The Power of Presence: A Somatic Coaching Experience with Michelle Banks

Somatic Coaching with Improv: Play Your Way Into Presence with Dr. Wendy Schofer

In this week’s playful and powerful episode, I’m joined by the incredible Wendy Schofer, MD—a pediatrician, certified coach, and founder of Family in Focus. We explore how improv games can be a surprisingly effective tool in coaching sessions, especially when it comes to releasing self-judgment, accessing the body, and staying present.Wendy brings her deep experience in medicine and family health to our conversation—but in this session, she brings her full-on goofball too. You’ll hear us laugh, mess up, play, and reflect on the unexpected wisdom that comes from saying "yes, and" to your own body and emotions.Whether you're a coach, a parent, or someone looking to break free from patterns of pressure and perfectionism, this episode invites you to try something delightfully different: improv as embodiment.Come for the giggles, stay for the grounded insight. You might just start using improv in your own life by the end of this episode.Learn more about and connect with Dr. Wendy Schofer: https://www.wendyschofermd.com/

Grieving What Was and Embracing What Is with Meagan Skidmore

In this week’s Somatic Series episode, I sit down with Life Transformation Coach Meagan Skidmore for a deep and honest conversation about shame, grief, and identity. While this episode is more of a dialogue than a somatic demonstration, it’s rich with insight and heart. We explore story mapping—the powerful process of tracing a current emotion like shame back to one of its earliest memories. Meagan shares how understanding the origins of our emotional patterns can help us release old pain, rewrite our inner narratives, and live with greater compassion for ourselves and others. Together, we reflect on the grief that comes with letting go of who we thought we were supposed to be or what we thought was supposed to be—and the beauty of accepting who we truly are and what is. This conversation is an invitation to see yourself more clearly, love yourself more fully, and step out of shame-based judgment into self-affirming truth. Meagan is offering a code for anyone who wants to work with her and do their own story mapping: use code SarahBond50 for half off a 75 minute session:  https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/81740 [https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/81740] (the Promo Code is SARAHBOND50). https://meaganskidmorecoaching.com [https://meaganskidmorecoaching.com/about/]

Somatic Joy: Letting the Good Feelings In (and Sharing Them with Your Past Self) with Jess Erickson

In this episode, I’m joined by somatic practitioner and change worker Jess Erickson, and for the first time in this series… we processed joy. This session was a beautiful reminder that somatic work isn’t just about healing pain—it’s about expanding our capacity for joy and compassion, too. Jess gently guided me to stay with the joy I was experiencing and then offered a powerful invitation: could I send that joy and compassion back to a past version of myself who needed it? What unfolded felt profound, tender, and empowering. This episode is a celebration of what becomes possible when we allow joy to be just as welcome in our healing process as grief. Go check Jess out on her website https://jesserickson.com/

Moving Through Grief: A Qigong Experience That Changed Me with Charmaine Horn

In this installment of the Somatic Series, I’m joined by Charmaine Horn, a former psychiatric nurse turned Qigong teacher, and this conversation is deeply personal. Before our session, I was feeling stuck in a heavy place, caught in the depths of grief. But through Qigong, Charmaine guided me in a way that allowed me to move—not just physically, but emotionally—and something truly shifted.For the first time since Rob’s death, I experienced real LASTING joy. Not just a fleeting moment, but a lasting lightness that I’ve carried with me ever since. Of course, I’m still grieving, but the weight of it feels different now. This practice helped me release something I didn’t even know I was holding, and it’s a tool I wouldn’t hesitate to return to.If you’ve been feeling stuck in your emotions or if you’re curious about how movement can help shift grief, stress, and pain, this episode is one you won’t want to miss. To learn more about and book a Qigong session with Charmaine, visit her site here: https://www.oasisqigong.com/

The Power of Presence: A Somatic Coaching Experience with Michelle Banks

In this episode of the Somatic Series, I sit down with Resilient Somatic Coach Michelle Banks for a powerful demonstration of what coaching is capable of. Michelle brings a deep presence, creating a space of genuine care, safety, and no pressure—just the experience of being fully seen. Her approach blends mindfulness and somatic work, allowing the body to guide from an intuitive state and helping clients connect with their inner knowing. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to be truly met where you are, this episode is for you. From Michelle’s website, “The body’s intelligence knows things that neither we nor our clients know about the source of their unwanted attitudes and behavior. Hakomi practitioners learn to track and explore subtle somatic cues (i.e., facial expressions, breathing, tensions, postures, and movement patterns) that indicate the presence of unconscious thoughts, feelings, and patterns. Hakomi-based coaching is grounded in current neuroscience, combines somatic techniques, empathic attunement, limbic resonance, and the gentle inward-looking practice of Mindfulness.”To connect with Michelle, here is her website: https://theresilientsomaticcoach.com/