When I started life coaching in the south of Sweden 2004, I also held motivational speeches and did some practices with small groups. One of the things we did, and that I like to continue with, is lighting up others.

We all carry a light within. Usually, it shows when we talk about something that excites us, or when we feel very well and ready to share our talents with the world. But, what we shouldn’t forget, is our interdependence and that we can re-ignite the light within others too. When we really see another person, we recognize their light within. We can thus pass ours forward and reignite it.

In the group, I let everybody stand in a circle and then we passed a candle around together with acknowledging the other.

What makes you enthusiastic? Can you help spread it with others, who might need a nudge?

Have you ever heard the expression: Being one with nature? This is referring to recognizing the spirit of nature, the aliveness, and feel our own role in the eco-system. One way to feel one with nature, is by tending to animals – horseback riding can for example make you feel one with the horse, when the two of you charge over the fields in full gallop or gently trott in a dressage program. Or by petting a furry little friend, like a bunny, you can feel the bunny’s aliveness: its heartbeat, its warm and fluffy fur.

However, we can also foster a caring relationship with Mother Earth by spending time in nature just walking about, and simply acknowledge the more subtle aliveness there too: The sound of birdsong, the flow of a stream, the wind in the leaves, the scent of pine and fresh grass, the surface of rocks, the feeling of soil and sand running through your hands, and the little wild flowers making their presence known through their fierce will to grow through the winter cold dirt with the first rays of the spring sun.

By taking frequent and undisturbed walks, with no special focus or expectations at first, but with a sense of discovery, without threading the same predetermined and usual trails, but daring to take a couple of steps directly into the woods, enable you to sense true wilderness. If we have gotten used to walking a certain way, it’s easy to remain in our thoughts, rather than being present on our path. Explore and notice your surroundings instead. Then, after doing so, you can develop a relationship with the place you’re in. You can make it a habit to check how the trees are doing, where there are new buds arriving, or if there are any new animals to be seen, any berries you can taste, or any differences in daylight, and where there is shadow to rest. All with a childlike wonder.

Let the oxygen you inhale feed you with more life, as your exhale feeds the greenery back. This is to share breath, to share Aloha.

If I were to eat according to the natural climate in Sweden, when it comes to fruit and vegetables, I would have to only eat potatoes, carrots, cabbage and apples most of the year. And perhaps some strawberries, raspberries and blueberries in late June and July. No bananas, no kiwis, no passion fruits, no mangoes, no papaya, no pineapple, no oranges or lemons. No broccoli, avocado, zucchini or eggplant. And probably tomatoes only during summer too. Would this be good enough for my heath?

Thus, we must import the most, which in turn creates more demand and pressure to produce big crops, wherefore greenhouses also become an alternative. But is that good? In one way, it feels wrong to buy large scale produce, but on the other hand, since we can do so – are we not supposed to? To ensure that everybody on the planet becomes fed? To reasonable prices.

Add fish, chicken, eggs (besides tofu and quorn) and my favorite carbohydrates in the form of Basmati rice, Quinoa, Buckwheat and Glutenfree pasta; made of rice and corn. Teas, seasalt and herbal spices. Nuts and seeds. I also prefer to eat organic and avoid all dairy based products.

If I’m lucky, this produce can be local, but most often not. This is why I believe, I felt I had much better physical health (which for sure affects my emotional, mental and spiritual health too), when I lived in Portugal.

How do you reason when you go to the grocery store? Let’s talk about this at Telluselle Living Center.

I took an interest in Feng Shui at the same time, I started practicing Qigong and received Acupuncture in 1995, since these practices are somewhat intertwined through Chinese Medicine. In 2001, I wrote a series of articles for a local e-zine applying a Feng Shui inspired perspective on a new neighbourhood built in Malmö, Sweden, that also was a fair about future living, in 2001. I also let a licensed Feng Shui practitioner have her say. So, now that I’ve moved to another apartment in Stockholm, Sweden that I was given by the city, I thought I’d share how it fits according to Feng Shui, so far.

It’s said that we should have a mountain behind us and have the ocean in front of us, to increase opportunities and feel safe. Especially facing East, since this is where the sun rises. My kitchen faces east and I can see the sunrise, sitting at my table. And another house, has my back.

In my living room, that is on the front side entrance, of the apartment building, I see the sunset, at Mälaren, the Stockholm river and inflow from the Baltic Sea, right down below me. I really enjoyed watching the sunset when I lived in Hawaii a decade ago, so this fits me well personally. It can provoke sadness, perhaps, and prove to be a little less social, but that is also how I like my home to be my own sacred refuge, first and foremost, with only specific and chosen friends and acquaintances by my invitation only, to visit. My address, also consists of to me, auspicious numbers, with a street name that echoes my grandfather. All, to create a more stabil and better foundation for my next step in life, when I’ve recuperated and gotten a good overview of my situation.

