August 2017: How Comfortable Are You with Change?

One of the best times in my life was when I was a member of Freeplay Dance Crew – a fabulous group of men and women who loved to dance for the sake of dancing. We often described ourselves as “professionals who dance” rather than professional dancers! I had been with the company for about four years when we decided to take on creating a full-length show complete with costumes, lighting, and collaboration with another great dance company, Prince On Point. Little did we know what we had in store!! One day, the director called us all to circle up before rehearsal and gave us some news – we would be dancing the entire show barefooted. Um, say what? We’re a hip hop crew – ya know, chucks, sneakers – that barefoot stuff is for those contemporary dancer type folks! There were immediate protests (yes, yes I was one of the loudest to voice my objections). How can we do that? Our feet are going to bleed! I have ugly toes – I don’t want the world to see them! (yes, we also had grandiose ideas as to how many people would see our performance). I wonder if our director knew the storm that he’d face in asking us to make this change? Did he anticipate all of the emotions that would rise from him asking us to try on this approach to dancing that was new, uncomfortable, scary, and felt really risky? In the end, he won – I mean, he was the director, the leader, our guide – and so we gave up our protests and trusted in him and his vision, knowing he must be able to see something that we couldn't yet. Now that doesn’t mean we didn’t whine during rehearsals from time to time, or sneakily make faces at him when his back was turned – but we worked together, we supported and encouraged each other, and the end result was – well, beautiful. It’s not lost on me the significance that the title of the show was Re/Genesis – a new beginning! You can check it out here: Re/Genesis : an exploration of spirituality through dance To this day, that performance is one that I hold most dear to my heart, because it taught me something that I try to keep in mind every day when I work with my clients as their guide – sometimes, what I’m asking them to do feels like dancing with no shoes on. Some days, when I say, “Trust me, this will work, just try” – I know there are doubts and fears that immediately come up. Change can be uncomfortable. Change can seem like a daunting task or even a trick. A risk. An exposure. But remember – on the other side of change and discomfort is something beautiful, a new creation, a new life – knowing something about yourself that you never thought, doing something that you imagined to be impossible, a life you might have thought unattainable. Today – even if it feels uncomfortable – I invite you to dance with your shoes off and see what happens! And if I can be of a support to – if you’re looking for a “director” to guide your dance, please don’t hesitate to apply for a Discover Your Genuine Self Session. To change,   Watch Brene Brown break it down when it comes to identifying who doesn't deserve your story. Read this article to learn more about the science of breaking out of the comfort zone. What is one thing you can do to get out of your comfort zone and create something beautiful today?

BOOK OF THE MONTH   60 Second Self-Starter by Jeff Davidson     "With sixty simple, immediate techniques, he shows you how to get your workplace organized, streamline your workday, and boost your productivity and job satisfaction." READ MORE HERE!   UPCOMING EVENTS   If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, you don't want to miss this! I believe that as women we are born to create the waves of change that are so needed right now ... and you deserve full support to do this work you so love. So, we have co-created a fantastic urban retreat to Nourish you, and YOU are invited to join us for this very special event: RISE UP PRIESTESS CONFERENCE, 2 Day Women's Spirituality Gathering for women healers, leaders, priestesses, facilitators, and coaches. August 19th-20th (Berkeley, CA). Now more than ever, our feminine culture is at a profound crossroads. These past many years have skewed our sense of connection with our divine feminine and women’s community as the passports to our deepest collective dreams. Women are RE-emerging to Claim our roles as matriarchs and visionary leaders of our communities, and our culture. As this emergence continues, there is a growing need for women healers and leaders to receive support - so that we can fully share our wisdom and gifts AND live fulfilling and prosperous lives. I'm so excited to be presenting at workshop at the retreat and hope to see you there!   LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE!   July's Theme: Shame As survivors of childhood abuse, one of the most persistent and pervasive feelings we experience is shame. It affects our sense of self, our inner emotional lives, our relationships, and more. Learn More & Register Here

July 2017: Are you ready for some independence?

Today is one of my "favoritest" days of all. 4th of July!! Ever since I can remember, this holiday has been a special one for me. I grew up in a small town called Bartlesville - at least it felt like a very small town when I was a kid. Right across the street from my house was Sooner Park. One of the best things about Sooner Park (aside from the barely safe curly slide), was the huge hill that during the winters served as a place to go at break neck speed down on a sled and during the summer was the staging ground for the local fireworks show. This meant that every July 4th, friends and family gathered in my front yard for the best seat in the house. The food food was amazing (down home fried chicken, potato salad, watermelon, pies of every type). The fireworks and sparklers and those strange ones that looked like a worm when you lit them kept all of us kids busy until the main show started. I remember sitting amongst my aunts and uncles as they told stories (no doubt this rubbed off on me) and also talked about their struggles. The memory of this time fills me today with a warmth, it is a comfort -- and yet, I'm also struck by another memory. When I was 20-something, I had been out on a few dates with this girl when she asked me about my childhood. I remember saying, "There's nothing good to say about that - next topic." See, at that time in my life, I was so consumed by the unhealed trauma that my focus and attention was singularly on all that had been bad, hurtful, disappointing, hard, scary... So much so that I couldn't even access these 4th of July memories. This is something that I have seen myself do and most of my clients do -- fall into this "tunnel vision" perspective of ourselves, our lives, our experiences, and others. One of the most wonderful surprise benefits of healing trauma is that we are able to reconnect with our full life experience -- and the bad becomes interwoven with the good rather than being always on the main stage. My hope for you today is that, regardless of where you are in your healing journey, that you can find a moment today to consider the full picture of your life journey. Not as a way to dismiss the trauma that you are healing. Not as a way to pretend that things really weren't that bad. But simply as a way to connect to yourself and your life as a whole. Happy Independence from Tunnel Vision Day, Watch this video to learn what Sean Stephenson has to say about overcoming anxiety. Read this article to learn how you can hit your brain's reset button. What is one favorite memory from your childhood? Spend some time journaling about this membry.

BOOK OF THE MONTH   Freak: The True Story of an Insecurity Addict by Rebecca O'Donnell    "From its first caustic, blackly hilarious quote to its unbelievable ending, Freak examines a roller coaster ride of a life and never lets up. It tells the true story of Rebecca O'Donnell, an atypical hero who found joy and laughter in the darkest of circumstances. Unlike so many spunky survivors of damaged pasts, Rebecca belonged to those far more common gray areas of depression and insecurity, hidden behind a mask she showed the world." READ MORE HERE!   UPCOMING EVENTS   Are you ready to finally look in the mirror and like what you see? For survivors of abuse, shame can be one of the most pervasive feelings we carry well after the abuse has ended. As a result of trauma, we come to believe that we are at fault or to blame for what has happened. This then transforms into a deeply rooted way of being that impacts our sense of self. For example, we might come to believe that we are unlovable because we were abused. We might come to believe that there is inherently something bad or wrong about who we are. In other words, all of our judgments about "self" are derogatory or negative. Boy have I been there! And I can't wait to share with you what helped me put an end to the constant self-blame and judgment.   LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE!   July's Theme: Shame As survivors of childhood abuse, one of the most persistent and pervasive feelings we experience is shame. It affects our sense of self, our inner emotional lives, our relationships, and more. Learn More & Register Here Rachel Grant, M.A. Counseling Psychology Sexual Abuse Recovery Coach 415.484.5682 www.rachelgrantcoaching.com "What you think, you create"