Dear Co-Active Coaches,

After an unusually long, wet winter, Spring has finally arrived here in Northern California and we’re enjoying the burst of new growth. Hope your part of the world is growing, too.

“Interactions in Coaching” is the theme for the ICF European conference happening May 18-20 in Brussels, Belgium, and CTI will be represented there by Lori Shook, Director of International Operations, and by many of our international partners. If you are attending the conference, stop by and say “Hi.”

For CTI, one avenue of growth is the availability of Co-Active Coaching courses in an ever-expanding variety of settings. The most recent expansion is the addition of Co-Active Coaching courses to the Continuing Studies curriculum at the University of Western Ontario. Read more in CTI News.

We continue our introductions of CTI staff members this month in Community with a look at Oliya Temnikoff, Senior Accountant. Oliya’s a native of Russia, a salsa dancer, and a joy to have in the office. Also in Community, check out the exciting growth and activity of the Co-Active Network.

Our topic this month Somatic Coaching: How do you define Somatic Coaching? What are the characteristics that differentiate it from other types of coaching? How do you combine somatic practices with coaching? Articles by CPCCs Laura Sari Geduldig, Sean Casey Leclaire and Billy Strean, and coaches Suzanne Selby Grenager, Lisa Medley and Eve Siegel provide a delightful variety of perspectives on this topic. Enjoy!

As always, we love hearing the voices of our community and invite you to read the topics for upcoming issues of The Inquiry and think about sharing your insights by writing an article. And join us in celebrating our newest CPCCs!

Have a wonderful May!

CTI News

CTI Expands University Partnerships

Since 2004, CTI has been offering the Co-Active Coaching Program through the University of Calgary. We’re thrilled to announce that we have expanded our university partnerships: the five courses of the Co-Active Coaching Program are now available through the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario.

In 2005, the University of Western Ontario was ranked No. 1 in overall educational experience for large universities in Toronto’s Globe and Mail University Report Card and ranked among the top three universities in Canada in Maclean's University Rankings. For more information, see the University of Western Ontario’s press release about this partnership. We’re thrilled to have this prestigious university as a partner in offering the Co-Active Coaching curriculum.

The courses are offered through the University of Western Ontario’s Continuing Studies program. To register, please call the university directly at (519) 661-3658 or click here to enroll through the University's website. Pricing is in Canadian dollars and may vary from CTI prices.

Stay tuned for further expansion of our university partnerships. If you know of a university in your area that would be interested to explore offering Co-Active Coaching courses, contact Bruce King at bruce@thecoaches.com.

Community

Introducing CTI Staff Member Oliya Temnikoff
Oliya Temnikoff is a Senior Accountant here at The Coaches Training Institute, and is among those who have been here from the early stages of the growth of this company. She is extremely charming (a Charm type on the I Am typing scale), and can woo anyone by batting her eyelashes and smiling her warm smile. She brings a lot of life and style to the Accounting Department, and we would not be the same without her. Click here to read a little more about who she is…

Co-Active Network
The Co-Active Network is now at 6,888 members in the main community! The conversations continue to be vibrant, alive and informative. There are more than 40 niche and geographic communities to check out as well. Come join the fun!

The purpose of the network is to support every member in achieving his/her greatest vision for Co-Active coaching and leadership in the world. Each community has resources, discussions and community events. Here is a specific event that we’d like to highlight:

Tapping the Heart of Inspiration
Cynthia Loy Darst, CPCC, MCC
Date: June 9, 2006
Start Time: 9 a.m. Pacific
End Time: 10 a.m. Pacific
www.theinspirationpoint.com

Check the full calendar on the Co-Active Network. There is an amazing array of exciting events. Many of the events held on the main community have been recorded on audio podium. The list of recorded sessions is available under the “Resources” section of the main community. Look for the topic “Audio Podiums from Network Main Event Sessions” for a full list.

Would you like to share your insight with fellow coaches?
We love to learn from our community, and sharing your thoughts with your fellow coaches is a great way to let us know what’s happening in your world. The Inquiry focuses on a specific topic each month. Topics for the next few months are:

June—Giving and Creating Workshops: How do you design and structure your workshops? How do you market your workshop to a specific audience? How does your Co-Active experience influence your workshop design?

July—Challenges and Triumphs in Credentialing: Why did you decide to become a CPCC, MCC, PCC or ACC? What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started this process? What part of the process felt like a rite of passage, what does the other side of that passage look like, and what motivates you now?

August—Staying Motivated as a Solopreneur: What challenges have you faced as a solopreneur? How do you stay motivated when working alone? How do you recover when/if you become discouraged?

We invite you to submit articles and share your insight in The Inquiry. It is a fantastic way to increase your visibility in the coaching profession. Please send articles to newsletter@thecoaches.com. Read the detailed submission guidelines.

