to see Blue Herons, White Herons, Canadian Geese. ducks and turtles playing in the pond. Pretty magical to watch the falling leaves from this spot too!

What's sacred in your life today?

(Learn more about the sacred life project by visiting Carla Blazek's blog.)

My Sacred Rug

Sacred Living - Day 2

Something so incredibly sacred about circles. That's why I knew this circle rug was meant for my sacred space. I sit on this rug to pray, meditate, drum and rest. Other times I dance, sing, give thanks or simply be on this rug. Women gather around this circle rug in my women's coaching circles too. This rug is packed full of sacred energy and I love, love, love starting my day within the space of this circle!

What's sacred in your life today?

 

Learn more about the sacred life project by visiting Carla Blazek's blog.

Blessing to you this week!

Beverly

PS: Next women's coaching circle begins in Clinton, MS on Sept 21 at 10:00 am. We will be playing with The Life Oganizer: A Woman's Guide to a Mindful Year by Jennifer Louden. Two spots left. Register now to save your spot. Only $65 to attend four weekly two hour sessions!

Women Need Women!

I remember being spellbound one evening as I watched a movie called Boys on the Side. Mary-Louise Parker, Whoopie Goldberg and Drew Barrymore give life to three characters who become unlikely friends due to unusual circumstances. At one point in the movie, Mary-Louise Parker (Robin) testifies in a court of law on behalf Drew Barrymore (Holly). During her testimony, she gives a compelling performance as she reflects about the deep bonding that occurs when women come together in friendship. She seems strangely mystified by the undeniable strength of female friendships and states that something magical happens when women form deep connections with other women.

This part of the movie stood out for me because I understood exactly what she was trying to say. There is something extraordinary that happens when I deeply connect with my female friends. I feel happier, lighter and connected to something bigger than myself. What a joy to discover that there is now a scientific explanation for a phenomenon that women have intuitively understood for centuries.

A study called "Female Response to Stress: Tend and Befriend, Not Fight or Flight" has shown that a hormone called oxytocin is stimulated in a woman’s body when she is in the presence of nurturing female friends. One of the researchers, Laura Cousin Klein, Ph.D, states that "...when the hormone oxytocin is released as part of the stress responses in a woman, it buffers the fight or flight response and encourages her to tend children and gather with other women instead. When she actually engages in this tending or befriending, studies suggest that more oxytocin in released, which further counters stress and produces a calming effect."

So listen up women! Make time for your girlfriends! If you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed or merely a little bored and unsettled, grab some of your female friends and hang out for a while. Go out for coffee, breakfast, lunch or gather at someone’s house. Interact with each other in a way that feels nurturing and satisfying. Create space in your life for female friends and experience bonus amounts of oxytocin. Encourage this feel good hormone to gently caress you with its soothing effects as often as you can.

For more details, see the article that I quoted from: UCLA Study on Friendship Among Women by Gale Berkowitz.

Onward!

Beverly

PS:

Lean into a nurturing environment with like-minded women in a healing circle. Make new friends, learn, grow and heal. Learn more at http://www.embraceyourgifts.com/2007/groups.html