Powered by Heart – My journey of building a course

In August of 2013, I came to Booming Creative for a new logo and website. In my first meeting we clarified my vision and it became clear that I was looking for much more. My intention was to fill my private practice and to grow a broader community through online programs and retreats. At the time, I had no clarity on what that online program would be and no plan for launching one.

The first steps were easy. We designed a business plan that made sense for me. I came away with my website and logo and began implementing that plan so that my practice was completely full before the year was out. It’s what came next that took all of my patience, commitment, and trust.

Setting my intentions

One thing I have come to understand is that new ideas come to me when I’m not thinking or trying for it. I had to put my desire out there to create a program, and then let it go.

Days and weeks went by. It was a challenging time in my life personally and I was feeling more anxious than normal. Early one morning I was attempting to meditate, but my mind was all over the place. As I scanned my body sensations it became clear that my nervous system was on overdrive. It occurred to me, in that moment, to focus on sensing my heartbeat. I felt a weight on my chest, tightness around my heart, and my heart pounding inside.

As I tuned in, there was a rush of emotion: grief for my mother who had passed away not long before and fear that more bad news was to come. I allowed myself to feel until the intensity subsided and my attention settled to the inside space of my heart. My body filled with warmth and calmed. I felt a moment of acceptance of what had been a hard time and trust that I was OK.

This was the start of Powered By Heart. I practiced daily and found the benefits began to stretch out further into my day so that my mood improved and my outlook remained positive. Early on, while tuning into my heart, I had the inspiration that this was my program, this is what is mine to share, but quickly my rational mind shut it down. I had no idea how to turn this practice into a program that was truly of service. Just because it worked for me didn’t mean it would be impactful to others. Why would anyone want to learn from me anyway?

Sharing a practice that also worked for others

I often reflect to my clients that the inspiration of the heart can seem ridiculous to the rational mind and it was true for me as well. I had a long list of reasons why not to share Powered By Heart, and yet, I had this nagging feeling inside that I should do it anyway. I began with individual clients, guiding people into the meditation and simply noticing everything that arose. As quickly as I shared it I began getting requests to share it again and again.

Guiding the meditation has become a roadmap each person can follow into their authentic selves and the result, while sometimes emotional, is almost always a relief. Each person’s experience of the emotions surrounding their heart along with the voice they find in the seat of their heart is unique. The one commonality amongst us is the feeling of calm, acceptance, and possibility that pervades when we allow ourselves to settle into the seat of our heart.

Over the last two and half years I have continued to share Powered By Heart to individuals and groups. Of all the resources I use as a therapist and coach, it is the most common request I receive. It’s those requests that led to my choosing to turn Powered By Heart into an online program. Making that commitment led me deeper into research.

Committing myself to the research

First and foremost, I learned that my instinct to focus on the heartbeat and blood flowing is not new. In fact, studies are showing that our ability to do so is equivalent to our sense of self-awareness, emotional integrity, and feelings of possibility. I scoured through psychological research to put together each element of this practice so that it strategically works with our physical, emotional, and cognitive bodies. The intention is that, by working with all three bodies, what I call the Pathways of Change, we are building the muscle of positivity.

Through consistent practice we grow feelings of possibility and capability. I believe in it so firmly partially because the research is there, but more because I experience it myself. Since that first moment of inspiration I have continued to practice Powered By Heart nearly every day and it has transformed my life leaving more content and inspired.

Collaborating with a team

It took some time to move through each element of creating Powered By Heart as a program. Making the audio meditation, each video, and the written exercises each took much time and consideration.

The most important lesson I have learned is that I can do much more than I imagined with collaboration and partnership. I don’t have to manifest each element of my vision on my own. Teaming up with BoominGroup made the process a thousand times more fun, gave me emotional support, and provided the technology necessary to share Powered by Heart with a broader audience. Partnering with friends allowed me to create videos and add music to the audio that I wouldn’t have had access to on my own.

Delivering the course with a heart of service

My biggest hope is that this practice is of service in some small or large way to individuals healing because I trust that the more in tune we are to ourselves the more capable we are to play a part in serving our families and communities.