Feng Shui, means to balance wind and water, and can also be applied in our home and businesses, by using a square map, where we can see which areas of a room, or our entire house plan, can be designated for each purpose (such as career, communication, socializing, learning and romance). Upon that, we can boost what we would like to increase in our life by placing our furniture accordingly, choosing colors, and plants and little objects, to inspire. You have perhaps seen many mansions that have a fountain in front of their entrance? This is instead of having the actual ocean there.

I’ll show you the lot, when my interior design is done!

Not everybody can become clients to a life coach. For example, if you have just undergone a trauma, or are in the midst of grieving, or on sick-leave, those are times that require therapy and rest. But, if you are willing to change and open for seeing new perspectives, while also taking actual steps towards implementing the change you seek, you are more than welcome to contact me, or any other life coach.

I think the best coaching sessions are live meetings in person. They include confidentiality and a neutral space where you can explore and discuss different relationships, situations and problems you would like to solve without interference. Nowadays, we can also do it through Zoom. Each session lasts for 45-60 minutes with a focused concentration. And we focus on the here and now, and where you would like to be – not so much on the past. The past can help us understand the need for change, but is otherwise an analysis better done with a licensed therapist.

You set your own agenda and while I will enable you forward momentum through my questions, mirroring and summary, you’ll still lead the conversation. This alone will help you feel empowered!

Sometimes, I will challenge you, so that you can better define and confirm which values you like to be your foundation, as well as question certain views, to gain more perspectives that can enable you to find more opportunities and ways to change. Wanting to reach a goal, is a desired change. Wanting to change your communication style in relationships, whether professional or personal, is also a desired change. While change can be scary and a bit dramatic at times, a life coach will support you all the way through, if you so would like.

Contact me here to schedule a first session for free, to see what it feels like.

Our bodies are like glass, both fragile and strong at the same time. We can stand strong for decades, yet break in a moment’s notice.

Since a couple of months, I’ve been experiencing pain in my shoulders, knees and groins, without really knowing why, more than perhaps due to weight gain and not walking as much as I usually do. Since I was told in my early 20’s that I have a bit too flexible ligaments, I went to see a physiotherapist, who now has helped me with some exercises to build strength in my specific areas. While we were talking, he said that I shouldn’t take any painkillers before my practice and explained to me how most of them simply block the paths to our brain so we don’t feel the pain, but it’s still there. We can even hurt ourselves by overdoing it, since we feel less pain. So, yesterday evening, I did yoga without any. I had to go slower, be more careful and do the easier versions of asanas than I normally do, but perhaps this is a good thing – acknowledging my body’s abilities at this time. After all, I’m also passed 50.

For many years, I have taken non-prescription drugs, mostly because of tooth-ache or headache, but maybe I’ve pushed myself too far and thus not been in balance with the strength and stability to match my flexibility; common for dancers.

How is your body feeling and how can you help it feel better with gentle practice?

How do you look at where you live? Is your home a place where you mostly relax and wind down, or is for entertaining guests? Do you want it to inspire you towards more creativity? Consciously choosing how we live, enables us a more rooted stability in all our endeavours.

To me, I like my home to feel like an extension of myself, that my furniture and fabrics are like an extension of my clothes and daily style. This goes both for colors, and the way I place my things. To my assistance, I sometimes use the guidelines for Feng Shui, which is the Chinese way of interior design as a foundation for a more successful life. By placing certain objects in areas corresponding to our wishes in various areas of life according to the compass, called Ba Gua (that the logo for Telluselle Living Center is inspired by), it’s said our focus therethrough, easier can attract what we would like to have. It’s a matter of placing the furniture so that we feel safe, secure and enjoy a good flow of energy. To invite it in.

And this doesn’t need to cost a lot! I found this cute candle holder depicting Yin and Yang in beige and brown marble, that are part of my favorite colors, in a local thrift store for 50 cents! And the tealights are made of wax from rapeseed oil which is eco-friendly. What little things can you bring into your home to create more harmony? And what can you remove?

Sometimes, I like resembling humans with plants. I think it’s an awesome mirror for understanding how our true needs must be met and how they all have an effect on each other.

We need to have soil for our roots to grow in. The soil is our society and where we physically live.

We need to have nourishment. This is water and food, and to breathe.

We need to have light. This is the essence of our connection and oneness with all earthlings. We need both sunshine and shade.

