We had the good fortune of connecting with Wendy Haines and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wendy, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking

Risk is ultimately such a subjective word. So, I’d like to define what risk means to me and how I see it in the work that do with people. Risk is a sign that WE are at an edge (or beyond) the edge of your comfort zone. Our comfort zone is a reflection of our current “shape” ~ the sum total of our experiences and how we have been shaped by those experiences. Our comfort zone reflects a sort of “norm” within us ~ what is familiar, available, accessible, attainable, based on our “shape” which is also our range of moods, emotions, world view, values, desires, etc. as well as the actions we take and the actions we don’t take.

My relationship with risk has been one of a signal that there is an opportunity to stretch and therefore grow and therefore become more of who I am. I have had a relationship with risk as one of a teacher in this sense. There are types of risks that I have experienced as exhilarating and some as scary. It all depends on the context. This is true in my life as well as in my career.

Risk, for some, can be a signal to stop, or something to avoid or turn away from. Risk for me, feels instead like an opportunity.  For the most part, I have found myself choosing to face toward and enter into things that feel risky. Risk feels like a gateway to more aliveness.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Much of my time these days is spent focusing on 1:1 Somatic Coaching and teaching Somatics at The Strozzi Institute. Somatics is a way in which people transform through the body ~ embodied transformation. We may find that we want to change something in our life ~ habits, behaviors, our relationship to our past, our level of success, etc. If our attempts to change happen only on a cognitive level, we may experience temporary change, but as time passes, or we find ourselves back in our everyday life, that the change in not sustainable. With Somatics, we recognize that our history and habits live in our tissues. When we work Somatically, though the body, we gain access to true and lasting change. With Somatics, we can become the Self that embodies the competencies to show up and act in alignment with what we most care about. From this place, we access greater levels of success, aliveness and happiness.

In my teaching and coaching, I partner with people to transform through the body ~ Somatically.

An extension of my work is taking people on transformational adventures in nature such as a two week transformational adventure on the Colorado River through Grand Canyon ~ and also Bali and Koufonisia, Greece. More to come!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend were visiting for a week, we would likely spend a lot of our time in nature. We would hike in Topanga, catch the sunset in Malibu. We would go surfing (or at least swimming) at Topanga Beach and perhaps up the coast to El Matador Beach. We would catch tacos at the Topanga pop up taco stand: La Chingona. We would catch a day of culture downtown, go to the Broad Museum and Grand Central Market for food. We even might spend a day whooping it up on the rollercoasters at Six Flags!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who have contributed to my life: My family ~ my mom, my sisters, my kids, my ex husband
My friends ~ my many Soul Sisters and Brothers along my path
Many teachers & organizations ~ Rachel Evans, Margaret Paul, Richard Strozzi, Warner Loughlin, Harv Eker, Michael Beckwith, Agape, the Strozzi Institute
My students & my clients

Website: https://www.wendyhaines.com

Instagram: wendyhaines

Linkedin: wendy-haines-4120611b

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