Career, Life, and Wellness Coach

When I first moved to Seattle 3 years ago, I was interested in trying acupuncture to help reduce stress, alleviate digestive issues, and increase overall movement of chi ("life force") in my body. I found a wonderful acupuncturist but unfortunately my health insurance didn't cover "alternative therapies." Since each appointment cost $75 and it was recommended I schedule two visits per week, I found I could only see the acupuncturist for a short period of time. While I noticed positive changes right away, I knew $150/wk for acupuncture wouldn't fit into my budget long-term. Unfortunately I was only able to see the acupuncturist for a month or so. Acupuncture is an effective healing therapy but it can often take lots of frequent visits to really reap the total benefits.

Recently I was interested in trying acupuncture again but knew I couldn't spend $75 per appointment. I had heard of community acupuncture and was curious to give it a try. I did some research and found a wonderful community acupuncture clinic (http://greenpointacupuncture.net/default.aspx) in Queen Anne. Green Point operates on a $15-$40 per visit sliding fee scale. You pay what you can afford and there are no questions asked about your current income. At the end of your visit, you simply leave your payment in an envelope.

What are the benefits of community acupuncture? For me the cost savings was by far the greatest benefit. Since I no longer have to pay $75 per visit, I will be able to continue acupuncture for a longer period of time. I have also noticed there are more appointments available with community acupuncture. When you are seeing a popular acupuncturist with only 1-2 private rooms, you often have to wait for an extended period to get in for an appointment. Since community acupuncture clinics offer a number of beds in one room, the acupuncturist can see multiple patients at one time.

What are the drawbacks of community acupuncture? If you are a private person and are uncomfortable with other people around you, community acupuncture may not be the best fit. With that being said, the majority of the patients in the room are sleeping so I have never found myself feeling self-conscious with other people around.  If you are bothered by snoring or occassional quiet talking between a patient and the doctor, I would recommend bringing ear plugs or listening to music.

I have seen Dr. Wang at Green Point Acupuncture three times now and I have already noticed significant changes in my health. I sleep well, feel very relaxed, and don't have as severe of digestive issues. Dr. Wang is one of the most caring healing professionals I have ever met. She always seems concerned for patients and remembers valuable information about the health of her patients.

I highly recommend Green Point Acupuncture: http://greenpointacupuncture.net/Schedule.aspx

As a final note, all new patients receive their first appointment free during the month of October. Contact Green Point today to get in for a FREE visit before the end of the month.

This morning I awoke to pouring rain and decided I had to revert to Plan B for my Sunday workout. Typically I enjoy doing a trail run on Sunday mornings but the thought of slogging through heavy rain for 60-90 minutes was not appealing. I decided to hit the 8AM spin class at the gym and do some cross-training.

I arrived to class 15 minutes early and it was already full, which wasn't surprising for a rainy day. When the clock struck 8AM however, the instructor was no where to be seen. Typically the instructor is already on his bike drinking his "Full Throttle" or some other hardcore energy drink. I decided to just put on my headphones and listen to my music while I warmed up. The minutes passed and it seemed the instructor was going to be a no show. At first my fellow spin class attendees seemed a bit anxious as they kept peering at the clock possibly wondering, "Where is our fearless spin class leader?" Eventually however one person after another just started spinning, with our without headphones.They either chatted with their neighbor and just went into a zen-like spinning trance.

While this event may seem insignificant, I saw it as an example of being flexible and going with the flow. Typically when an instructor doesn't show up, the majority of the class bails after 10 or 15 minutes. In today's class however, about 80% of the class stayed and did their own workout for the full hour. I looked around the room and saw dedicated cyclists who were going to get their workout in, with or without an instructor. Instead of being annoyed and just throwing their hands up in the air over the situation, they accepted the situation as it was and made the best of it.

In life we are often thrown curve balls on a regular basis. Unfortunately no matter how hard we try to control things, there is very little we actually have control over. If we accept life as it is, instead of becoming frustrated because our expectations are not met, we will much happier.

