On wobbles, restoring balance and the power of Nature

I hope this update finds you and your loved ones well and you are enjoying a soft transition into Autumn.

As I’ve been guiding a couple of treks over the last few weeks, I’ve certainly noticed a marked change in rhythm and temperature in Nature. I was also — not for the first time — made aware of the balance we do or do not experience in life.

For example …

What causes our wobbles

Have you ever noticed how, when you’re feeling very stressed, you often also feel off-balance? Ever tried the yoga tree pose when you feel like that? It’s hard, isn’t it?

I happened to be walking close behind one of the guests I was guiding on a recent trek. We were walking along a mountain trail with a rather steep drop off to one side when I saw them lose their balance. Instinctively I grabbed their backpack and steadied them.

We stopped to catch our breath and when I asked if they were all right, they said, “No, not really. I’m so in my head. I keep turning over old stuff from work and home. I don’t feel stable at all.”

Just like it can be a challenge to perform a stable tree pose when you feel off-balance, in that state of mind walking a narrow mountain trail with a drop off to the side is a challenge too.

Instead of simply continuing as if nothing had happened, we spent time talking about what had caused them to wobble. The simple act of speaking their stress almost immediately restored some of their balance.

When they felt stable enough we continued along the trail at a pace comfortable to them.

As they focused on their body and how they moved through the landscape, they were able to slowly drop out of their head and into their body; growing more stable with every step.

Of course, there is more to reducing (mental) stress than restoring physical balance. It is however a major step in the right direction.

Restoring my own balance

I was reminded of this episode last week when — on two separate occasions — I had a hard time myself while going up a mountain. It wasn’t until something a recent podcast guest said, that I realized why I was having such a hard time.

When talking about her extensive experience as an outdoor instructor she said:

“The people who are struggling on a hike often have a lot going on in their lives.”

You’d think as someone who makes these kinds of connections when working with others, I’d make them for myself as well.

But being in the middle of it I needed someone else to help me see it. Only then could I start to really explore what was going on for me.

Have you ever found yourself in such a position? Perhaps find yourself in one like it right now?

DM me when you could do with someone who helps you see what is going on for you.

Discovering the power of Nature

In episode #26 Jennifer Wills, a former attorney for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, of J Wills Coaching discovered the power of Nature in coaching,. That’s when she became an ambassador for it. She loves taking people outdoors for coaching sessions so they can experience nature in this way.

Nature is her coaching partner. She developed a process called Nature Roaming™, during which she takes individuals and groups into nature to reflect on an intention, connect with nature and themselves, and devise a plan to grow from the experience.

That’s it for now.

Wishing you a beautiful and healthy transition into Autumn.

As always …

Go dare greatly!

— Gerdi