We need kindness. Harsh words hurt us like abuse on the skin, while kind caresses us. Plants answer the same with green growth and lushness, or drooping and shrinking.

What if it’s this simple, that our spiritual channels in fact are the channel which air and light goes through and this is what we’re affected by? That, when it’s dark and cloudy, our minds grow weary, while a sunny day brings forth more clarity of mind? I think it is so.

Which plant would you be? How can you understand yourself better by comparison?

One of the things that I’d like to host at Telluselle Living Center, is sacred circles for conversation. In Sweden, we have a tradition called “study-circles” that are subsidized by our government, that pays out a sum to non-profit organizations having them. This can be for dancing, yoga, meditation and qigong, as well as actually studying and discussing various books or topics – like night-classes or book-circles for culture, crafts and the arts. It’s this concept that I’d like to bring with me to the United States and adjust to the market here, perhaps even suggesting a subsidy too. And as a professional life coach, I’m trained to lead these kind of conversation circles and have done so, both during my university education as well as taught Beginner’s English for senior Swedish citizens (and some Hula). These groups usually consist of 5-15 people and here is how they work:

Let’s say that our topic is Equality with the purpose to lessen discrimination. We will sit comfortably in a circle and let each person speak. The first round will be introducing ourselves and sharing our own purpose for participating. The second round we’ll discuss how we define our topic. The third round, we’ll all give examples of our own experiences and the fourth time around, we’ll discuss improvements that we would like and how these can be done. All concluded with an open discussion and a summary.

These group discussions may be only once for each topic, or developed into a semester course with literature and news-clippings to go with, and perhaps a brainstorming session, where we’ll come up with various solutions and ideas on how to proceed, whether it would be to write a bill and invite a politician or attorney, or start a consultancy business. We’ll have various exercises that we will do in between our meetings, to try various approaches at home, in our schools or in our workplaces, to implement our desired change. Then, we’ll reconvene and share how these exercises went.

This way of discussing, when properly disciplined with presence and real listening, not only enable us to learn more from each other, but also see how we can develop a topic with synergy around the circle. And we’ll find likeminded souls fostering a mutual sense of support, to improve society.

What would you like to discuss?

Yesterday, when I practiced Isadora Duncan dance, we were focusing on various technical details and noticing the difference between regular Modern and Isadora. How we hold our arms or lift our legs, is not the same. How we accentuate and express ourselves. Another thing Sam taught, was the various rhythms we must learn to navigate and communicate with.

We have the physical rhythm – how we move our bodies

We have the emotional rhythm – how we let ourselves be led by the sentiment imbued in the melody or the emotion we would like to express

And we have the musical rhythm – the variations of tempo and the dynamics within crescendo and diminuendo

All these rhythms must be incorporated and balanced throughout the choreography and the phrases.

Can we apply this to our regular life too? Which rhythms are we following when we are out and about in society? This was something that I specifically noticed upon returning to Stockholm, Sweden after having lived in Honolulu, Hawaii for several years. In Hawaii, people walk leisurely and take things slow, while in Stockholm people rush to even be on the right end of the train, to arrive at the nearest exit, and become ballistic if the train is late for 2 minutes. In Honolulu, one should be happy if the bus shows up within 2 hours. Thus, this is society’s rhythm.

The natural rhythm is a bonus to be part of. The way the ocean crashes on the shore or how the storm makes us rush inside to be in harmony with the seasons.

Which rhythm are you following and can you sense that there are different ones?

We all know how well we can feel, after a good belly laugh. You know one of those, when we almost can’t stop, or even cry happy tears? Having fun is also a sure way to tend to your wellness and self-care, even with small giggles. So take out your journal, or have a cup of coffee with a friend, and come up with at least 5 things that you think is fun to do and make you laugh. Bring out the list regularly to ensure you also do one of them, such as once a month. And always add more things, when you feel it!

My list goes:

1. Watching old Pink Panther movies with Peter Sellers
2. Watching Fawlty Towers with John Cleese
3. Skipping barefoot as part of dancing Isadora Duncan
4. Having a glass of white wine and reminisce silly moments
5. Daring to put my head under water in a pool or the ocean

Laughter brings forth joy!

What if the actions we do, in fact are the seeds we sow? In one way, we can see it as karma between people, that we create through our communication and actions. All things have a consequence. So if you want love, sow love. Not to get, but to share and to be.

One of the most important thing for humans, I believe, is to recognize and remember that we are part of the eco-system and not greater than. We become reminded of a power greater than us, when storms, floods, fires and earthquakes happen. But, we should remember this always. What kind of effect do we create with our own individual actions?

