Leadership development often relies on the notion of tabula rasa, or a blank slate, that new ideas can be etched into. Somatic coaching for leadership invites building awareness of what has shaped us as leaders, how we show up in the world, and how we connect or disconnect with others. In laying this foundation of our current leadership shape through somatic awareness, leadership development can result in embodied change that lasts, not just trying on new ideas from others' approaches to leadership.

We know that as living organisms we need to breath. How often do we hold or restrict our breath when faced with stress or conflict? Life apnea, or lack of breath due to stress, keeps us from stepping into stress or conflict in our highest functioning way. Bringing intention and actually practicing breathing can help us approach stress or conflict with greater clarity, regulated emotions, and more space to respond with care in our relationships instead of just reacting.

"Baking bread" seems like odd advice for our time. But the wisdom of doing a small task that can inspire small moments of satisfying magic may be one way that we support ourselves and each other during times of unknown and fear.

There’s a lot that feels heavy right now in the world. I know my own tendencies around wanting to get quiet, reset, and hunker down with my immediate family in times like this. I crave the ability to control what I can, surround myself with those in my immediate sphere, and just focus on what I can in my own life.But right now, that’s not enough. Not enough for our planet. Not enough for our country. And actually, not enough for ourselves. We are social creatures—even the most introverted amongst us—and when things get hard, we need each other. A Community Connections Inventory is one approach that can help you get curious about the depth, purpose, and frequency of your connections.