WholeLife Journey Notes 
Empowerment & Compassion

How to be fully centered in myself. 
WHILE ALSO 
Being deeply connected to another. 

These two used to be mutually exclusive for me. 
I could either be in my power
and feel VERY centered,
like I was "really taking care of me" 
- OR -
Deeply connected to the person right in front of me.

And if I centered in myself, I felt like I was taking away something from the other person. Or if I focused on them for "too long" or "too much" then I started to feel... depleted.  

With this Journey Note, I sat with what used to be the paradox of being deeply connected to myself WHILE ALSO being deeply connected to another.

Not only is it possible, but I discovered that it really is the ONLY way to do intimate relating that allows me to show up, honestly, authentically, and not get exhausted, overwhelmed, and resentful. 

Now, is that easer said than done? 

Here is what has supported me exploring both empowerment & compassion. 

1. A Relationship with Myself
It has been vital to carve out valuable time to create the relationship I have with me. Valuable meaning, I don't give myself "scraps time" - but I actually make it an INTENTION to spend alone, quality time with myself. 
I do not call anyone.
I do not "do" anything for anyone else.
This is time for me, to do what I want, at my own pace. 

2. A Morning Practice
A meditation that supports my own cultivation of EMPOWERMENT - or centering in myself. You can use the link here to access the GIFT meditation on Empowerment and Compassion. 

3. Clearing up my fears around intimacy. 
This REALLY came through my 1x1 NLP sessions. 
Not until I was able to clear up my past stories about "how close was safe" to another human being, was I able to actually FEEL compassion, rather than just act like I knew what compassion was. This has allowed me to comfortable SIT with someone who was going through a challenging experience, or even receive not so awesome feedback, while NOT BEING THROWN OFF of my center. Yea. Get hit with weird news and not let it shake my core. Invaluable. 

4. Practice. 
Sitting with another. While also breathing into my power. Showing Compassion, while not FALLING into their experience. The meditation here will help you with this, big time.  

So when you are ready, hear this weeks JourneyNotes Meditation here. And let me know how this theme moves you. 

As a humble student of this work, I am always looking for feedback. So if this JourneyNote is useful to you, let me know. 

With heart, 
Briana

Empowerment And Compassion - WholeLife JourneyNotes - 4.3.16

What are you Birthing? 
 

Cue the Big Belly Womb Breath...
I missed last week and had to reschedule some of my 1x1 sessions because of an amazing birth in my life: The birth of my nephew Kaizayah. He was born on Tuesday morning, March 22nd, and I had the blessing to stand by my sister April's side as she pushed him into this world. Woah. 


The theme here also happens to coincide with today's celebration of Easter, also known as the ancient Babylonian holiday celebrating the goddess of fertility, sexuality, and birth, Ishtar. We featured her in the photo above. You can find out more about Ishtar here. 

It boils down to this.
It is Spring. And you have already said out-loud what you want. 
That intimate relationship where it is all open and shared. Real partnership. 
That connection to your purpose that is feeding your soul, and your bank account. 
Radiant health where you feel connected to your body and able to show up for your life.

And maybe you just have a few adjustments, upgrades and a continued trajectory into this journey of ever more birthing the next you. 

In that, how do you get super specific, how do you identify:
"What Am I Giving Birth to, Now?"
Well. Recently, sitting with this in meditation, (and watching a 52 hour labor in action!) it came to me that birthing shows up with these three aspects.

1. It is the most exciting thing in your world.
2. It is the most terrifying thing in your world.
3. It's coming whether you are ready, or not. The best you can do is make a graceful runway for this thing, person, next iteration of you, to land. 
So you are invited. 
To sit. 
To be with. 
Your birth. 
On this re-birthing day, celebration of Spring, creation, procreation, and life.

Enjoy the following 10 minute (or so) meditation on "What Am I Birthing?"
And may you find that deep breath, deep into your creative womb space (yea, men have wombs, too!) to sit, and welcome in today, what you are giving birth to. 

I sit in humility, love, and power for this journey we get to be on together. 

With all of my heart, 
Briana 

P.S. Oh what am I birthing! Ha!
So glad you asked! 
I am birthing the financially responsible, fully worthy me. 
Welcoming in that part of me that I avoid, especially when I need to be the "Coach" -  self-hatred and feelings of "not valuable." 
Yep. Welcome that too. 

I now, and always now, gently step into my place as a mystic muse of transformation from caterpillar to butterfly of myself, other selves, and the world her self. 

What Am I Birthing Now? WholeLife JourneyNotes - 3.27.16

"The only way I can trust others, is when I learn to trust myself."  

