"Courage is grace under pressure." Earnest Hemingway

Hello Sheila,

April 2025 is here and I send you blessings wherever you are and whatever situation you find yourself in this month. And a warm welcome to new subscribers. I send these emails out at the first of each month to mark our journey through the year and maintain on our path of health and wellness of body, mind, and spirit.

We are most certainly on a collective journey. In this first day of the month we are in a new season with new energy following the equinox and both a lunar and solar eclipse in the past couple of weeks. We are in a season of renewal. And a welcome renewal that is. Just as the Earth is sprouting with new life, we too are feeling more open to express and grow our ideas and dreams that were planted in our thoughts and hearts during the months of hibernation.

In exploring the focus of March, Inner Trust, I had the opportunity to spend time in northern Spain last month walking on the Camino de Santiago. It's something I've always wanted to do and it came together at the last minute. I walked 15-25 km (9-15 miles) per day, sometimes a bit more. It's early season yet and the weather was cold and wet. Despite the conditions, I packed up my gear every morning and started the day. The sensory experience was heightened feeling the wetness on my face and hearing the wind whistling through the trees, the rain coming down. I found a new appreciation to reach shelter from the storm.

There was an option on the longer days to get a taxi and shorten the route. At times that was tempting. And I also knew that whatever challenges I would face in the those final kilometers, there was an opportunity to learn and grow. To continue the journey through the discomfort and uncertainty would be worth it in the end. I had to strip down any expectations of each day and take it one day at a time. (That being said, there would have also been conditions that the taxi would have been the best option).

We are all on some sort of journey every day, often several at the same time. Our health journey, relationship journey, career journey, family journey, personal journey, and so on. Sometimes that journey lives up to or exceeds our expectations and sometimes we find ourselves in a situation we hadn't really expected to be in - either personally or collectively. To get beyond the situation, we must move forward, move through to the other side. We cannot go backwards, that is now in the past. I find this to be true with my own health. I find myself out of balance in some way and go back to what has worked in the past. I have found that these remedies that have worked in the past don't quite work the same in the present and a closer look is required to move forward from the current issue.

The focus of the month is: Courage.

Having built a foundation this year on Rest, Release, and Inner Trust, this month we are ready for action. I say it every month and I'll say it again, we are in a time of so much information and misinformation. The way through is to "feel" our way through with our intuition and inner trust. Courage becomes important when we are led to make choices that vary from the mainstream narrative. This could be regarding health or even beliefs about what's going on in the world. We can only have true courage with our own personal situation. In terms of our health, courage is being honest about what's going on and willing to take the necessary steps to the desired resolution. Maybe that's eliminating certain foods or beverages, or being more active or starting a spiritual practice even when others in your household are not really interested.

We remain in time of radical self-care of body, mind, & spirit. This kind of self-care is taking corrective actions before problems further develop. Our bodies are giving us feedback every day and we have a lot of tools to keep ourselves in balance. We can only be our best when we have health, clarity, and vitality in our whole selves. This is not a year to "push through" and "no pain no gain". It's a year to connect to our intuition. We need to rest when it is required.

I think this month it's valuable to remember that everything is temporary and passing. This is expressed by Marcus Aurelius' Meditations as he writes, "All things pass, and what follows is always in harmony with what went before."

Other traditions offer wisdom of impermanence and that we must not be attached to conditioned beliefs and ideas. In the Old Testament of the Bible it is found in Ecclesiastes 3. While it may not feel like harmony at the moment, we are living in a world of natural cycles that are steering towards harmony, even when we cannot make sense of it all through rational thought alone.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There is a time for everything

and a season for every activity under the heavens

a time to be born and a time to die

a time to plant and a time to uproot

a time to kill and a time to heal

a time to tear down and time to build

a time to week and a time to laugh

a time to mourn and a time to dance

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them up

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing

a time to search and a time to give up

a time to keep and a time to throw away

a time to tear and a time to mend

a time to be silent and a time to speak

a time to love and a time to hate

a time for war and a time for peace

I invite you to check out the content on my website where you will find blog posts on a variety of relevant topics as well as past newsletters. Share this with friends who you think would be interested, supported and inspired.

May your month be blessed and may you be fortified with super courage to make the most of your life an to be a light wherever you go.

Cheers,

Sheila

sheila@sheilascoaching.com

April offer of the month:

10% off all 6-months Wellness Warrior Coaching Packages

Most of my clients get off to a start in a month or two, but the real transformation takes place once the changes are integrated and moving towards automaticity.

Get started on your own transformation now in April and be amazed with the changes you will initiate and integrate into your life in the coming months and come face to face with your biggest challenges in health and wellness.

Simply reply to this email or send an email to sheila@sheilascoaching.com to schedule a free initial consultation and get started.

Resource and References

Books:

A New Earth by Echart Tollé

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tollé

Video - The Byrds Turn! Turn Turn!

1:1 Health Coaching

Is it an excuse or an obstacle?

One of the most impactful things in my work with clients is dealing with obstacles that have become excuses. All the reasons why they can't eat more nutrient dense meals or create a better sleep routine. We take the time to figure it out together week by week and deal with issues as they come up.

