[Daniel Brisbon]

Holy cow you guys! What a wonderful array of insights and perspectives being shared here on the first discussion question for this course! What I love about this question is that it is subjective and everyone may have a different answer, but at the same time there are so many commonalities from everyone! There really is no right or wrong answer to this question. It’s not black or white, this or that, but rather an infinite amount of possible answers. And already you are all seeing the uniqueness and sameness of your responses! I encourage you all to keep this intention flowing throughout the course of being open and honest to your own truth while also engaging with each other and what parts you might also share.

For me, Soul-Direction and Nature-Connection two interweaving modalities. Like Todd shared with his tree metaphor from Bill Plotkin, Soul-Direction is our roots. It’s planted and grounded inside of us. I also like to use the analogy of calling it our North Star. A fixed point that we can always rely on to guide us on our journey. And the Nature-Connection piece is how that journey or direction shows up in the real world. The way I connect with nature is a direct mirror to how I am connected to Soul. If I am disconnected with Soul then I can find it very difficult to connect with nature. It is almost like feedback to the quality of connection in my own life. Nature-Connection has an infinite amount of creative ways to show up, but one thing I have learned in my own journey is that nature connects with me as a container, teacher, metaphor and as a mirror. Nature holds the container of safety and curiosity when I am in it. Nature teaches me things and aspects of nature can be a direct metaphor to lessons or opportunities for growth that I may experience inside myself. And nature is a mirror. It meets me exactly where I am. Every time. No matter what.

[Daniel Brisbon]

It is so interesting and exciting to hear everyone’s experience with Objective Awareness during these 3 different scenarios. Each place offers it’s own unique opportunity and each experience is unique in what we take away and learn. I hear a great awareness in where the challenge may lie for each of you as you share in your posts and it is so wonderful to see how you are all responding when this happens. Being in a space of objective awareness and wide angle vision can require such focus and concentration that when there are shifts in baseline in our surroundings it can bring us back out of the present moment. I personally still experience these challenges as well when I am practicing this exercise and the most important thing I’ve learned is to use it all as fun learning opportunity. And that is what I am hearing from everyone! I look forward to reading more of your reflections and post!

[Daniel Brisbon]

So many great insights on the deepest part of the coaching process. The good ol’ Threshold experience. The idea of the 50/50 method, or as Sandy said “not too tight, not too loose”, is such a crucial mindset and intention to practice in this space. I also like to call it the “Sweet Spot”. And how this sweet spot looks for you as coaches is unique to you. And how that shows up inside of your clients is also unique to each client and where they are in their conscious exploration. The ICF Core Competency guidelines for Coaching Presence and Deep Listening have great context to how to show up in this space, but exploring what this “sweet spot” looks like and feels like inside of you is part of the journey through the NCC program.

I look forward to witnessing and hearing about your experiences in the Threshold as both coaches and clients. This is where transformation happens. The conscious dive into a new way of being. And you have all shown great wisdom and enthusiasm for stepping into this space as Nature Connected coaches.

[Daniel Brisbon]

Relaxing into the “not knowing”. What a wonderful and challenging intention to set for yourself and your journey on this planet. To keep going back to that way of relaxing when stepping into the unknown is almost completely counter intuitive to what our body and nervous system want to do in that space. Which is why having such a clear focus and intention is paramount on this journey towards growth, transformation and connection.

I would be curious to know WHAT you would feel when you are relaxed into the not knowing? What do you feel when you tell yourself that everything you will ever need is right here and right now? And when you define this feeling, or way of being that you are seeking to align with in this work, what does it tell you for the HOW part? How can you walk and move in a way that we are all connected and belong to each other? When the WHAT is defined, the HOW will show itself to you.

[Daniel Brisbon]

Surrender (letting go, releasing), slowing down and somatic alignment/attunement all sound like deep and pivotal resources in your connection to Soul. And these are all essential pieces toward strengthening that bond and connection to Vision and Soul. So I’m gonna just assume that the 7 Breaths and 7 Stairs have been helpful tools/exercises to guide you toward tuning in more deeply to the body and “slowing down” throughout the day. In a fast paced world it can be very challenging to slow down and move at the speed of nature and your natural self. And that is part of this journey, to constantly and consistently tune back into Vision and Soul everyday and when you notice yourself “veering off course”.