Articles

Somatic Coaching: Rethinking the Body
“As you are reading these words, notice that you are having some thoughts—you are engaged in some story or narrative. You may be thinking about how damn cool it is to have these great little articles available via the Internet. Perhaps you are wondering about what a greater somatic sensibility could bring to you and your clients. Also check out that you are currently experiencing some mood or emotion,” writes Billy Strean, PhD, PHD, CPCC, CSC, CLL, an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta. To find out what else Billy has discovered through his journey of working with clients and the body, click here.

Embodying Your Values
Sean Casey Leclaire, CPCC, publisher of the “Be the Change” e-zine and author of Hug an Angry Man and You Will See He Is Crying, writes a compelling article about somatic coaching in this month’s Inquiry. He says, “Somatic Coaching provides a foundation for exploration into the bliss of being in a body, of actually inhabiting a body—something that is more difficult to do than most of us imagine. I believe we live in a time when people are losing the ability to think reflectively and feel deeply, and thereby tap into our spiritual nature or essence.”  To read more click here.

A Body in Motion Stays in Motion—How an Active Lifestyle Generates Zest for Life
“Remember being a kid and running around with your friends until your parents made you come in? That sensation in your body… how alive you felt… as if nothing could stop you? As adults, most of us are completely out of touch with that high level of life force. But where did it go… and how do we get it back? Have you noticed how life in 2006 is filled with so much sitting? Sitting in traffic, sitting at the computer, sitting in front of the TV,and even sitting while engaging in the process of coaching. What would it take for you to STAND UP and start living in motion again? What impact would this have on your clients?” These are questions that Laura Sari Geduldig, CPCC, asks us in her article that challenges we coaches to stay active! She is the founder of Go There! Coaching, an instructor at JFK University where she leads coaching trainings and a certifiedCreating a Life Worth Living consultant. Read more of her motivating article by clicking here.

The Body is the Way in—to the Soul and to a Life Worth Living
“If body is the temple of the spirit (and what else explains it really?), feelings, which come through the body, are surely the voice of the soul. Life coaching, to make a significant difference, must teach people to listen to that voice, their voice, and trust it enough to live in accordance with what they hear. My experience suggests we humans can best heed our unique voices by paying close attention to the body, home of the heart and its treasure-trove of emotions and sensations. Understanding that is the basis of somatic coaching.”  Suzanne Selby Grenager is a life coach, writer and spiritual mentor, certified in the holistic Rubenfeld Synergy Method. With 30 years of experience consciously inhabiting her own body, Suzanne brings much wisdom to our subject. Read more about what she has to say.

Feel Comfortable in Your Own Skin
Lisa Medley, MA, CMT, has been moving since the day she was born. She is the founder of Soulistic Arts™ and the creator of Free the Inner You™, a movement-based program for physical, personal and global transformation. In her article, she says, “Your body is a mirror of who you are. It reflects how comfortable you feel in your own skin, literally and figuratively. Somatic coaching recognizes that the body is a powerful source of impact, as well as information. It honors the body and all that it communicates as a central focus and keeps it present while addressing other areas of a client’s life.” To see what else Lisa has to say, click here.

Somatics and Coaching—A Natural Partnership
Eve Siegel, MS, CMT, is the founder of Kailas Body-Energy Therapy & Co-active Coaching. Since 1989, she has guided people in creating new ways to envision, embody, and fulfill their purpose and heart's desires. Here she says, “In my experience, the common ground between somatics and coaching that makes them such natural partners is their experiential quality and focus on energetic and intuitive awareness. Somatics is the process of becoming aware of oneself through attention to the ever-changing energetic patterns of the body; coaching helps people activate and direct their life energy to achieve their goals.” Read more.

Celebration

Please join the CTI team in congratulating all of the Certified Professional Co-Active Coaches who have finished the rigorous certification program and passed their exams!

Maj Karin Askeland, Easter Becker-Smith, Lynda Benham, Teri Conrad, Dawn Cornell, Anne Cleveland, Victoria Curling Eriksson, Yasmin El-Dabi, Belma Gonzalez, Libby Hartz, Johs Haukvik, Melissa Hudson, Athena Katsaros, Moira McCaskill, Laura McGann, Helga Moss, Kim Nielsen, Linda Nissenbaum, Rachel Peart, Tony Pelusi, Jr, Annabel Purves, Jamie Ridler, Jim Robey, Christina Sanders, Garth Schmalenberg, Danielle Sigal Leon, Alison Smith, Jackie Thoms, Vicky Jo Varner, Marte Vevstad Eidsvold, Marie-Clair Williams and Gillian Yourston.