Tag: Personal development

Colour, Conscious Creator, Wellbeing

Transformative, immersive, revolutionary – what’s your experience with colour?

by Emma PotterLeave a Comment on Transformative, immersive, revolutionary – what’s your experience with colour?
Transformative, immersive, revolutionary – what’s your experience with colour?

Continuing the theme of colour and its subconscious impact on our lives – physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and on our environmental wellbeing – last week I visited an amazing company in Soho called MyCoocoon. For those that are not familiar, MyCoocoon are experts in colour wellbeing products and they design bespoke colour experience solutions. Based on chromotherapy (wellbeing, light and colour therapy), and aimed at relaxing and re-energising, they combine ancestral beliefs with cutting-edge technology. I appreciate that for some people who are unconvinced of the impact colour has on our lives this may seem a little ‘woo-woo’, but for me I was like the cat that got the cream, all my Christmas’s had come at once. 

Speaking with Valerie and her team of colour experts was incredible – I knew I had found an inspirational group of people that were speaking my language. For years I’ve had a fascination with colour, its energy, it’s vibration, and its subconscious power to influence our mindset, our heart rate, our decision-making power and even our body temperature. My approach and interest is quite holistic covering all aspects such as nutrition and the food we choose to put into our bodies, clothing and how we choose to dress on a daily basis, interior design and how we choose to decorate our homes to nourish and nurture our souls, business and how we choose to create a brand and identity for a company, its products, and services. 

Whether we like it or not, the colours we choose to feature and be present in our lives say a lot about us. 

A fully immersive experience – Spectrum Yoga Meditation 

From my experience, the only way to understand the power and influence of the MyCoocoon approach to colour is to get inside a Pod for a 30-minute meditation. There are no words to describe it… immersive certainly doesn’t do it justice, it’s more like embodiment through every fibre of your body and beyond.  

Whilst laying in the Pod, with a blanket over my body to keep me comfortable, I place the headphones over my ears, the pod is lowered so I’m literally cocooned inside, the ‘play’ button is activated on the tablet, and then I hear the relaxing voice that will guide me during the meditation and talk to me through the experience so I receive the optimum benefit.  

Slowly and gracefully the transformation begins. My body and my mind are immersed in key colours in a pre-determined sequence. My eyes are closed but the intensity of colour makes me feel like I’m absorbing it through every part of my body.  Being a yoga meditation, the colour sequence follows that of the Chakras (red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, indigo and violet). What surprised me most is that as I’m lying there I’m transported to a completely different world – almost like an outer body experience. Some of the colours are so intense it’s like you become part of them, fully absorbed and almost living in them. They are not just present in front of my eyes, they occupy my body, extending past the ends of my finger tips and toes – the intensity, vibration and energy overflowing every aspect of my being – truly transformative experience. 

Feeing curious? I actively encourage you to find out where they are next exhibiting and experience it for yourself. There are various methods – the Pod, the Cloud, the Immersion Wall and Energy Hub. 

Let your senses come alive 

Designed to cater for each of our five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch – the colour passport gives insight into how we can engage our senses. Did you know for example that our sense of smell increases when it gets dark? Why – because our sight is reduced another sense is naturally amplified. 

Feel rebalanced when taking time for yourself with purple 

  • See a lavender field, listen to the birds and the bees, smell the scent of lavender, taste a blueberry and touch amethyst to relieve stress  

Feel peaceful with blue 

  • See the sky, hear the sound of the wind, smell the scent of a geranium, taste elderflower and touch lolite to inspire creative self-expression 

Feel and project yourself to be successful with turquoise  

  • See the sea, hear the sound of the waves, smell the salty water, taste old fashioned lemonade and touch topaz to enhance your communications skills 

Feel balance with green 

  • See a forest, listen to the rustling of leaves, smell the scent of cedarwood, taste a kiwi and touch peridot to open your mind and gain clarity 

Feel optimistic with yellow 

  • See the sun, hear the sound of energy, smell the scent of bergamot, taste a grapefruit and touch citrine to cleanse your mind and regenerate 

Feel happy with orange 

  • See a sunset, hear the sound of joy, smell ylang-ylang, taste a carrot and touch cornaline to bring positive energy 

Feel connected to the earth with red   

  • See a fire, hear the crackle of wood burning, smell the scent of sandalwood, taste a tomato and touch red jasper which helps control our emotions 

Feel connected to love with magenta 

  • See a rose, hear sounds of love, smell the scent of the rose, taste a strawberry and touch rose quartz which symbolises love

From stimulating energy and encouraging self-confidence, to activating our memory and calming the nervous system, the benefits of colour to our wellness and wellbeing are endless.