Sitting in meditation a few days ago, I was thinking about you. 
And this work. 
How to deepen this journey that you have. 
How to really connect with the most important relationship you will ever have. 

The one with yourself. 
The theme that was coming through so strongly, was trust. 
How to trust others. 

In that same moment I felt deeply that I can only trust you, 
when I trust myself. 

Using my body, my intuition as a guide only works with others 
when I have honed it to be in tune with my own version of truth and honesty. 

The JourneyNote today is about Trusting Yourself to Trust Yourself. 

Deeper. Than. Ever. Before. 
So I invite you to utilize the tool of this recorded Meditation. 
You can click here to listen and download. 

And sit with the part of you that is ever more ready to trust yourself. 
 

Let me know how it moves you. 
I look forward to hearing from you. 

With all of my heart, 
Briana 

P.S. 
I have to admit. I played hookie yesterday. I made a big dinner and played games with friends instead of sending this WholeLife JourneyNote to you.  


Trust Myself To Trust Myself - WholeLife JourneyNotes - 4.3.16

WholeLife JourneyNotes 
The Courage to Say What You Really Want 

My dear friend sent me a talk by Steve Chandler (a well known Business Coach) on Expectations vs. Agreements. 

I loved this talk and it helped me to see clearly that expectations are what I want in my head, while agreements are negotiated points that all people involved can complete. 

And - I found one piece that REALLY jumped out at me.
The first step in the agreement. 
Having the courage to first SAY what I really want. 

I have tended (yes it is past-tense!) to play small. 
Say out-loud  20-70% of what I actually want. 
And in my recent relating, I have found out how much this is not only hurting me, it also hurts them. 
Essentially, not sharing what I REALLY want, is dishonest.

You are invited to listen here to this week’s WholeLife JourneyNote and begin to work on diving into breathing into your Neurology the courage to say what you really want. 

Through slowing down intentionally, deep breathing, and self-guided meditation, you can re-set your brain to be more courageous in sharing what you really want. Beyond the fear. Beyond the reaction. Beyond the old patterns. This is a practice to go deep into your self and find the base desire, in order to be more intimate and more authentic in your relating. This results in deeper feelings of connection, being heard, and being able to hear those you love. 

With heart & courage, 
Briana 

The Courage to Say What You Really Want - WholeLife JourneyNotes

All relationships begin with the relationship you have with yourself. 

Don't I know it. 
When I am finding it difficult to connect with another. 
Or when I find that I am not being respected. 
Or even more, when I am feeling drained by what is showing up in my relationships that is when I know... it is time for me to connect with me. 

The most important relationship I will ever have is with myself. 
I find that meditation is a great practice to really get to know me. To sit with this one. Be with this one. To listen within. To remind myself that at the beginning of things, and at the end of everyday, I can hold me the best. 

Meditation is known to help rewire the brain. 
Meditation paired with INTENTION, a clear WHY to the practice, allows your brain, nervous system, body, and heart to REPROGRAM what has no longer been serving you. 

WholeLife JourneyNotes are tools to support your transformation into wholeness - the connection with yourself that is already whole, complete and perfect. 

You are invited to sit for this 10 minute practice and be with the most important person in your life. 

Yourself. 

In joy, 
Briana 

Connect Within - WholeLife JourneyNotes - 1 May 2015

WholeLife JourneyNotes
What are you committed to?

I was just at my best friend's wedding this weekend. 
We have known each other for more than half of our lives. 
And watching her walk down the aisle and COMMIT herself to a life-long relationship… was incredible. 


Back in August 2015, I committed to coming back to the United States. During this time, I was confused about what I would do as a profession. And as soon as I committed to sharing coaching through NLP, I knew I would be on a ride. 



Like marriage, starting your own business has it’s highs, and it’s lows. 
Just like a spiritual journey. 
It can be bright, shinny, exciting and new. 
And there are times when you are again, by yourself, having to face you. 



Honesty Flash: 

I did not want to sit down to write this today. I had a long week as a bridesmaid for my best friend, and I am at a bit of a crossroads with how to approach my coaching. I feel a bit tired, humble in searching for my inspiration. 



And, I committed to creating these WholeLife JourneyNotes and meditations, for us, once a week. 



It is in these moments that we remember our commitments. 

What we have said yes to. 

What we have promised to others. 

What we have promised to ourselves. 



In the SOUL-journey of getting to know you as the most important relationship in your life, keeping our commitment to yourself cultures two integral aspects to any relationship. 