A former boss once made the comment, "Colleen, you are very headstrong but what's interesting is that you are willing to bend." He went on to say that he hadn't met many headstrong individuals who were also flexible. I very much appreciated his feedback, especially since being flexible hasn't always come easily to me. As I have matured and my spiritual practice has deepened however, I find myself so much more at peace when I don't try to force life and become too attached to expectations. This does not mean I have become a complacent doormat, but instead it means I learned to let go what is out of my control.

The next time you find a curveball coming your way, ask yourself, "Can I catch this curveball and make the best of it?"

Colleen Canney is a Career, Life, and Wellness Coach based in Seattle, WA. She is available for coaching sessions either via phone or in-person. For more information, please visit www.colleencanney.com or contact Colleen at colleencanney@live.com.

A few weeks ago I was on vacation with some friends and I was enjoying some kelp during lunch. My friend looked at the kelp with a scrunched up face and asked with bulging eyes, "WHAT are you eating?" I happily chewed my kelp and then replied, "Delicious kelp!" She said, "The stuff that is right down the road in the ocean?" I just laughed and told her that was correct.

Why in the world would I eat kelp? This is a question a number of people have asked me. After reading Donna Gates' book, "Body Ecology Diet," (http://www.bodyecology.com/) I learned of the many benefits of eating sea vegetables. Here is a great article on sea vegetables: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=135

My favorite sea vegetable recipe is:

Sauteed Arame

1 package Arame (available at Whole Foods, www.vitacost.com, or other natural food stores)
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded onions

Directions: Soak Arame in water for 5-10 minutes. Saute carrots and onion in coconut oil. Add Arame when carrots and onions are soft. Let simmer for 10 minutes on low eat.

Colleen Canney is a Career, Life, and Wellness Coach based in Seattle, WA. For more information on Colleen's coaching services, please visit her website at: www.colleencanney.com or contact her at colleencanney@live.com.

Last week I had an encounter with someone in love and it made me think about the importance of keeping your heart open. I was waiting in the lobby at my dentist's office when all of a sudden the dental assistant came out to greet me with a big smile on her face. She then proclaimed, "You look beautiful!" I wasn't sure what to think by her comment. While this particular dental assistant had always been friendly, she had never been so expressive and open. I wondered if the sun being out had something to do with it. Whenever the sun comes out in Seattle (an event to celebrate), I have noticed people are more open and willing to connect with others.

When I sat down the dental assistant asked how my summer was going and I then asked her the same question. She paused and then said with a big smile on her face, "Well....." In that instant I saw the infamous, "life is absolutely amazing" glow and I knew the dental assistant was in love. She was head-over-heels in love and it made my soul smile. We then talked a bit about the new relationship she was in and the dental assistant told me she had been with the guy for about four months. It was only a few days ago however that she opened her heart to this lucky guy. I then learned her heart had been closed because she had been hurt in the past. I could definitely relate and chances are most of you reading this blog can relate as well. If you have ever opened your heart to someone only to be rejected or misled, your heart has probably felt a considerable amount of pain. When we have been emotionally wounded, our natural inclination is to form a brick wall around our heart so we are never hurt again. The only problem is that we are only causing ourselves more harm because as human beings we need to connect with others in order to fully thrive. The only way to truly connect with others is by keeping our hearts open.

Closing our hearts may seem like the safe thing to do but it will only lead to feelings of isolation, depression, and we may eventually suffer from illness. Unresolved emotional issues that are not dealt with may manifest as disease in the body. The heart is meant to be open and despite what our egos may tell us, the heart will recover from past hurts.

By removing the body armor from our hearts, we have the opportunity to truly connect with others. Instead of just experiencing the euphoric feeling of being newly in love only occassionally, as in the case of the dental assistant, we can experience this "love high" on a regular basis. Every single day we have the opportunity to connect with loved ones, friends, strangers, and even nature. Keeping our hearts open to the love all around us can be transformational.