What colour would you say reflects your personality the most?

Colour, Conscious Creator, Wellbeing

Change your frequency – Connect with colour and vibe with your voice

by Emma Potter1 Comment on Change your frequency – Connect with colour and vibe with your voice
Change your frequency – Connect with colour and vibe with your voice

For those that haven’t had the privilege of meeting or working with Judith, she’s the founder of ‘Your Whole Voice’, and is a public speaking coach, vocal confidence specialist and sound healer. With a background in acting, she is high energy, extremely inspirational and through her business, is on a mission to transform the lives of over 100,000 million people. From ripple to wave, slowly but surely her voice and vibe is going viral, globally. 

This year started with me participating in a competition hosted by Judith whereby I had to create, daily, a 60 second video following a specific challenge; each video was then shared in a closed group Facebook group with other great people from all over the world, vying for their chance to win the range of prizes Judith had on offer. To my surprise, I won a two-day workshop, to take place in London, that gave all participants the opportunity to explore their voice, and to improve their style of public speaking. I had not expected to be filmed during the training (before and after), but there was a marked difference. It’s incredible what 48 hours can do for your vocal confidence.  

Many of the exercises to explore and gain confidence with our voice stemmed from Judith’s professional training as an actress, she truly understands how to connect with your voice, and to find a natural pace and tone where your audience are able to receive and fully hear what you’re expressing. 

Immersive retreat – sound your voice 

From completing the workshop, I felt compelled to join a three-day sound your voice retreat being hosted by Judith in Sussex, to explore my voice, and sound, further. Just for the record, by now I’m feeling well and truly out of my comfort zone – as a child I had a lisp and a stutter, and to this day I still get stuck on certain words.  At a very early age I devised a strategy whereby if I got stuck on a letter or word, I was unable to speak, I’d deviate and find alternative words that meant the same thing, that more readily came out of my mouth. So, for the retreat, l decided to adopt the approach of ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’, with the caveat of ‘enjoy the journey, play, and have fun’. 

And what a journey it was – what I experienced over those three days was quite enlightening. From getting up early in the morning and doing silent walks and barefoot yoga on the grass, to sounding on a hill top in a bracing breeze and at the beach with waves crashing in, there’s no doubt in my mind that, for me, being in nature is an essential part of enhancing my wellbeing.

Prior to the retreat I was relatively familiar with chakras, energy and colour, but I had not fully made the connection with sound and yoga, which is strange because I’ve been doing yoga on and off for 20 years – perhaps it never featured as part of the classes.  Either way, as someone who’s passionate about colour, its energy, vibration, and in the business world how it’s highly influential in how we relate and feel about a brand, I was really intrigued to discover this extended knowledge. 

Colour energy – it’s relation to our body and our voice 

I’m going to dive right in… For those that aren’t familiar with what Chakras are, the part of our body they focus on, the colour they represent, and the sound they are associated with, I’ve provided a snapshot overview – in total there are seven.

Chakra – means ‘wheel’ in Sanskrit. A chakra is an area in the body connected with life energy. There are seven main chakras in the body – each is an interface for the flow of life energy. A chakra vitalises a physical body and is associated with interactions of a physical or mental nature… each carries a specific meaning and colour.

Red

  • The theme for the colour red is survival, security, grounding, family and community.  Red is representative of the ‘Root’ and ‘Muladhara’ chakra; located at our coccyx – the sound associated with the Root is ‘Haw / Hore’, and the yoga poses are warrior and tree.

Orange

  • The theme orange is sexuality, creativity and emotional stability. Orange is representative of the ‘Sacral’ and ‘Svadhisthana’ chakra; located by our belly button – the sound associated with the Sacral is ‘Hoo / Who’, and the yoga poses are wide-angled seated forward bend and goddess.

Yellow

  • The theme for yellow is power, purpose, and wisdom. Yellow is representative of the ‘Solar Plexus’ and ‘Manipura’ chakra, is located at our solar plexus just at the bottom of our ribcage – the sound associated with the solar plexus is ‘Hoe’, and the yoga poses are half lord of the fishes, boat and lion.

Green

  • The theme for green is love, healing and compassion. Green is representative of the ‘Heart’ and ‘Anahaha’ chakra; located at our heart – the sound associated is ‘Haah, and the yoga poses are cobra and camel. \

Light Blue

  • The theme for light blue is communication, self-expression and authenticity. Light blue is representative of the ‘Throat’ and ‘Vishuddha’; located at our throat – the sound associated with the throat is ‘Hi’, and the yoga poses are bridge, fish or shoulder stand.