These sessions are customized and client led. I don't have a "program" to sign up for. That wouldn't make sense because we are all different and living in dynamic environments and communities. Many are also responsible for health and wellness of a family. There are dozens of routes you could take to navigate health challenges, and you need to know which one will work best for you and your situation. It's the simple tweaks that can really move the needle here and they might be in your blind spot. A health coach can dial in the best place to start.



Have you tried diet and lifestyle options before opting for a medication with risk of side effects?

Diet and lifestyle adjustments are the long game. While it can seem overwhelming at first because these monumental shifts involve habits and even our emotions connected to food.

All of my work is totally bespoke to you and your specific and unique situation. I partner with you on your health journey and explore how to incorporate the best health practices into your life with minimal disruption and maximum impact.

Do you know you need to "get better sleep", "eat better", or "have better stress management" and aren't sure where to start?

A big part of working with a health coach is to support the behavioral change needed to change habits and install and develop new ones.

I have a track record of experience supporting clients to the feeling of freedom that comes making empowered choices for your health and living out all the positive benefits.

Click here to schedule a free consultation and take that first step.

All 1:1 clients get fully customized support to find the most simple adjustments to reach their health and wellness goals.

GROUP COACHING:

Want your entire family to be in a better mood or your team to be more productive? Or do you just want to team up with others towards better health and increased energy? Diet and lifestyle choices make a huge impact especially in terms of longterm vitality.

This can range from a one-time workshop or talk to a full extended program with weekly sessions.

All of my work is totally bespoke to you and your group. Email me at sheila@sheilascoaching.com to discuss how we can work together.

APRIL

Focus of the Month: COURAGE

April - The first full month of Spring ushering us into the new season. The sun is in Aries bringing the energies to be the best and highest version of ourselves.

Courage supports moving through any discomfort and uncertainty that arises on the path.

7 April - Mercury moves Direct

12 April - Full Moon - a time to reflect and express gratitude for the fullness and blessings in your life.

12-20 April - Passover - in the Jewish tradition, Passover involves a thorough cleaning of the house and a feast with special seasonal dishes that carry much symbolism including rebirth and renewal as well as remembrance and mourning of that which has been lost.

13-20 April – Holy Week The final days of the Lenten fast and a time of discipline and reflections on the teachings and life of Jesus Christ in the Christian tradition.

19 April - Taurus season begins - get grounded and settled in the new season - an earth sign ruled by Venus, this season invites us to celebrate the beauty of the Earth. Enjoy the blossoms and fertility of the season.

20 April - Easter - A celebration of new life following the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Christian tradition.

22 April - Earth Day - annual celebration to support and protect our planet.

27 April - New Moon - a new moon represents a fresh start, an opening, a beginning.

Challenges of the month - COURAGE

"You can choose courage, or you can choose comfort. You cannot choose both." -Brené Brown

Our body, mind, and spirit are all connected. Many things will support more than one simultaneously. Also, when we focus on one area we may find ourselves uplifted in other areas as well. In terms of focusing on inner trust, it's about practicing mindfulness and taking that pause to be conscious and present throughout each day.

Choose one challenge focus on for yourself this month. Take a moment and really choose which one most resonates most and may make the greatest impact for yourself. Practice self-compassion.

Body - Mind - Spirit

• Tune into to a specific interest you you have had and take an exploratory session to learn more about it. Maybe it's learning to play a new instrument, studying a new language, or trying out a new kind of movement like tai chi or even belly dancing.
• Take a deep dive into something that's been on your mind or heart and you've been a little nervous to pursue fully. Invite in the courage to support you.
• Connect with your physical body in a new pursuit. Ignore any self-talk that suggests it's not right for you. Try it out and discover for yourself.
• Connect with courage to have that difficult conversation needed in a relationship.

Stay hydrated and get plenty of protein to have energy throughout the day and support all cellular processes, to make good decisions, have healthy digestion, muscle recovery, and so much more.

I love focusing on just a couple of things at a time. Remember this is about building strong foundations one brick at a time. Continue to stay well hydrated, get plenty of movement throughout the day, don't skimp on sleep, and practice gratitude.

MENU OF THE MONTH:

While we are focusing on inner trust this month, it's a good time to check in with your body about what it needs for each meal. It's a practice that I started a few years ago. Take a moment to check in with your body each day or for a particular meal and ask your body the question, "what do you need to be nourished today?" And then trust the feedback you receive.

These menus are meant for you to adapt them to your likes and preferences and what fits best into your life and your regular meals. They are a framework meant to be adjusted.

April finds the very beginning of strawberry season in some places as well as asparagus and rhubarb on the menu for an ever so short season - enjoy them while they are here.

Breakfast:

Poached Eggs

Strawberry rhubarb compote

1 slice sourdough toast (optional)

Lunch:

Salad with tuna, tomato, artichoke, onion, and parmesan cheese

Pineapple Chunks

Snack:

Olives

Salami or ham roll ups and/or cruditée

Dinner:

Roast Chicken

Asparagus Risotto

Yogurt with honey and walnuts

After dinner/bedtime beverage:

Nettle Tea with honey - great for allergy season!

Get in touch if you would like more menu support or would like a specific recipe.

Email me at sheila@sheilascoaching.com

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that things are difficult" -Seneca

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