Colleen Canney is a Career, Life, and Wellness Coach based in Seattle, WA. For more information on Colleen, please visit her website at www.colleencanney.com. If you are interested in scheduling a FREE consultation, please contact Colleen at colleencanney@live.com

A few weeks ago I was talking a good friend and she said, "I am just plain bored with life!" The conversation was really quite amusing because my friend was telling me she got up and didn't feel motivated to do anything. Even though my friend was busy raising two little girls, working part-time, and training for a triathlon, boredom was still looming over her, trying to get her full attention. My friend new she had to figure out the root cause of this apathy but she was kind of scared to find out the answers. My friend's husband asked her a pertinent question, "What are you passionate about?" My friend couldn't really give a solid answer to this question but wondered if she had to reassess her career. Her job as a massage therapist was becoming too routine and didn't challenge her the way it used to.

Boredom is a message from our soul that we need to make changes in our life. When we become apathetic and disengaged from life, it means life has become too routine and we need to shake things up a bit. If we end up going through life in a robotic way, just getting through the same tasks each day, we will become bored. In order to feel alive and excited about life, we need to take on new challenges and step outside of our comfort zone.

When I find myself dealing with boredom, I know it's a wake-up call that life has become too mechanical. As someone who has always preferred more of a structured life (think it's the Virgo in me), I need to make a conscious effort to break out of my daily routine. For example one summer I decided to take a hip hop dance class that was being offered through UW-Madison. I absolutely love to dance and the class was a way to express my creative self. Last summer I decided to buy my first road bike and ended up falling in life with cycling.

If you find boredom has coming knocking, open the door and figure out what boredom is telling you. Maybe you need to make a change in your job, move outside of your comfort zone, find a hobby, or immerse yourself in learning something new. When we remain curious about life and keep ourselves challenged, boredom is no longer an issue.

Colleen Canney is a Career, Life, and Wellness Coach based in Seattle, WA. For more information on Colleen, please visit her website at www.colleencanney.com or contact her for a FREE consultation at colleencanney@live.com.

A few months ago I went to Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle (http://bastyrcenter.org/) because I was struggling with low energy levels. When the ND went through her initial intake, she asked if I had any problems sleeping at night. I casually mentioned that I woke-up in the middle of the night really hungry. In fact, I would be so hungry I would have to eat in order to fall back asleep. I told the ND I was pretty active but I also thought I ate adequate calories for my activity levels. She then asked about my diet and I mentioned that I had been a vegetarian for roughly the past 15 years. We talked about the different protein sources I ate (very few) and how much protein I ate on a daily basis. The ND said the reason I was waking up in the middle of the night is because my body was going into hypoglycemia. The reason: low protein intake.

I was pretty surprised to learn the reason for my nighttime waking because I thought that even though I didn't eat meat, I was still getting enough protein. Apparently I wasn't. The ND suggested I start eating meat and I looked at her with bulging eyes and a shocked expression and said, "I really don't think I can eat meat." She gently suggested I should really try eating meat, especially red meat, and see how I feel. When she said, "red meat, " I thought it was time for the appointment to be over. I said matter-of-factly, "I can't do red meat."

Shortly after my visit I received my blood tests back and found out my low energy levels were caused by extremely low levels of iron. The ND suggested that now I had two reasons to start eating meat. I thought about how wonderful it would be to sleep better and have more energy, so I decided to give meat a try.

Let me tell you, eating meat really changed my life for the better. I feel bad saying this if any animal rights activists or environmentalists are reading this post but I really think my body needs meat at this point in my life. I never ever thought I would eat meat again but I feel so much better as a carnivore that I am not sure I can go back to a vegetarian diet anytime soon.