Indigo

  • The theme for indigo is awareness, intuition and imagination. Indigo is representative of the ‘Third Eye’ and ‘Ajna’; located in the middle of our forehead – the sound associated with the third eye is ‘Hay’, and the yoga pose is child. 

Violet

  • The theme for the violet (or white) is spirituality, enlightenment and interconnection. Violet is representative of the ‘Crown’ and ‘Sahasrara’; located just above the top of our head – the sound associated with the crown is ‘Hee’, and the yoga poses are half lotus, corpse and head stand.

Raise your energy

I can’t remember the last time I did a head stand but over the last 25 years I’ve benefitted hugely from practicing yoga – more recently Vinyasa Flow (which focuses on the smooth way the poses run together), Yin (mostly floor based postures held for  3-5 minutes; it may sound easy but believe me it isn’t, however I do feel like a new person at the end of the class) and Bikram (90 mins, 40+ degrees, 26 postures, from head to toe, a full body and mind workout) – now when participating I have this additional knowledge to tap into. 

Speaking of vibe and tribe, synergies and synchronicities this year have been happening with a wonderfully warm frequency – with opportunities crossing my path, introductions being made through my network, new projects I’m being invited to participate in – perhaps the colours I’ve consciously decided to surround myself with and energy I’ve created around me is acting like a magnetic? What do you do to raise your energy?

Inspiration, Wellbeing

Imagineering – find which way is up and follow your bliss

by Emma PotterLeave a Comment on Imagineering – find which way is up and follow your bliss
Imagineering – find which way is up and follow your bliss

Sometimes we just have to stop, look around us, and take stock. As we start a new year many people have asked me ‘What new years resolutions have you made?’ and the honest answer is ‘None’. Don’t get me wrong – I do have goals and aspirations – both personal and professional – but I don’t store them all up with a view to kick-start activity on the 1st Jan to achieve them. 

On the profession front, in 2019 I’d like to continue to work with businesses in the technology and wellness space, create new relationships, and build on those established over the past 18 years or so.  On the personal front, I would like to enjoy many more wild intrepid cycling adventures, bath in the wisdom and nourishment of nature, and embrace the fun, love and laughter of my tribe.  

Discover your Bliss 

Actually, as I write, I’m becoming aware that the Holy Grail is for my personal and professional ambitions to cross paths – that would be bliss, as I would be connecting with friends and colleagues on all levels. 

To reveal my bliss my starting point is ‘What’s important to me – what floats my boat – what am I passionate about?’ – And the short answer to that is to work with people who I find inspiring, who do what they love, and who take care of those around them. Yes that’s right, those who care about their staff and colleagues, both in and out of the work place, and empower people to shine and fulfill their ambitions.  

Wellness and Workplace Mental Health 

With 1 in 4 people in the UK experiencing a mental health problem each year[i]; £6.5 billion being the cost of work related stress to the UK economy[ii]; and 92% of the British population wanting complementary therapies free on the NHS[iii] – there’s never been a better time for wellness and workplace mental health to be taken more seriously. 

2018 has been a big year for employee wellness thanks to events such as This Can Happen that gather companies to discuss their employees mental health. Founded by Jonny Benjamin MBE and Neil Laybourn, the premise of the event is to ‘look positively at the spectrum of workplace mental health and all it entails’ and to acknowledge that ‘mental health affects everyone, regardless of their job title, status, sex, colour, or nationality – we all face the same issues’.

In the last year alone I’ve read many stories about ‘burnout’ and spoken with friends in senior management positions (Founders, Directors) who have ‘hit a wall’ because their focus has not been on taking care of themselves first. So I feel very privileged and blessed to be in a position where all my clients take wellness in the workplace seriously.

If I were to make a nationwide suggestion, I would ask everyone to show compassion to those around them. Not only does it make for a better environment, I firmly believe it’s fundamental to the success of any organisation. It has to come from the heart and works best when the origins are rooted in a companies core values and encouraged in every employee.

Let’s face it, when people feel looked after and cared for, they will give far more than you ever ask of them. Why? Because the feel heard and appreciated for the skills and experience they bring to the table. 

