I have been a woman for close to thirty years (I’m arguing that my ‘womanhood’ kicked off at about 14 years old along with my periods).
And I have been working really closely with women’s bodies at all stages of womanhood as a Personal Trainer and a Coach, for getting close to seven of those years.
My take on coaching – what it is (really) and what is really isn’t. Why I think it works and why I believe in it.
If you’re thinking Football Coach, this article probably isn’t what you were searching for. I’m talking about the kind of coach that is a support and guide, voice of wisdom and person who holds a space for you while you figure out what you want, then walks alongside you on that journey.
In my experience, probably not as well as you think.
Last week I shared the story of the ‘Pregnancy Scare Road Trip’ as an introduction to my deep dive into this complex subject that I hold really dear to my heart.
I hold it dear to my heart because in my line of work I have a lot of conversations with a lot of women. And we talk a lot about a lot of things – but often we circle around a few key topics – our men, our children and our bodies, not always in that order.
I’ve been promising a blog on this for so long not I’ve almost given up being able to get it written. And the reason it’s been extra hard is because I’ve just got TOO MUCH to say on the subject! I want to look at it from a whole bunch of different angles and there’s a lot I want to draw on.
It’s been a little over six months since 3 + 4 = 7 and #bradybunchtowers was birthed in Camberwell. Blended families aren’t a new phenomenon and I’m quite sure there are literally thousands of people blogging about their experiences, but here’s some of what I’ve learned so far.
I shared a Facebook post before Christmas which generated a fair amount of comment. (Find the post HERE) It wasn’t meant as a ‘poor me’ post, and I most definitely wasn’t looking for sympathy, it was more one of these kind of observations:
Dear Martha and Sebastian,
I am writing this to you on Mother’s Day 2016 because I want you to always know how deeply and truly you are loved. And because life is funny sometimes…funny peculiar, not funny ha-ha.
I long to watch you grow fully into awesome independent souls, whilst at the same time longing for you to never grow a second older.
I want to fight all your battles for you – today, tomorrow and for the rest of your days , but need you to be able to stand strong and firm, safe and sure of your own abilities.
I wrote last week in a newsletter (if you haven’t signed up yet, why on earth not? HERE it is, and HERE is how to get signed up) about the pitfalls of SOS (Shiny Object Syndrome) and the especially challenging areas that need to be successfully navigated in order to fully recover.
“Thea is by far the best personal trainer I have worked with. Her approach is realistic and understanding. Thea has a bright and bubbly personality which is just infectious, I always leave a class feeling re-energised and ready to take on the rest of my day.
Getting lost in motherhood – sometimes you have to get well and truly lost in order to be found
I love being a mummy.