How has eating meat changed my life for the better? First off, I have never slept more soundly in my entire life. I have always been a good sleeper but now I sleep for a solid 8 hours almost every night and I never wake-up hungry anymore. Eatnig meat changed my skin, hair, and most importantly, improved my energy levels. I feel alert, happy, and have stable blood sugar levels While I understand more protein in my diet is the cause of all these positive changes, I do think my body needed heme (animal) protein sources versus the mainly non-heme (plant-based) protein sources I had been eating for the past 15 years.

This whole experience has made me realize that you absolutely need to eat the type of diet that is right for your body. Foods are meant to heal the body, as long as you are eating the right ones based on your specific needs. If you don't feel your absolute best, do an assessment of your diet and determine if you need to make some changes.

Colleen Canney is a Career, Life, and Wellness Coach based in Seattle, WA. For more information on Colleen, please visit her website at: www.colleencanney.com or contact her via email at colleencanney@live.com. MENTION THIS POST AND RECEIVE 50% OFF YOUR FIRST COACHING SESSION.

Insomnia is one of the chief complaints the majority of my clients end up speaking with me about. Typically my clients contact me about other issues but insomnia always seems to be an secondary issue they are dealing with. Why? The primary reason is that most individuals have trouble turning off their minds at night. When it's time for bed, the body is aching to sleep while the mind keeps racing, worrying about one thing after another.

The key in turning off the mind is "TAKING CONTROL" of the mind. I had to put this is in all caps because I mean business. When I find my mind swirling with one worry or thought after another, I tell my mind, "Not now. It is my time to sleep. " I highly value my sleep because I am one of those individuals who needs a solid 8 hours to feel my best. I make sure I do everything I can to sleep well, otherwise I know I won't function at my full potential.

How do you turn off your mind? I highly recommend completely disconnecting from technology, TV, cell phone, or anything else that is overly stimulating, about 1-2 hours before bed. For some individuals who are permanently attached to their phone or laptop, this may be challenging. I know if I am checking work email right before bed, it is extremely hard for me to disconnect my mind because I am thinking about the emails I just read or my "To Do" list I need to complete. People will wonder, "what the heck am I supposed to do for 1-2 hours before bed? " Read, meditate, journal, do yoga, etc...The goal is to unwind from the day and allow your body to relax. I am a firm believer of easing into sleep instead of forcing yourself to all of a sudden fall asleep after going at 100 mph throughout the day.

When you find your mind controlling you, figure out how to just "let go" and allow your body to sleep. What I find amusing is that we often worry about things that we should never be wasting our energy worrying about in the first place. I had a MD tell me, "99% of what we worry about actually never happens." Doesn't that put worrying into perspective?

Colleen Canney is a Career, Life and Wellness Coach based in Seattle, WA. She coaches clients around the world and is available for coaching both via phone and email. For more information on Colleen, please visit her website at www.colleencanney.com or contact her via email at colleencanney@live.com

Recently I was feeling restless and on edge. I was contemplating taking a new job and wondering if I was on the right track with my coaching business. All these thoughts and questions were madly swirling around in my head. I knew I had to do something in order to bring a sense of calmness to my life.

I ended up sitting by the water because I always feel more relaxed when I am connecting with nature. During that time I just sat and allowed the ebb and flow of the water to soothe my frenzied self, I felt completely at peace and very much in a state of joy. It was in the stillness of the moment that I once again become one with the present moment. Instead of worrying and questioning about what might be, I accepted what was. I trusted that the universe was unfolding just as it should and the answers would come when the time was right.

As I sat in the meditative state a song called "Be Still My Soul" came to mind. This song is a reminder that peace can only be found when we are literally still. Whether it's meditation, yoga, quiet walks in nature, or taking a day off from email and TV, we need time to decompress and connect with our most authentic selves. Insight, inspiration, and happiness comes when we make a concerted effort to "plug-in" to the truth within.

Colleen Canney is a Career, Life, and Wellness Coach based in Seattle, WA. She coaches clients around the world and is available for phone or in-person consultations. For a FREE complimentary session, contact Colleen today! Visit her website at www.colleencanney.com.