Fire your Imagination

So as we launch into a new year, excited by the plethora of unknown opportunities that we are creating all around us, I would like to share a couple of quotes that made my heart sing…

“It always seems impossible until it’s done” 

Nelson Mandela

“When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new”

The Good Quote

Sources

[i] https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/statistics-and-facts-about-mental-health/how-common-are-mental-health-problems/#one

[ii] https://recruitmentbuzz.co.uk/work-related-stress-costs-uk-economy-nearly-6-5bn-each-year/

[iii] https://www.therapy-directory.org.uk/blog/2013/02/14/92-of-people-want-more-cam-available-on-nhs-reveals-therapy-directory/

Conscious Creator, Wellbeing

There’s a storyteller in all of us

by Emma PotterLeave a Comment on There’s a storyteller in all of us
There’s a storyteller in all of us

The more I read, adventures I undertake, and clients I have the opportunity to work with, the more I believe there’s a budding storyteller inside all of us just waiting to find our stage – no matter how big or small. 

Irrespective of our age, we all have previous life experiences to draw on that do, in most cases, teach us some wonderful insights, wisdom and gems to cherish, and on the flip side, show us things we’d rather not experience or want to know for that matter.

As someone who had a stutter as a child, and subsequently went to elocution lessons to iron out the creases, reading and ‘storytelling’ was not something I jumped at the opportunity to do – however I did love having stories read to me, especially when the reader embraced the words and delivered the narrative with energy, pace and passion. In addition, being forced to read pages of books I was studying and to speak out loud in class at secondary school and sixth form was not an activity I relished. 

Delicious delights of the written word 

At secondary school I had a wonderful English Teacher – ‘Thank you Mrs. Turner” – who took the time to show me the delicious delights she experienced with the written word from various authors – subsequently her enthusiasm rubbed off on me. 

To this day, when delivering workshops and presentations, I still get stuck on words that start with certain letters, so have to pause, take a deep breath, and gently rummage through my memory bank to fish out an alternative piece of vocabulary to slot into place – whilst hoping my audience hears a poignant purposeful pause. 

Stir your curiosity – My top 5 reads to inspire new thinking

So decades later, now an enthusiastic reader with a passion for personal development and transformation, keen to continue growing and giving back, which books have inspired me to keep turning the page? Both in paper and digitally on my Kindle…

The Code of the Extraordinary Mind 

Author – Vishen Lakhiani

The founder of Mindvalley, Vishen is widely recognised as one of the most influential people in personal growth. A unique blend of personal stories and cutting edge theories delivered with compassion and humour, The Code of the Extraordinary Mind shares wisdom from interviews with Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Arianna Huffington, reveals a 10 point framework for understanding and enhancing our everyday lives, and shows you how to bend reality using consciousness engineering to help you grow at speeds like never before. If you’re looking to accelerate your growth, this is a great place to start.

Nonviolent Communication – A Language of Life

Author – Marchall B. Rosenberg 

When a friend and fellow marketer told me they were reading this book I questioned why as the title seemed quite confrontational. However on doing a little research I discovered that the book is based on the integration of four things – consciousness – to support living a life of compassion, collaboration, courage and authenticity; language – to understand how words contribute to connection; communication – to know when and how to ask for what we want and how to hear others to move toward solutions; and means of influence – which means sharing ‘power with others’ rather than using ‘power over others’. 

If you’re looking to increase your ability to live with choice, meaning and connection, and to connect empathetically with yourself and others to enjoy more satisfying relationships, then you’ll gain invaluable life long insight from delving into this book. 

The Magician’s Way – What it Really Takes to Find Your Treasure

Author – William Whitecloud 

I was introduced to this book when on a course with Natural Success, a business that is run by coach and author, William Whitecloud. I’ve worked with William at various workshops, in London and last summer in Africa on a voyage called the Soul Safari. The narrative of The Magican’s Way takes you on a journey on how to create the success you want to see in your life – by focusing on the end result, and not the process. I’m currently reading this for the second time and discovering new insights.   

Pivot – The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One 

Author – Jenny Blake 

A fascinating lady, Jenny Blake was the co-creator of Google’s Career Guru Programme that shows people how to build on their assets, identify their strengths, bring out their interests and to build on their networks to launch a new meaningful and adventurous career, doing something they love. 

Her book Pivot shows you how to channel your energy to identify new opportunities, to facilitate and transition from your current work environment, and to whole-heartedly take steps to build the next.  If you’re looking to expand and grow, this book will help you discover your next move.

In her own words… 

I LOVE HELPING AWESOME PEOPLE LIKE YOU ORGANIZE YOUR BRAIN, MOVE BEYOND BURNOUT AND BUILD A SUSTAINABLE CAREER YOU LOVE.

