What does a Feminine Embodiment Coaching Session look like?
A new friend asked me the other day what I coached women for.
This question always leads to a different answer for me. In part because what I help women with is so big and nuanced and in part because I am still in discovery of what is being received from the perspective of my clients.
The more clients I serve the more broadly my answer to this question “what do you coach women for” stretches, morphs, and evolves. Sometimes my answer is vague and sometimes it is very specific.
This was my answer that day
I told him I help women inhabit their bodies and experience pieces of themselves that they have in the past dissociated from. At first he didn’t understand. So I asked him
you know when you are angry, happy, sad, or ..etc right?
ya, he replied
ok, I said. Do you also know that there is a sensation( an internal felt sense) inside of your body that is directly linked to those feelings of angry, happy, sad, etc?
no, he replied
ok, I said. Well being able to grasp onto those sensations, follow them, and be with them are integral to inhabiting your body. That’s what I help women do in a coaching session.
Oh, he replied. I must be pretty dissociated
We went on to discuss what exactly happens in a coaching session with me.
Below is blow by blow account of what one could look like with you in the hot seat.
Before working together I will be sure to ask you if you are experiencing any known or diagnosed mental health conditions and/or on medication.
Why? I am not a therapist and I am not trauma centric. If you say yes to the above question it does not mean we can not work together, it only means we must further explore if you are in the right state to (a. explore your inner world and (b. move forward towards your desires
Whether we decide to meet in person or via zoom, before our meeting, you will have landed on a subject for our session. That can look like a desire you are aiming toward, a sticky situation you find yourself in, a problem you wish to dive deeper into, a pattern that keeps playing out, a boundary that is overstepped, etc. Come as you are, with whatever is going on in your life, all and everything is welcome.
When we meet, assuming it is our first time together, I will describe what this coaching is about. Here is a bit of what I may say
~this world moves very fast and so we are going to slow wayyyyy down. Safety is extremely important and we will only go as fast as your body allows
~this is a safe space to let down your guard and allow me to hold you and guide you into your body. This is your time to be vulnerable
~we will be contacting your IFS(internal felt sense). The primal texture of feelings, thoughts, emotions, energy, etc.
~as we contact the IFS I will be guiding you to deepen your experience and move into the sensation with your breath, your movement, your awareness, and your sound
~your IFS can be accessed from any of the bodies-physical(an itch), emotional(sadness), mental(a thought), energetic(high/low, connection to source)
~most of the time I will be offering you to have your eyes closed, shutting the outside world out, and turning the inner world up. I will be witness most of the time with my eyes open as it is very helpful to parrot your movement that sometimes you do not realize you are making
After the brief introduction we will both shut our eyes and settle into our bodies with a guided meditation/exploration
Coming out of the meditation/exploration we will set a goal for our time together and you are the creator. You decide what direction we will take
The next chunk of time will be spent exploring what your body has to say regarding the goal. This looks like your eyes closed, maybe you are making movements with your body, maybe you are making sounds, maybe you are using your breath. Anything is possible at this point and everything is welcome. I will be asking questions and gently guiding. Some women cry, laugh, scream, or get out of their seats and jump, shake, punch. Other women have very subtle movements and sounds.
This somatic process ends when you reach a state of flow( you gain clarity around the goal you set) or the time comes to a close. If you do not reach a state of flow, it does not mean you are wrong or broken, it simply means you are a highly complex being and we have more to explore.
I bring you gently back into our shared space for the final wrap up
We end the session with practical steps for moving your goal forward and any embodied resources you may require.
Fantastic! Right?
Every time I work with a woman and hear about her breakthroughs I am amazed and honored. I get just as much out of this coaching as you do.
This coaching is powerful.
Inhabiting your body is so so so important. Let me show you. Lets work together. Lets do this sister.