TRUST. When you say yes to your spiritual journey, there is no turning back. Whoever you invite along side to support you, the listen to you, and for your to listen to is now a part of this ride. When you show up of your commitments, you naturally build trust in yourself. The flip side is also true. Saying yes to something, then not showing up for yourself is the best way that I have found to maintain self-doubt, confusion, and the ability to stay stuck in my old patterns. 
SELF-LOVE. When I say yes to commitment, and continue to say yes, I build respect, for myself which are the seeds of self-love. My ability to relax and just be me depends on how well I show up for myself. I don;’t have to think about what I say, but rather I can speak from the heart, without trying. That is true self love. 


So what have you committed to, that you have shown up for? 

What have you committed to, that you have backed out on? 

What would you like to recommit to? 



You are invited to dive deep into your commitments, explore the ones you have made, and utilize this meditation to invite yourself to show up fully for your WholeLife.

In love, commitment and inspiration, 
Briana 
wholelifenlp.com 

PHOTO: WHITNEY SHERWOOD

I Commit - WholeLife JourneyNotes, May 8 2016

WholeLife Journey Notes
Unconditional Self-Forgiveness

One of my best friend's (who also happens to be my cousin) recently asked me about my practice of Unconditional Self-Forgiveness. 

Especially because we (meaning I), have the incredible ability to be so very self-deceptive. Promising ourselves that we will NEVER do that again... or maybe even using forgiveness as a way to feel better... knowing that we are going to reach back for that SAME thing, person, substance, or pattern... once again. 

I was an addict. 
Or am, depending on what school of thought you subscribe to. 
And in this cycle of addiction, it is a constant game of Self-Deception/forgiveness and failing again, and again... and again. 

How do we get out of this constant cycle? 
I mean, if it is food, unhealthy relationships, smoking, obsession with our body, drugs, alcohol, consumption, or deprivation... addiction is the predilection of a mind unchecked, untrained, and unloved. 

There are two ways (not easy, but simple) that I have found that have kept me away from my addiction, help me to check my addictive mind, and also allow me to find true Self-Forgiveness, rather than a constant of self-deception. 

1. A relationship with myself
Deeply relating with myself through self-care, meditation, work with NLP, and support from a trained Practitioner keeps me knowing myself, deeper and deeper, everyday. 

When I am not in relationship with myself, I find that I am able to easily deceive myself. Basically, when I am not treating myself well, or regarding myself, then I treat myself like shit. 

Meditation and self reflection have been the biggest tools of getting to know myself. And that is also why I share these mediations with you. You have a chance to get to know yourself, right now. 

2. A Community of Sacred Bullshit Scrapers
I have an amazing friend named Hila. She is known for her bull-shit scraping. She is kind, loving, gentle and fierce. If I bring my bull shit to her, she will scrape it, name it, and bake me a vegan cake to eat while she breaks it down. 

Having people in my life that I deeply trust, who can handle my super sensitive heart, and who are also committed to their own work can REFLECT back to me when I am deceiving myself (Which is the biggest form of bull there is). 

Brene Brown, one of my favorite author/speaker/hilarious women, talks extensivly about who to bring into your SACRED CIRCLE - that small, intimate, inner group that you feel open to share your shame, intimacy, fears, and ultimately, your possible self-deception too, so that you can GROW. She advises that this is a group limited to a small number of people who have EARNED the right to be in the circle. And only you can know what that means for you. 


Ultimately, true Self-Forgiveness it is all about relationships. 
The relationship with yourself. 
And the relationship you have with your Sacred Bullshit Scrapers. 

So let it sink in with the Meditation here. 
It's only 10 minutes and you may just love it. 

With love & Sacred Bullshit Scraping, 
Briana 

Unconditional Self - Forgiveness

WholeLife Journey Notes 

---------------------------------
Patience within the Journey 

"Are we there yet?"
The soul seems to cry.
A 7 year old on a long car trip.

The desire to feel whole.
Like it is finally time to share your gifts.
To share your full-on love.
To make a commitment to the life you desire.
Sometimes it can feel like -
"I can have that relationship, I can have that kind of life, I can follow my dream to share my gifts... if..." 

And that "if" creates the deepest sense of angst on this journey to our inner most truth. 

I also deal with this. 
I joyfully began this journey of sharing my dharma, my life's work, through Mentoring, Facilitating, and Leading Journeys in various ways, and I can feel how my EGO expects me to be further along than I already am... 

And the self-sabotaging talk that feeds off of any and all evidence in my life that I should be like her, and express my dharma this way.... or be like them and force my relationship to look like this... or go to yoga more so my body looks like that... The Ego can be relentless! 