We can see our actions and communication as seeds we plant into Mother Earth. We know this to be true for what we consume. If we buy eco-friendly products, and recycle or reuse what we can, we litter less. If we produce with care, we also contribute to a more healthy eco-system. It’s all about what we use. To clean, to eat, to live with. But, what if our services and our communication also can be seen as seeds? If we hold for a truth, that everything is energy, we always affect each other and Mother Earth with our energies. Think of every action as a touch. Be gentle.

Many of the seashells come in different kinds, depending on which beach they were found. These are from Estoril, Sao Joao, Carcavelos, Oeiras, Costa de Caparica and Caxias, in Portugal.

Would you like to ensure that your employees are healthy and fit for the job, thus have less sick-days? Would it be helpful to increase motivation and performance? To assist in creating more life-work balance?

In Sweden, employers can offer their employees a benefit in the form of a wellness payment up to 500 USD per year, tax deductible, to be used for regular fitness and wellness activities, such as for a membership at a gym or a dance studio. The question is, if the United States, especially the state of California, is in need of this? Would it be possible to implement here too? Not only to serve me as a prospective owner of Telluselle Living Center, but for all business and organizations to be able to offer!

The way it works, is simply an add into the employment contract alongside salary. Most often, the employee receives a bill from his/her desired workout place and then the employer pays that directly. Neither employer, nor employee, needs to pay taxes for it.

Everybody can use a better health…

My hope with this plan, to build and host a combined dance and coaching studio, with other activities too, is to create a shared co-op, so that people working with me also can be included in the decision making, profit and responsibilities. I’ll work as the manager and life-coach, including leading some of the groups for conversation circles, and of course introduce our guest lecturers and consultants and group leaders for those in need of space. Nobody will be able to work full time, but everybody should get the same salary per hour, whether employed or charged through their own organization (ie there will be two ways for earnings with different levels depending on taxes). And I hope to have a couple of classes at various levels of each per week, fostering cultural arts with a care for Mother Earth.

These are the staff members I’d like to hire, or have a contract with:

Qigong-instructor: Someone who has studied with a real Master like Lee Holden; Chinese heritage would be a plus

Yoga-instructor: Someone who has studied with a real Master; Indian heritage would be a plus

Hula-instructor: Someone who has studied with a real Kumu; Hawaiian heritage would be a plus

Isadora Duncan-instructor: Someone who has received teacher training by Lori Belilove

5rhythms-instructor: Someone who has studied for Gabrielle Roth or a student of her

Ecstatic dancing-instructor: Someone who has taught this previously

West African dance-instructor: Someone who has been a student to a renowned teacher, preferably from Mali or Guinea, with live drummers; West African heritage would be a plus

Meditation-instructor: Someone who has studied several schools and/or is a devoted Buddhist or Hindu

Pranic healer: Someone who has studied for Master Stephen Co

Lomilomi practitioner: Someone who has studied for a real Kumu; Hawaiian heritage would be a plus

Acupuncturist: Someone who has studied Chinese Medicine; Chinese heritage would be a plus

Life-coach: Someone who is certified by ICF and/or use the Co-Active coaching model

Organic café – Someone who already is running a cafe and wants another one or move

Receptionist / Staff scheduling

Accountant / Marketing assistant

Cleaners / Janitor

And lots of happy customers!

Send me an email at hannah@telluselleliving.com if you feel so inclined, and I’ll get back to you, when it’s time in San Francisco.

Art made by Anne Solveig that can be purchased here.

Life-coaching is a method designed in two ways. It’s a professional conversation technique with its emphasis on posing open ended questions, so that you as the client, can let your own answers emerge from within. This enables you, a safe place to try various perspectives and discuss various solutions, to discern which you’d like to follow up, with action towards your desired change; your goal.

Another way of looking at coaching, is that its inherent value is the approach which we meet our clients with. Our core values are that we believe that all people can bring forth good and be part of their own problem-solving with our neutral and positive support. A life-coach is like your own cheerleader for your work, hobbies, finances, health and relationships. This approach, thus constitute an outlook on life, where we deem that people are resourceful and creative by nature. And by founding our practice accordingly, we can make these abilities grow. This is also why many leaders take to coaching for positive reinforcement that can help employees to be more productive, efficient and happier.

You can also begin to practice this yourself in your own conversations. Next time someone asks you of your opinion, or when you simply feel inclined to offer yours, pose a question instead, to let the conversation evolve into more understanding and creative suggestions. This also enables more confidence to develop.

Would you like to try? Contact me here.