And thank you for also sharing how this ties into your relationship and fear of death. And it sounds like you have become more aware of this relationship. My only question for you is, how can you take this awareness of fear of death a step further? And what I mean by that is how can you start to redefine your relationship and experience with fear. In all aspects that it shows up. Fear of death is very real and apparent, but what about the smaller and less significant areas that fear shows up? How can you recreate your relationship with fear as a “whole”? And by using your new perspective of “fear of death” as context.

[Daniel Brisbon]

Gina, what a wonderful example of sharing your experience of awareness inside of your life. And how reframing your perspective and listening to your Council and Soul has shown the answers to living from your Soul-directed place. I hope everyone has a chance to read your post and see how these practices can transform in wonderful and unique ways! Thank you so much for sharing.

[Daniel Brisbon]

Cate, thank you so much for sharing your insights on living in balance with the masculine and feminine. The dance between the two and finding the balance in our own personal lives can be a life long journey, but it is why we are here as well. To embody that way of being in our own unique way. I would love to hear some examples/experiences of being in that space of listening and receptivity. Being patient and present. What have you noticed in that space? What did it teach you?

I’m sure your stories will be a great help and guidance for your classmates as well and I would enjoy it too! Look forward to hearing more from you!

[Daniel Brisbon]

Todd,

Thanks so much for sharing your perspective and insights on this question. I hear a lot of passion and desire and at the same time the need to be grounded and present. It almost sounds like the vision that you are aware of inside of you (Rites of Passage, Vision Quests etc.) is like the 30,000 foot view looking down at the earth below. And you are aware of this. And you are also aware that there needs to be a focus on the here and now. Down at ground level. Taking care of your family and responsibilities for example.

So how can these two dynamics work with each other? What can you do now to honor the 30,000 foot vision while also being focused and present on who and what needs you now?

And it sounds like you’ve thought about that and have seen what you can accomplish! Focusing on who you need to BE, not just on what you need to DO. Sharing and communicating these values with your family so that they understand and can share this vision with you. And taking material from this course to plot your path forward so that it is clear and understood. This is a great example of need versus want and how they can potentially work in alignment with one another. I look forward to hearing more about the connections you make on how both the vision of your future and the vision of now can compliment each other and work together!

[Daniel Brisbon]

Hey Rhonda! To answer your question (for you and everyone else that is curious) about the 7 Breaths exercise, the intention is to become more deeply aware of what you are feeling in the body and nervous system. “What am I feeling” leads us into deeper inquiry of how we are holding emotion in the body. For example, I practiced this exercise this morning while in a state of mild overwhelm, the flow went like this:

Deep breath in and then hold it. What am I feeling? Exhale:
1. Tense
2. Hot
3. Tired
4. Awake/Alert
5. Relaxed
6. Grounded
7. Peace

As you see from this I noticed that in a state of mild overwhelm my body and nervous system felt tense. As I took the next deep breath I noticed I also felt a bit hot and a little clammy on the skin. With the next breath I noticed I was feeling tired and lethargic. As I took the next big deep breath I noticed a sudden shift in my internal state. I went from tired to awake in one breath cycle. (This is also due to the fact that I have practiced these awareness exercises for quite some time and have trained my body and mind to shift my internal state.) After that moment with each surrender breath, I noticed my body relaxing and feeling more present and grounded. By the end of the 7th breath I was noticing that my body and mind was now feeling peace and I was then ready to start my day.

The intention is to notice sensations in the body and nervous system rather than your current emotional state. But it is designed to become more acutely aware of your current emotional state by becoming very attuned to what you are feeling in the body. Emotions are energy and they sit in our body in different and unique ways from each other. It can be difficult to understand and know exactly “How you are feeling” in the moment, but by understanding “What you are feeling” you can start to create a deeper connection and understanding of your current mental and emotional state.

And this is the purpose for the 7 Breaths exercise. You don’t always have to use physical sensations, as I used peace for my last word, but the ideal is for you to become more deeply attuned to your mental, emotional and physical state. I hope this helps and brings some clarity to this exercise!