And what to do with that piece. 
How do we cultivate patience with the timing our own Soul's Journey, while also showing up 100% to continue forward to our desired outcomes? 

The heart. 
I am finding that tapping into the deepest calling of my heart is the best tool for guidance within my soul. This work is all about creating a deeper relationship with yourself, so you can fully trust, surrender, and act from a place of deep heart. The middle way. 

The work of diving deep while exposing the shadow. 
The play of having fun while creating in the light. 
Then coming to the middle path of the heart, and having patience with your Soul's own unfolding. 

The magic I have found to move with patience in my Soul's Journey are as follows - 

1. Become aware of, welcome, and clear up any beliefs that you are not worthy, or should be somewhere else than you are, right now. 
The work through the NLP journey is all about first becoming aware of, then welcoming what is. Patience is the result of practicing welcoming what is, just as it presents itself. There is no shifting, no upgrading, no making anything "better" in a healthy and regenerative way if we do not first welcome everything exactly as it is. 

This in and of itself "clears" so much of our inner angst. 

From there, you can do the inner work to clear up the limiting belief systems that cause you to feel like you should be somewhere else than exactly where you are. 

2. Breathing. 
Deep belly breathing is the first step. 
Trusting the inhale, the intake, the input the information, the food, the light, the reading, all the work you are doing. 

Trusting the exhale, the output, the digestion of your emotions, the shadow, the relaxation time you give yourself, intentionally. 

3. Get clear on where you are going and why you want to go there. 
Impatience is often triggered by unclear desired outcomes. The clearer you are on where you would like to get, the more space you will have for yourself to get there. Create a desired outcome that FEELS really good, that inspires you, that gets you to move, and comes from the inside out. This clarity can be cultivated through NLP, meditation, contemplation, and various other practices. 


Urging yourself to get there, clear your vibration, shed something, or heal something NOW only creates more anxiety and impatience with yourself. Breathe. Take a moment to commit to a process of welcoming and clearing. Then allow yourself to feel the inspiration of your future state now. 

This work develops gracefully with support. 
Whether it is your desire for a loving relationship, to live your life's work in a way that supports you, or truly stepping into your power authentically, you can have that. Enjoy today's WholeLife Meditation here. 

May this be of service to your deepest love, and to highest expression of your life's work. wholelifenlp.com 

Patience within the journey, 
Briana 

Patience Within The Journey - WholeLife JourneyNotes

WholeLife JourneyNotes
The Power Of Doing Nothing

It is a contradiction in my mind. 
The Power. 
Of Doing. 
Nothing. 

I come from a blue collar family, where work and achievement is of the highest value. 

And building my life here in LOS ANGELES of all places, it seems to be that the more that you do, the "better" of a person you are.

This past week, I had to check myself.
I felt myself piling all sorts of stuff into my schedule to busy myself. Building contacts, doing the inner work, serving my clients, getting more clients, moving quickly, and acting efficiently.... without much time for one of my favorite activities... divine laziness. 

The act of taking time to RELAX, with the intention of reconnecting to Soul is VITAL in this work that we are doing. 

But why Nothing? How does this have power, and WHY should you be interested in it? 

1. Relaxation - or The Power of Doing Nothing - is a Regenerative process. 
This means, when you are relaxing, you are cultivating more energy for your life, your work, and your gifts that you share. And let me make this very clear - Relaxation and Rest are two different things. 

Resting is what you do when you sleep or lay down. Relaxation can be meditation (which is one of the first practices I recommend to all of the people who work with me), personal time, deep breathing, a gentle walk, or contemplation. Relaxation is a practice where you intentionally RELAX the entire body and the mind from focusing on what should/could/or world be, and rather focus on what is. Paying attention to what arrises and relax into it, rather than trying to find solutions. 

2. Nothing can lead to something. But Somethings Cannot lead to Nothings. 
This was not meant to be an adage, but in this process of The Power of Doing Nothing - slowing down the body and mind CAN lead to soul-initiated solutions (soul-lutions - ha!)

However, moving quickly, filling your day with activity, and constantly being in negotiations, conversations, and communication about life does NOT lead to less stress, answers, heart-centered living, soul connection, or deeper insight. Filling your day with so many THINGS will NOT LEAD to deeper peace, insight, or soul satisfaction.

Doing nothing with the intention to see beyond the monkey mind, beyond the wheel of illusion, can allow for moments of insight into something beyond thought... and that feeling that we are all searching for... freedom from ourselves.  

