What does Blue Health Coaching™ mean? And why would I want life coaching anyway?
Are you feeling overwhelmed, confused, or all at sea right now? Maybe you’re facing a big life change, or wishing you could make one? Perhaps your world feels a bit flat, or you have a vision of something amazing (if only you could overcome those waves holding you back)? Whatever’s going on for you right now, you wish you had some help to chart your journey forward…
One to one life coaching can be an invaluable source of support and guidance as you move through life’s choppier waters, or sail towards bright new horizons.
As a trained life coach and accredited Blue Health Coach™, I offer a limited number of individual coaching programmes in Penzance and online. I can support you wherever you are in the world.
Join me, Pippa Best, in creating a tailor-made coaching programme, or combine my online programmes with an in-person Sea Soul Retreat to go deeper.
Read on to find out more, or contact me here.
What is Blue Health Coaching™?
Blue Health Coaching™ is an holistic practice that combines elements of traditional life coaching, applied neuroscience, philosophy, environmental psychology and mind-body practices with the healing power of nature.
It draws on all the “blue mind” wellbeing benefits of time in and around water. And uses “the big blue” as a rich source of metaphors and coaching models.
So when you work with a life coach who also happens to be a Blue Health Coach™ (like me…), you benefit from a whole ocean of coaching resources.
My love of the sea means that many of my life coaching programmes and Sea Soul Retreats already take place in and around the water here in Cornwall. Having said that, you don’t have to come to the beach to work with me. Much of my coaching work (and my monthly subscription programme, The Sea Circle) takes place online. There, we can connect to the power of water in other ways.
How are Blue Health Coaching™ and Life Coaching alike?
In some ways, “blue health coaching” and “life, career or business coaching” are very similar. In both, we explore what you need and what’s holding you back. I trust that you know what it is you need to move forward – and I help you to discover what that is. We define individual goals that move you closer to the life, work or business you dream of – and I support you to get there.
Either way, my coaching style is generally gentle but impactful, fluid and intuitive. So I’m happy to shift my coaching style to meet your needs as they evolve. You could always dip a toe in to some Blue Health Coaching™ in a life coaching session and see what you think.
How are Blue Health Coaching™ and Life Coaching different?
A Life Coach will draw on many different coaching models and practices. So will a Blue Health Coach™. But a Blue Health Coach™ will probably also draw on the wisdom of water in some form. And use water as a powerful backdrop to support the coaching process. We make the most of the mental, physical and emotional shifts that come with nurturing yourself by the ocean.
In a Blue Health Coaching™ session, we might walk along the water’s edge as we talk, noticing where your attention is drawn. Or pause in a vast open space to awaken possibilities. We might hunker down in the rocks to be guided through a mindful practice, or to consider a question in more detail. We might tap into that playfulness we remember from childhood beach holidays, bringing a fresh perspective to old challenges.
If we’re connecting online – to access those experiences while you’re away from the ocean – we might connect to the wellbeing benefits of water virtually. We do that by using activities like visualisations and guided meditations – responding to what you need in each session. We can also use ‘virtual sea’ such as sea sounds and images to create a more refreshing, soothing or dynamic coaching environment.
In person or online, we might explore ways to consider the whole eco-system in which you find yourself right now. Or employ practices that allow you to dive deep into the unknown, and map out a route to a brighter horizon, wave by wave. We’ll also share a passion for nature, and a desire to make a positive difference for the planet – and that may well be part of the work we do together.
How do I choose between Blue Health Coaching™ and Life Coaching?
If you love spending time by the sea, or connecting to water in other ways, there’s a very good chance that you’ll appreciate Blue Health Coaching™. If time by the sea doesn’t appeal, or you have a fear of water, you might prefer a more typical form of Life Coaching – without all the extra blue stuff.
But even those who don’t yet have a deep connection to water can benefit from Blue Health Coaching™ – we’re all made of about 60% water after all.
If you love the sea, and you’re looking for a more intuitive or spiritual coaching practice, you might also be interested in Intuitive Coaching. This combines an ocean-themed oracle card reading with a coaching practice. You can read more about this at the bottom of this page.
What are the “Blue Health” benefits of connecting to water?
Wallace J Nichols’ book “Blue Mind” details the many wellbeing benefits of time spent in and around water. Here, he collates research that demonstrates that we generally feel happier, healthier, more connected and capable in “blue spaces.”
The term “blue mind” describes the mildly meditative state we often experience in places like the beach, lakeside, waterfalls or rivers. There, our parasympathetic nervous system (sometimes known as our “rest and digest” system, as opposed to “fight or flight”) is activated. That shift brings numerous physical and mental health benefits – improved digestion, calmer breathing, and a decreased heart rate, amongst others.
All of that means that before we even start a coaching conversation, you’re already stepping into an environment in which you can make more aligned choices. An environment in which you can think more calmly, clearly, and creatively. Where you can find a powerful sense of flow; and access your intuition. This is a space that inspires you to connect more deeply to the natural world. And to find your place in that. Opening up to a sense of oneness and awe that can be life-changing.
Why is the sea so important to Pippa’s approach to Blue Health Coaching™?
While Blue Health Coaching™ involves all forms of water, my passion is the sea. The ocean has had a profound effect on my own life. It has transformed my world on every level; and inspired me to step into a whole new career, building a business unlike anything I’ve done before.
It’s taught me to trust my intuition. To manifest deeply-held dreams that I had never believed possible. And to continue evolving and growing in every moment. This also influences what I offer in my Intuitive Coaching programmes.
