Five Steps to Transformative Training
I never imagined that one day I’d be training and coaching online. Until six months ago there was no compelling reason to not see clients in person. I admit to being slow in embracing technology but think that my main hesitation with online training has been that I’ve doubted its efficacy. When coaching and training I’m constantly sensing the whole person- physically, emotionally, and energetically. Given that, I just couldn’t grasp that training from afar on a little screen had much potential. Turns out that I was mostly wrong. While nothing compares to the experience of being in person with someone, training via FaceTime and Zoom works surprisingly well.
Recently I upgraded and updated my website.
Even though someone else did the technical work, the process was still a challenge for me. Probably so because it required a rethink and perhaps a honing of my purpose, goals, and mission. This reflection primarily elicited gratitude for being immersed in a field that suits me, that still challenges and sparks creativity, and where I’m honored to share the wellness path of many amazing people. I’d like to both extend my appreciation to my clients for their continued trust in me as we have moved together into a new training venue. I would also like to offer to my readers the latest version of my coaching, training, and life philosophy.
My mission is to help clients create the specific lifestyle that will lead them to sustainable fitness. That means to guide them toward healthy disciplines that they can maintain and eventually enjoy. Expecting to experience the latter right away and to always feel motivated is simply unrealistic. I believe that the right guidance can help build the momentum that is a prerequisite to becoming more consistently motivated. This is where professional training and coaching can make the difference.
The foundation of my training/coaching approach rests on two basic tenets. The first is to honor the individuality of each client as well as our collaborative relationship.The second is to mindfully consider the wholeness of each person from a body-mind-spirit perspective.
Using a holistic multi-pronged approach, one-to-one sessions can rapidly initiate movement towards sustainable fitness.
This is accomplished by sessions that: 1) Appreciate each person’s uniqueness. 2) Shed light on obstacles. 3) Test out various solutions. 4) Provide needed support.
Finding the right fitness path can be complicated, especially when there is a mega ton of fitness and diet information to sift through and attempt to verify. Whether you choose to engage a coach and or trainer, or to go it solo, these following training principles can inspire and guide your path to wellness.
Five Steps to Transformative Training
1. Keep the focus on Balanced Wellness. I subscribe to a yoga-based, moderation in all things approach. Yoga is both fitness and a set of guiding and self honoring principles that together are an antidote to getting sucked in by the false promises of most, “get fit quick” programs that lead people toward poorer rather than greater health.
2. Accept a never-ending Organic “Practice”. That means to help you along your path by encouraging positive actions that include showing up, slowing down, doing your best, being willing to experiment, and most importantly, to start over as needed and to learn and grow from challenges.
3. Strengthen what’s weak and open what’s tight. This corrective exercise method requires an assessment and a series of specific stretches and exercises. When this common sense approach is not followed, the most well intended fitness plan can exacerbate current imbalances.
4. Make every exercise a posture maker! In our prevalent computer and convenience age, posture related issues abound. Proper training can alleviate rounded shoulders and tilted pelvises but it requires diligently maintaining alignment from start to finish through each exercise. This is about subtracting brute strength and adding posture consciousness when performing ALL yoga postures and strength, body weight, and core exercises.
5. Distinguish fitness fact from fitness fiction. We all know that fast fitness concepts, supplements, and programs can be alluring, and that doing healthy disciplines day in and day out is damn challenging. I can tell you from spending 30 years in the fitness realm that there are no short cuts to true health, only wise paths. These necessarily slower paths that are based on balance and moderation need not be boring. They actually allow for more choice and freedom along the way and hence are more likely to endure. So lower your expectations, slow down, do your best, and enjoy your fitness path.
Namaste, Shannon