3. When you are comfortable with Nothing, you can be comfortable with Anything and Everything. 
When first working with clients who have never meditated before, they describe the experience of trying to do nothing as one of the most difficult things, they have done, ever. 

And I get it. 
I am not a natural "Nothinging-er" either. 
I am learning however, that it is in the SPACE between my plans, my self-talk, and my thoughts, that true peace and insight grows. It is only when I am comfortable with myself in the Nothingness that I can meet anything and everything that comes my way, with  a breath, intention, and the desire to meet what arrives with the free gift of my presence. 

That only when I am comfortable in the Nothingness, can I authentically be with, instead of trying to control, the intensity of life. 

Practice The Power of Nothing. 
And Enjoy this week's meditation to support this work. 

From the heart of Nothignness, 
Briana


WholeLife Offerings: 

- Your Gift NLP 1x1 Session - follow this link for a GIFT Exploratory Session - https://wholelifenlp.youcanbook.me/ (4 spots left) 

- NLP Relationship & Communication OpenCircle (A Group Coaching Experience), Saturday June 25th in Los Angeles. Email here to sign up- briana@wholelifenlp.com (10 Spots Total) 

- Sacred Ceremony - Healing the Past, Celebrating what is, Visoneering the Future - July 1 & 2nd. Email here for more information - briana@wholelifenlp.com (3 spots left) 

The Power Of Doing Nothing - WholeLife JourneyNotes - wholelifenlp.com

WholeLife JourneyNotes
Self-Care is Sacred
(but where does it come from?) 

I sat with a client this past week who was convinced that taking time for herself would take away from her life. It would eat into her work time. It would subtract from her daily gym obligation. Or worse, take away from the precious time that she had to spend with her family. 

I get it. 
We live in a culture that tells us to get the results that we want we must work harder, smarter, more, and with just the right people. And when you aren't working, make sure you are creating the perfect family.
Making a donation to a local charity.
Do you REALLY know the politics of your candidate?
When was the last time you worked out? 
or blah blah?

In the world of Neuro-Linguistic Programing, we look at the PROGRAMS that are telling you how much you are allowed to love your life. How much you need to be working (or looking like you are working) And how much TIME you actually have. 
To just relax. 
And be YOU. 
To experience the VALUE of just being you. 

Some of us come from families/early childhood environments (the place where we get ALL of our Programing from in utero-6 years old) where love translated as sacrificing personal time in order to work, or get done what needed to get done. Or maybe love was translated into trying to fix someone else's problem/life lesson. Or maybe (this one is a classic) love was translated into worrying for another.

Moving forward with my client, she mentioned she really wanted to "Feel fulfilled by just being me..." After a few minutes of diving into the NLP toolkit, it really came down the the Programing she had around taking care of herself. And the fear that came up for her is that she would be seen as selfish, or WORSE that she would feel like she was wasting her time. 

So she took a deep breath. 
And we went to the youngest version of herself who saw her own mother, feeling trapped in her home, without the resources to allow herself to make decisions from her heart. Without the slightest notion of joyful Self-Care. We connected with that little one, the little girl version of herself, who was witnessing Mom in this state. We first let her know that she survived this experience, and was able to live through the incredible stress that Mom carried. We then shared with her that there would come a time where she could upgrade the feeling around the importance for herself to take care of herself. So she could show up in her adult life as nourished, loving, and powerful. 

The work deepened into FAMILY LINEAGE Programing around self-care. It became clear that all of her previous generations found it unacceptable and FATAL to take PERSONAL TIME... And we took several moments to notice where we have come from as a human species, especially in this hardworking culture of a melding pot...

Diving deeper we discovered that the ABILITY (or lack thereof) to Self-Care is from seeing yourself as not worthy of it. And once the upgrade around Self-Worth is in place, how much the issues of money, time, boundaries, relationships, and purpose all come into clearer focus making it natural to move forward with grace, and fun.  

Needless to say this client has already shared her JOY at having rewritten this piece around Self-Worth which has effortlessly led to more Self-Care in attentive and loving ways. It also is totally supportive of her current life. 

Upgrades with NLP rewrite old Programs that are no longer serving us, no longer allowing us to get the life results that we so want and desire. And it is the only thing that I have found  that really helps to smooth out, from the inside out, those life experiences that keep showing up, again, again, and again (the biggest indicator of Unconscious Programing).

This week's WholeLife NLP meditation is to support you to tap into, and Upgrade the Program on your Self-Worth and therefore your Self-Care. To check in. To take time for what your own soul is asking for. 

To the care of us all, 
Briana 

WholeLifeNLP