It’s where I learnt to release unhelpful lifelong behaviour patterns like self-criticism and perfectionism. And to embrace a new way of being, rooted in self compassion, clarity and courage. It’s brought me closer to my husband, and improved all of my relationships – including the relationships I have with myself, and the planet.
The water is where I head when I need to think through a challenge, or to shift my state from overwhelm to joy. It’s where I go to play, or when I want to celebrate a success with my loved ones.
So it’s no surprise that the beach has also become my favourite place to support and encourage you to explore and overcome your own challenges. And to witness and appreciate your own strengths and achievements.
How did Pippa become a coach?
I officially trained as a life coach in 2015, soon after I launched my social enterprise to support mothers, Story of Mum. Ever since, I’ve been life and career coaching, as well as hosting online and in person courses, retreats and workshops. Along the way, I’ve undertaken additional training in Reiki, EFT, NLP, mindful self compassion, mentoring, anti-racism, journeying, ecopsychology, business development, marketing, and many other creative practices that influence my work.
In 2021, having already worked in and around the water for some time, I trained as a Blue Health Coach™ with the model’s creator, Lizzi Larbalestier. Lizzi is an ANLP Accredited Trainer, ICF Professional Coach, mBIT Trainer/Master Coach specialising in marine-based change facilitation. She was also a close colleague of Wallace J Nichols. The Blue Health practices she has honed resonated deeply with my own work – and officially brought my passion for coaching together with my love of the ocean.
What other experience informs Pippa’s coaching work?
I’m a writer, social entrepreneur, ocean advocate, mother, wife and friend. For over 25 years, I’ve worked as a script editor or development executive in film and TV, supporting writers, directors and producers to hone their stories and strategies. I still script edit alongside coaching and running Sea Soul Blessings.
In many ways, I think of my script editor training as my first coaching school. When you work with writers and directors, you’re often exploring aspects of their own lives and challenges in the stories they write and direct. You’re learning how to guide people to discover what they really want to achieve – instead of imposing your own vision on them. You’re supporting them to identify and pursue a clear path forward.
In my work as a script editor, I’ve learnt how to uncover what really drives us through our own stories. What we want and need, and how to move step by step towards the outcomes that we want. I’ve also worked for many years as a project manager, motivating teams and delivering challenging creative projects within tight budgets and timeframes. And worked as a mentor throughout my career (currently for Mentor Black Business). All of that knowledge is distilled in my coaching practice.
I created Sea Soul Blessings in 2018. It was scary – there have been ups and downs – and it continues to evolve and grow day by day. Using all that I’ve learnt over the years, I’ve created a successful business that unites all of my favourite things. It’s a perfect example of what can happen when we have a vision, trust our intuition, open to possibilities and keep moving forward.
The many tools and services that I’ve developed here at Sea Soul Blessings have also been influenced by my coaching journey. If you’ve used my Sea Soul Blessings or Sea Soul Journeys Oracle Cards, you’ll already know the tone of my work. You’ll have seen that I deeply value self compassion, self trust, daily moments of courage, mindful presence, and time in nature.
In some ways, I also see the blessing and oracle cards as ‘coaching in a box’. They contain distilled versions of much of the wisdom – and many of the themes – I explore in my coaching relationships. They offer a way to connect to something greater than ourselves, and to see our stories differently. They demonstrate the transformative power of making small but consistent changes. And of committing to simple yet impactful practices that ultimately inspire much deeper change. Now, many other coaches, therapists and healers use these cards in their own lives and with their clients – just as I do.
How else can you work with Pippa?
The Sea Circle
If you’re not ready for one to one coaching yet, but would like some gentle guidance and encouragement on a weekly basis, try The Sea Circle. This is my monthly subscription community. It also includes a monthly group Ocean Retreat online, hosted live by me.
The Sea Circle opens to new members every few months or so – sign up to the Sea Soul Newsletter to be the first to hear.
Card readings
For more intuitive practices that draw on the oracle and blessings cards, I also offer Sea Soul Insights (one card readings). And Sea Soul Sessions (short one to one sessions that include a reading, some gentle shared reflection and mindful practices).
Intuitive Coaching
If you’re drawn to work more deeply with the blessings and oracle cards, I also offer an Intuitive Coaching programme. Intuitive Coaching combines the guidance of a Sea Soul Session with some Coaching and Blue Health Coaching™ practices. It supports you to explore and deepen a more spiritual or energetic connection to the sea.
When making decisions, asking questions or creating something new, I usually pay attention to my gut feelings and instincts. I tune into my heart, my senses and feelings. While this approach is reflected in my coaching style for both Blue Health Coaching™ and Life Coaching, Intuitive Coaching is something different.
Intuitive Coaching combines that inner knowing with a deeper connection to external energies and insight. Connecting to the sea in this way led me to create the oracle and blessings cards. And in an Intuitive Coaching session, we use the Sea Soul Journeys Oracle Cards and Sea Soul Blessings cards to set the framework for our coaching session.
Think of Intuitive Coaching as an oracle card reading combined with a coaching session. The ocean offers us guidance, and I then offer you support to explore whatever comes up. In each session, we bring the sea to mind through meditative practices, and explore the wisdom that the ocean has for you at this point in your life. The cards that we draw together prompt insightful questions, direct our reflections on your current challenges, and support you to shape a new path forward. And as you deepen your connection with the sea, you begin to invite more of that intuitive guidance into your own life.
How can I sign up for a Blue Health Coaching™, Life Coaching, or Intuitive Coaching programme?
To find out more about Pippa’s tailor-made coaching programmes, cost and availability, contact her here.