Clarity, Harmony, and Coaching

As long as we are not living in harmony with nature and our constitution, we cannot expect ourself to be really healed. Ayurveda gives us the means. -- David Frawley

The other day my boyfriend asked me what exactly I do in my coaching programs. Perhaps this is a common thing. How many of us really know what our loved ones do most of the day at work? I live what I teach. It is subtly embedded in how I move, eat, speak, sit and schedule my day. It is also the subject of my newsletters, which wax philosophical (and practical) on how to live Ayurveda to feel the best in the body we were given for this relatively short time on the planet. So how do we get there? and what are my coaching programs all about??

 

After almost 15 years of teaching yoga, I wanted to be more a more effective leader and healer. I met many students that felt the mental, physical and spiritual benefits of yoga while at class or retreat or shortly thereafter, but then they plateaued. A yoga high can only last so long after all. If our daily habits which affect our health and general feeling in our body – such as sleep, diet, waking and nighttime routine, or knowing how/when to “turn off” – are not aligned with how we want to feel, we won’t feel as good as we can.

 

Practicing yoga isn’t enough. It just isn’t. 

 

I know this from firsthand experience. As a yoga teacher, I should be a vision of health and great habits, right? Not always. This was a learned  behavior. Before I started studying Ayurveda, sure, I could do cool handstands and I looked fit and healthy from the outside.. but I knew I could feel better than I did. I ate too late and at random times, my weight fluctuated, I slept poorly, was addicted to caffeine and used a glass of wine far too often to calm down at night. I was living out of harmony with nature, and with my own constitution. I knew  what was good for me but I didn't do it (or at least not consistently).I was beginning to  feel like I wasn’t in control of my life and daily habits. Something was missing.

 

That’s why I turned to Ayurveda - the 5,000 year old traditional Indian system of medicine. Ayur means "life" and veda means "science of".  As the sister science to yoga, it is a natural place for yogis to turn to. Ayurveda, like yoga, is a practical science. Much of which we learn in Ayurveda about how our bodies function optimally is directly observable in the every day. As a system, Ayurveda is as large and complex as other medical sciences – Chinese medicine or Allopathic medicine, for example. And while it is useful to understand the theory and history of Ayurvedic medicine, as a practical person I wanted to know the how. I wanted simple, daily practices rather than have another set of lofty ideals in my head that were too hard to nail down in the every day. Introducing Align to Thrive – my signature health coaching course based on Ayurveda and Habit change science.

 

What is it, really? 

 

Align to Thrive is a 10-week program (which starts again on October 15) that transforms your relationship to your body by helping you adopt daily routines and self-care habits from Ayurveda. Like yoga, the practice of Ayurveda works on a subtle and gross level. Our daily habits reflect how we feel about ourselves and our bodies. While in my program, you could expect to shed extra kilos, clear up your skin, experience better digestion, regular elimination and sounder sleep. But on a deeper level, Align to Thrive helps you grow your relationship to yourself – your intuition, your bodies’ needs and desires and your self-worth.

 

You will learn to making daily choices based on how you want to feel - today, tomorrow and 10 years from now.

 

How does it work?

 

Align to Thrive introduces 10 self-care habits for daily living (called dinacharya in Ayurveda) over the course of 10 weeks. You will learn how to care for your body (which in Ayurveda encompasses the physical, energetic, mental, intuitive and spirit/bliss bodies) by inserting these 10 habits into your day. We go over one new habit per week, so you will be practicing 10 self-care habits by the end of the course. You receive lectures, group and individual coaching,  movement, meditation and reflective supportive materials, growth work and healthy recipes as part of the course. 

 

When? 

 

We will meet every Monday either in person or on zoom (video conference call) where I will coach you through the habit of the week, a background into the habit from the Ayurvedic and Yogic perspective and teach you the latest in cutting edge habit change science. These weekly meetings allow you to meet and support other course members , share your insights and struggles and be coached by me. All sessions are recorded and available the day of the session. 

 

Course lectures on the weekly habit are online webinars which you can access and listen to at any time before the session. Growth work, healthy recipes, and supportive movement, meditation and stillness audios and videos will help you to put the practice into real life, and experiment, week by week. You won’t just learn the theory of health according to Ayurveda, but I take it into the modern and practical by teaching you HOW to change your habits.

Changing our habits is rarely a knowledge issue. It is an implementation issue. You will learn how to effectively implement changes into your daily routine. With each new habit, we focus on making small, incremental changes, particularly on newer or harder to implement habits.

 

Every month, you will schedule a one-on-one individualized coaching session with me to help you get the results you desire from the course. The first session is 45 minutes, and we will get clear on your big “WHAT and WHY” for the course. The second session is a 15-minute trouble-shooting session on making the WHAT and WHY come into fruition. The last 45-minute session will help prepare you for your new life after the course and offer follow-up suggestions.

 

What is the weekly time investment?

 

Our Monday meetings are 75 minutes. The weekly webinar is about 35-45 minutes. Besides the 2.5ish hours spent on the course weekly, your time investment will vary depending on the habit of the week. However, the emphasis is on baby steps and 1% improvements to make changes gradually so they stick.

 

How do I know if I’m a good fit?

 

I speak with everyone individually to see if they are a good fit for the course. In our call, we can discuss your goals and desires around your health. If I can help you, I will make you an offer to join. Not everyone is ready for change, but if you are - I can help. I am not pushy and like talking to people, so you aren't pressured to sign up. I am looking for a fit on both sides. :)

 

Want to find out more? Schedule a call and let’s have a chat.  

 

xx,

Kari

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Kari Zabel