[Daniel Brisbon]

Jackie thank you so much for everything you shared with us. I am so glad you are on this course and have the chance to share your insights and reflections. Nature is such a powerful and healing container when it comes to living with trauma and grief. Nature can take whatever is going on inside of us and be just fine. It even invites us to bring our highs and lows onto the land. It’s almost as if nature wants us to bring our full, true selves to the experience when we are truly present and grounded in the connected experience.

I look forward to hearing and reading more about what you have to share!

[Daniel Brisbon]

Silvia, you write your thoughts and experiences so well! And in such a wonderful place! I have never been to the Dolomites, but I have seen many pictures of the area and have several friends who have visited that part of Italy and experienced the grand scenery and serene outdoors. Your insights are so true and I really felt that deep understanding of the fact that nature is a place where you are able to drop in and embody your flow state. And that is so needed in today’s world! We can only access that flow when we are in deep connection within ourselves and the outside world.

I am also bummed out to hear that you won’t be able to participate in the live webinars, but I look forward to reading your reflections and insights throughout the program!

[Daniel Brisbon]

Kimberly, thank you for the well written insight. It is very apparent that you have been engaging in these practices and awarenesses for quite some time! Just like Amanda, you share your awareness from when you were a child to how you are now currently impacted by your time in nature compared to the rest of your day and life. Nature has a baseline. And when we attune to that baseline then things start to shift within us. And your awareness of being like the fast moving hummingbird or the easily distracted crow shows that you are acutely aware of these changes within you.

So what is the animal or archetype that represents being still and grounded? What aspect(s) of nature embody this way of being?

And how can you start becoming that nature-connected part of you in all areas of your life? Conceptualizing and experiencing what it means to be nature-connected is one thing, embodying it something else. And that’s why we are here in this course! How do we take nature-connection and apply it to all facets of our lives?!

What does that look like and feel like?

For me personally, I always enjoy visualizing the life and habits of the trees. They are the most still and grounded part of nature that I know of. And when the winds come, what do they do? They flow and dance with it. They are not rigid or frantic. They are grounded and present with the challenge (aka the wind). This visualization reminds me of how I need to be when I experience the need to do a million things at once. And to prioritize my day with what matters most and take each step one moment at a time. Sometimes being the hummingbird is what needed, but so is being the majestic tree.

Thanks for everything you shared!

[Daniel Brisbon]

Wonderful reflection Amanda. What I really noticed from what you shared from your reflection wasn’t just your awareness when you feel disconnected to nature, but the fact that nature is always ready and waiting for you to re-connect. The birds and animals can be impactful triggers for us to come back into the present moment.

But isn’t it great that nature is never disconnected from us?

It is only when we become present and grounded that we can connect to it. And nature is always there waiting for us to return back to the present moment. It never takes a break from being ready to connect to us.

[Daniel Brisbon]

David, it sounds like you are getting a first hand experience of becoming aware of the old patterns or channels while also consciously working on empowering these new patterns. Just like the metaphor of a river creating a channel through the canyon it can take time, energy and focus to re-route those old river channels towards these new ones that align with your vision. That is how our brain works and how these nature-connected mindfulness practices that we have covered are coming up for you! That is why we explore things like intention setting, Sit Spot, and Partswork so that you can empower yourself to step into this deeper connection to Soul-Directed living. I am excited to hear what shifts for you as you spend more conscious time sitting in this space. And the more time and focus through consistency then the easier it is for the energy inside yourself to flow down that new channel. Thanks for sharing what you have noticed and that you are committed to staying focused on this work!

[Daniel Brisbon]

Lisa, sounds like your Threshold experiences as a client gave great insight into the different ways that Coaching Presence and Deep Listening can show up in context to a coaching session. And that these Core Competencies don’t look the same every time. They can be utilized and show up differently. These Core Competencies are not fixed to a specific ideal or use. And as you shared the different styles of use of these Core Competencies can be equally impactful. It’s more important to know what is needed most in the moment for the client. And that is Coaching Presence at it’s finest. That wisdom and awareness of showing up and meeting your client where they are is Coaching Presence at it’s finest! Being aware in the present moment of what is needed, or NOT needed as well, from you is the sign of great Coaching Presence and it sounds like this cohort is already making strides toward this! Woot woot!