Jenny Blake

Daring Greatly – How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead 

Author – Brene Brown 

I was first introduced to Brene Brown when I listened to and watched her very funny and engaging TED Talk on The Power of Vulnerability. 

By means of a brief intro, research professor and author Dr. Brené Brown has written several books having studied courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy. She challenges everything we think we know about vulnerability, and dispels the widely accepted myth that it’s a weakness. She argues that, in truth, vulnerability is strength and when we shut ourselves off from vulnerability – from revealing our true selves – we distance ourselves from the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives. It’s a fantastic read that encourages you to be courageous, to show up, and to dare greatly. 

On the subject of Brene Brown, I’m looking forward to reading her new book ‘Whole Hearts’ – which is due for release this October.  

When your ears prefer to do the reading 

Encourage your mind to open and be prepared to think differently. Stir your curiosity by checking out some TED Talks – there’s something there for everyone.  

Conscious Creator

Live fearlessly, become extraordinary – Let’s celebrate International Women’s Day

by Emma PotterLeave a Comment on Live fearlessly, become extraordinary – Let’s celebrate International Women’s Day
Live fearlessly, become extraordinary – Let’s celebrate International Women’s Day

In celebration of International Women’s day 2018 I thought I’d share my top five things that make me happy. I’ve stumbled across them at different stages of my 44 young years – some of them I’ve known for decades but haven’t actively embraced, others I’ve discovered in more recent years and now feature as a daily practice. Irrespective of your cultural, economic and educational background, or political views, I’m sure some of these will resonate with you.  

Focus on the journey not the destination 

Of course it’s a great feeling to reach a final destination – to be named as a winner for a prestigious digital experience industry award, to be awarded a gold medal at a sporting event (I’m thinking of Mo Farah as he stormed to won Gold in the 10,000 metres at the IAAF World Championship in 2017), and for those that know me and my passion for cycling, arriving at the end destination of a long distance, multiday ride, for example the Raid Pyrenean or the Raid Alpine.

But it’s not just about that mille-second when you are presented with your award, accept your gold medal, or pass the finish line – it’s about the relationships developed, new connections made, unique experiences enjoyed, places visited, conversations participated in, the up and downs, and learning’s along the way. 

The journey is 99.9% of the experience – the destination is the icing on the cake.  

Being grateful – for everything 

There are many benefits of practicing gratitude on a daily basis – from a stronger immune system and better sleep, to feeling more alive and experiencing more positive emotions. Some people create a gratitude jars and write a note on a piece of paper every day, then open the jar at the end of the year to read what they’ve written, making the moments captured more meaningful.  Others write letters to people who have had an impact on their lives to thank them properly. The simple act of being grateful can change your life. 

It doesn’t need to take much time, just a few minutes every morning or evening, which ever suits you best – I guarantee you’ll begin to see the benefits almost immediately. 

Play – do what you love 

For me this covers all aspects of my life. From being involved with work that I love and that inspires me, spending time with family and friends, making time to do things that I love – just for the sheer fun of it, to investing in personal development to stretch my thinking, and to keep my mind open. 

This quote says it well…

“I was early taught to work as well as play,

My life has been one long, happy holiday;

Full of work and full of play-

I dropped the worry on the way-

And the universe was good to me every day.”

John D. Rockefeller

I’ve made one small amend – you can work out what it is – the word ‘universe’ works better for me. 

Have a goal – and go for it 

Everyone has goals they’d like to achieve. It could be to launch your own business, to take your family on a special holiday each year to experience an amazing part of the world, to be financially independent by the time your 50, to live fearlessly, to handle conflict with integrity.

Some goals can be achieved in the short-term (3-6 months, like passing your driving test), or over a lifetime (like living your life purpose 24/7). The key thing here is to know what you want to achieve – what’s makes you tick, what’s your bliss, what’s your calling? 

Discover and identify your goal or goals, believe you can achieve them and go create.   

Go with the flow – change is good

Whether we realise it or not, we often subconsciously try to control situations to avoid change, or to engineer circumstances to achieve a specific outcome (and avoid change). Yet however I look at it, change is good. When one door closes, another door opens. Be open to change, to new ways of thinking, and new ways of doing things – you may just find change helps you make improvements in your life, and the lives of those around you. 

As the big man from Apple said:

“You can’t connect the dots looking forwards; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in the future. Believing the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even it if leads you off the well-worn path; and that will make all the difference.”

Steve Jobs