May 25, 2018
In this Changemaker Challenge Career Clarity Session, Carly chats with fellow Yoga Health Coach Kristen Polzien about the breakthroughs they experienced at the recent Yogahealer retreat in Mexico. Kristen went to the Yogahealer Mexico retreat thinking in the back of her mind that she would like to leave the retreat with a two-year exit strategy for her day job. What she found upon arrival is that her agenda “floated away” and she simply wanted to immerse herself in the community. Rather than leaving with an exit plan, Kristen left with an entry plan back to her divine feminine nature. That shift in her has changed the way she coaches her course members. Coming out of the retreat, rather than slipping back into old ways, both Carly and Kristen have shifted into new levels of flow and new ways of coaching. Each has found new ways of nurturing her feminine nature and inherent creativity. By balancing the masculine and feminine, or the head and the heart, we can build a business around nurturance of ourselves and others.
What you’ll get out of tuning in:
- How Yogahealer retreats facilitate growth and self-revelation.
- Why you need to connect with yourself before you can connect with others.
- What role the divine feminine plays in our wellness careers.
Links Mentioned in Episode:
Show Highlights:
- 0:45 - Often we go on on retreat in order to experience a breakthrough, a revelation, or to boost motivation, and often, not long after returning from retreat, we slip back into our old ways.
- 1:25 - Kristen went to the Yogahealer Mexico retreat thinking in the back of her mind that she would like to leave the retreat with a two-year exit strategy for her day job. What she found upon arrival is that her agenda “floated away” and she simply wanted to immerse herself in the community. Kristen was a panelist for a group talk on the first night of the retreat. She was asked how the habits of Body Thrive had changed her life. In the moment, sensing deep connection with and receptivity from the community, and with no fear of being judged, she found herself exposing parts of herself that she had been hiding for a very long time.
- 3:00 - With a history of anorexia, spinal osteoporosis, amenorrhea, the habits have allowed Kristen to step out of the shadows and reconnect with her feminine energy. Rather than leaving with an exit plan, Kristen left with an entry plan back to her divine feminine nature. That shift in her has changed the way she coaches her course members.
- 6:17 - Carly experienced a similar shift, although she describes it a bit differently: a shift from a head-forward approach to a heart-forward approach. She now tracks her menstrual cycles so that she can optimize each phase for the benefit of her business.
- 8:00 - Coming out of the retreat, rather than slipping back into old ways, both Carly and Kristen have shifted into new levels of flow and new ways of coaching. Things are coming together easefully and new opportunities are arising. Kristen was experiencing some resistance to enrolling new course members, so rather than stressing herself out trying to meet a quota, she decided to more deeply nurture her current course members. She has found new ways to nurture her feminine nature, the water element, creativity and flow.
- 10:50 - As wellness pros, we are here to be of service. In connection with the divine feminine, we (men and women alike) hold the power of transformation. By balancing the masculine and feminine, or the head and the heart, we can build a business around nurturance of ourselves and others.
- 12:28 - The Mexico retreat allowed Carly to recognize and codify her values so that she could bring those into her business. She states that she would not have been able to do that without first tapping into the feminine energy. YHC provides the structure and content for your business, but it was the retreat experience that allowed Carly to marry that to her unique values.
- 13:25 - In her recent blog, Kristen likens the retreat experience to trees in a forest. Each tree is made stronger by its connection to the others.
- 14:30 - The next retreat will be in September in Salt Lake City. YHC and the retreats provide a community that facilitates connection, growth and fun.
Favorite Quotes:
- “I want to make love to these habits. I feel so strongly . . . I feel so connected to them.” --- Kristen Polzien
- “What I’m finding, and what I’m feeling in this community, is that that level of connection with yourself is a priority. . . . You need to have that before you can truly connect with people.” --- Kristen Polzien
- “We really get interested in our values, as a group, and building a business in a way that aligns with our values.” --- Carly Banks
Guest BIO:
Kristen Polzien inspires and enables people to care for themselves so that they may enjoy Vibrant Wellbeing. Kristen has a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and has devoted 20+ years to health and weight management research. Coaching behavior change is Kristen’s Zone of Genius. Kristen guides dynamic groups to cultivate sensational self-care habits, rooted in Ayurveda (the healing sister science of Yoga). Kristen’s members transform their identities from complacent and overwhelmed to awake and easeful. Kristen’s gift of passionate reflection illuminates a path for people live a more Sensational, Engaged, Expressive life. Enjoy a free 7-day VibrantAdventure with Kristen at her website.