Are you thinking about your health goals and asking yourself if a health coach could be in your future? What about specializations? You might be wondering about holistic health coaching and how Chinese medicine could factor into the equation. If so, you have come to the right blog post for some answers and maybe even a nudge in the right direction.
A health coach, in general, is going to provide you with inspiration, accountability, and support as you identify and/or work towards achieving your goals. Some are going to be relatively straightforward in this endeavor, focusing on macros and exercise programs and calories in/calories out, for instance, while others are more holistic. By this, I mean: they’ll be there for you not just for what happens to you physically. Instead, they have an approach that takes into account mind, body, and spirit. One is not better than the other. What matters is that your coach addresses your needs, either for a no-frills strategic approach or, instead, one that covers more than one base in a holistic way.
As a practitioner of Chinese medicine (CM) who also offers health coaching, my approach leans towards the holistic unless directed otherwise by the client. What matters most are things like: what are the goals here? What kind of a learning style does the client have? (I was a professor before I changed careers so I have a lot of experience with different learning styles). How much bandwidth does the client have for lifestyle overhaul? Would they do better by sticking to a few, specific changes to start or are they ready for a bigger shift in their wellness practice? And so forth… Either way, it’s good for clients to have options.
What are your goals? What matters most to you about your wellness journey?
“The most important question, I think, is: what does your wellness unicorn look like? By that I mean: we all have our mythical vision of what we want out health to look like. And we all have our stories. What are your most heart-felt hopes for this endeavor? If you could describe your optimal outcome, what does it look like and feel like? Visualize it as though you were already there and share your thoughts. Doesn’t it feel great to have a goal and a confident vision? Well, if you can describe it to me then you are halfway there and that is a great beginning and point of departure.”
—Find A Health Coach: How To Find The Best Coach For What You Want To Accomplish (The Updates)
Have you ever thought about working with a CM health coach, and would you like to know more about how this works? If so, keep reading…
Chinese medicine is founded upon the balance of yin and yang. Feminine and masculine, light and dark, up and down, active and passive… the options are endless. Biomedicine will talk about homeostasis, or self-regulation within a changing environment. Popular culture will refer to work-life balance, among others. But for us in CM, everything comes back to balance in all of its forms and manifestations. We also view the human person as reflective of their environment and the environment as reflective of the human person.
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When you truly are ready for some meaningful change, a Chinese medicine coach can be just what you need. A balanced life is a good life, don’t you agree?
We will start with a holistic assessment of your current situation. What about your sleep hygiene, your nutrition and digestion, and your stress levels? What is your health unicorn? Do you see any imbalances in your life that need correcting? There are lots of good questions to ask so that we can co-create a wellness project that works for you and is enjoyable.
And what does this process look like? Well, for one thing, a CM coach makes a plan for you that is unique, just like you are, and we do so by considering things like body constitution, seasonal shifts, and your individual lifestyle factors.
“Stop where you are, right now. Look around you, taking in sights and sounds and smells, movement and stillness and yourself, placed right here, right now. Take a breath. Feel your feet on the ground, or your hands. Relax your belly.
—Transitions (Getting Ready For a New Season)
Be present. Feel the past (you carry it, still) and acknowledge that this very moment is fleeting. Over before you know it. But you were there for it, and it is yours.
What do you want to do next?”
My own background is wide-ranging and, as a result, I provide an integrative approach to all that we do, one that makes sense from both a Western and an Eastern perspective. As far as the mind and spirit aspects go? I was a Spanish professor in my first career and you benefit from the thought-provoking questions I’ll ask you. It is a lot of fun to be gain mastery over the way we think about and articulate our own wellbeing, don’t you agree?
If weight loss is your goal, we might consider intuitive eating as compared to mindful approaches. The first allows you to decide what is right for you to eat based on intuitive cues; the second calls upon you to be present for your food intake and aware of the chain of consumption, from the origin of the food to how it got to you to the way it moves though you and onward on its path. But no, no restrictive diets or food shaming. Just new ways to approach your plate.
As to body: I am a certified personal trainer, and though I no longer train clients I do offer fitness programming to patients and health coaching clients alike, as needed. I’m a certified yoga instructor and no, I no longer teach but yes, I can and will lead a private session or two for patients and clients, again, as needed. Or… I can set you up with tai chi and/or qigong lessons. Internal and physical balance comes in many forms, and movement and physical wellbeing are part of the mind-body equation.
And what about accountability?
You want lasting change, change that you can sustain even after our time together is complete. You are not here for a band-aid or a quick fix, right? Real change takes some practice, it requires consistency, and it calls for creativity and fun whenever possible. Becoming your healthy and balanced best self should not be a grim project that demands endless self-sacrifice. Instead, it should be a process of learning about a very important person–you–and finding ways to discover and nurture your strengths. And accountability resource, one that is also going to be your cheerleader and morale booster, is key to this project.
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You get a bit more life philosophy when your coach seasons your practice with Chinese medicine, just saying. You figure out what makes your wellbeing and your life move forward in a flow state, not a fight state. You find that right balance that works for you. You succeed in not just goals but also in outlook.
Am I biased in favor of Chinese medicine-flavored health coaching? Yes. Yes, I am. There is so much more to health than being a certain weight or having a particular physique. What about the way that you move through your life and how you navigate the currents moving around you? How about the deliciousness of your sleep and dreams, or your new-found ability to sustain emotional equanimity? A holistic health coaching series can address all of this with you, and more. Yes, you can find balance, and yes, you can sustain it.
Are you ready to begin?
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Dr. Paula Bruno, Ph.D., L.Ac., is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, an AOBTA-CP traditional Chinese bodywork therapist, a health coach, and an author. She maintains an active and growing practice at her Austin, TX office. Dr. Bruno is also available for distance appointments for wellness consultation or coaching.
In her first career, she was a Spanish professor.
Dr. Bruno’s specialties as a Chinese medicine practitioner include: • Musculoskeletal health (acute or chronic pain relief; Ehlers Danlos syndrome & hypermobility support) • Digestive support, gut health, and weight loss • Aesthetic treatment, including scar revision • Men’s health • General preventive care and wellness support for all persons.
She is the author of Chinese Medicine and the Management of Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome: A Practitioner’s Guide. Dr. Bruno also maintains a second website, holistichealthandheds.com, with resources and information curated specifically for people with hEDS and HSD.
When you are ready to discover what traditional medicine plus a vibrant and engaged approach to holistic health can do for you, either contact Dr. Bruno or book an appointment online.
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Note: Material on this web site site is not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease, illness, or ailment. A Chinese medicine practitioner in Texas identifies syndrome patterns but does not diagnose illness. Material on this web site does not purport to identify syndrome patterns.
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