A number of years ago, my close friend "Amy" ended a four-year relationship with her boyfriend "Nick." Amy and Nick seemed to have a solid relationship. They spent lots of quality time together, rarely fought, and were good friends.  When the relationship ended, Nick was quite surprised and pretty devastated. He really didn't understand what had prompted Amy to just end the relationship out of the blue.

Since Nick knew Amy and I were good friends, he contacted me to see if I could help him understand Amy's state of mind and reasons for breaking up with him. My heart went out to Nick because I knew how completely and totally in love he was with Amy. He envisioned having children with Amy and growing old with her. The only problem is that Amy didn't have a magnetic attraction to Nick. The passion just wasn't there. There were no sparks or crashing waves of euphoria between them. The relationship was easy and it worked, but it wasn't meant to be a long-term soul connection.

I didn't share all of this information with Nick but instead I told him the relationship ended for a reason and he would understand why down the road. I told him while he thought Amy was the "one," he would realize someone else would be a better fit for him. Nick's heart took some time to catch up with his head. When he was jolted out of his sleepwalking depression, he took action and made significant changes in his life. It had always been Nick's dream to move out west and attend graduate school. Instead of pursuing his dream however, Nick had put his life on hold for Amy. When the relationship ended, he no longer had to stay in the Midwest. He packed his bags, moved out west, and started graduate school. He soon met his future wife and secured a job he loved.

This story makes my heart smile because it's a reminder of what a gift rejection can truly be. Nick's whole life opened up when the door to his relationship with Amy closed. If he hadn't moved out east, he probably wouldn't have started graduate school and met the love of his life. In turn, Amy also met the love of her life and is now happily married.

A spiritual teacher once told me to view rejection as the universe's way of protection from something that isn't meant to be. Every since this conversation, my outlook on rejection has completely changed. When we are rejected, as in the case of Nick, our ego's take it so personally. We feel something is inherently wrong with us and our self-esteem suffers. Instead of viewing rejection in such a negative manner however, we need to trust we are being protected and something else is meant to be or the timing just isn't right for a certain door to open.

Colleen Canney is a Career, Life, and Wellness Coach based in Seattle, WA. She coaches clients around the world both in person and via phone. For more information on Colleen, please visit her website at www.colleencanney.com.or contact her directly at colleencanney@live.com.

With each passing day of the Tour de France,  I watch in awe as some of the most amazing athletes in the world grace the television screen. I keep asking myself, “How do these guys do it?” ”How do they stay motivated to train, diet, and push themselves beyond their self-perceived human limits?” As I pondered these questions, I realized the key to staying engaged with life means staying hungry for life.

 Each of the Tour de France participants has this hunger that drives them up one unbelievable huge hill after another. When we lose our hunger for life, we become apathetic. We no longer push ourselves to new limits. We no longer challenge ourselves to tackle the toughest hills. Instead, we may just coast along at an easy pace, barely pedaling as life passes us by. 

 

How does one stay hungry for life? By setting new goals, taking on new challenges, and being open to new experiences. All of these things may bring about a certain level of discomfort, but we need this discomfort to propel us forward and keep us engaged with life. When we become too comfortable in life, we stop growing. We lose our appetite. We sleepwalk through life until one day we wake-up and realize we aren’t living the life we imagined.

When clients contact me because they are feeling depressed or apathetic about life, I encourage them to assess their lives and figure out what changes need to be made in order to ignite passion within. Often our passion dies when we aren't engaged with activities that challenge us, spur our creativity, or force us to grow. Living a passionate life makes us excited to jump out of bed in the morning. A coworker once remarked that I seemed, "high on life." My secret: PASSION!

Get out there and engage with the world! You may be surprised what you learn about yourself.

Colleen Canney is a Career, Life, and Wellness Coach based in Seattle, WA. She coaches clients around the world both in-person and via telephone. For a FREE consultation, contact Colleen via email at colleencanney@live.com or visit her webiste at www.colleencanney.com.