Feel angry and disempowered? Dance West African dance to live drums.

Feel nostalgia and awe? Dance Hawaiian Hula to songs and ukulele.

Feel soulful and passionate? Dance Isadora Duncan to classical piano.

Feel curious and want to liberate yourself? Dance 5rhythms to five different melodies.

Feel a longing to merge with nature? Dance Ecstatic dance to soft electronic beats.

Put your bare feet on the floor, and let the music lead you with your emotions as fuel for your expression.

What do you have much of in your life? And what would you like more of? Using a wheel of life to map it out, is part of life-coaching. We can divide our life into 8 parts: Physical, Mental, Spiritual and personal growth, Finances, Social, Romantic relationship, Career and Physical environment. Then you make an estimation of how satisfied you are with each area as well as clarify how much time you spend on each, where 10 is fully and 0 is none.

Now, you can draw an inner circle to see your own chart. While all these areas are in constant motion and changes, you’d be surprised how well they all feed each other. For example, if you see you haven’t been much social lately but dread working less because your finance area needs more too; daring to spend more time with friends anyway may make you more relaxed, inspired and connected with ideas for improvement, as well as grow a better emotional detachment to your job, that in fact will make you more productive and efficient.

You can set a goal to just have more balance or for each area, but you can also choose one to focus on. With a professional life-coach, you can discuss the ingredients and needs for your chosen area, which will enable your to come up with some ideas and strategies to improve how you spend your time.

Another perspective to gain balance, is by using the natural elements to help symbolise each area:

Air – spiritual – faith

Metal – intellectual – mind and thoughts

Earth – environment and finances

Fire – emotional – romantic relationship and passion

Water – physical – health and body

Wood – social – family and friends

Ether – soul and self realised

How would you like to divide your areas?

In Sweden there is a health phenomena that has been on the increase for the last two decades. It’s called Burn-out syndrome and is often referred to as hitting the wall. While many athletes might know of this danger if one doesn’t compete well enough trained and prepared, not many other countries share cases of the type of mental fatigue that envelops the Swedish diseased. Most people collapse also physically, but it’s seen as a mental disorder with a depression to follow.

Luckily, me and my fellow classmates in Workscience at Malmo University, were taught another perspective in the early 2000’s before the institution was closed. And I can now stand fully behind this, through my own experience. As you might have noticed online, I keep one foot still firmly planted in Hawaii, or at least the United States. This is to prevent me from hitting the wall, more than I already have some years ago. The Swedish sociologist Johan Asplund made a study and concluded that it was the lack of response that created burn-out. It’s the lack of relating with depth and sincerity, that isolates people and make them miserable, while often still busy at work. He called it dissocial responsitivity and it might be quite controversial as it pertains to the Swedish culture and our law of Jante – to not believe, less say, that you are someone.

Sometimes we may put up a wall, or a facade, against other people that we don’t like or out of our own lack of self-confidence perhaps. Imagine if this wall comes up by professionals who simply refuse to answer and solve problems? As a means for ostracism? Swedish people have often thought of Americans as superficial with their quick banter with strangers. I, myself, has grown to like it, to see it as a form of validation that builds the foundation of really being seen. Perhaps it’s even a spiritual thing, because a Swedish minister or pastor is often also good at confirming one’s true value. Why don’t people in Hawaii become burned out as easily, if ever? They might even be working two jobs. Because of the palm-trees and the temperature? Not only. I’m sure the daylight also plays an important part in having health, but of course it’s thanks to the Aloha-spirit, which in fact also permeates most of the Americans from elsewhere, that I’ve met during my various travels.

That love is the answer, sounds like a cliché, but it isn’t. It’s by opening our hearts, the wall becomes transformed. And this is why coaching is essential for a healthy society since coaching is about validating and empowering our clients, as well as hosting small groups that meet and talk in sacred circles. Preferably in person, at Telluselle Living Center.

Read more about hitting the wall here and here.

What would you like? Quick! Just answer the question without overthinking. What is important for you to feel? What is it that you need more of, to guide you forward this coming year? Letting our intuition and instincts take the front seat, often provides us with an answer that really is resonating true on a deep level.

We can’t predict what is going to happen in our lives or when, which is one of the reasons why it can be so difficult to reach goals or simply to keep a promise that we make on New Year’s Eve. As a life coach, I advocate to make a personal growth theme for the coming year instead.

Year 2022, I had Posture as my guiding light. To be more aware of how I sit, stand and walk to be less stressed. Now that this year is soon coming to an end in our planners, I try to evaluate how this personal growth theme has served me. I have become much more aware of my posture and how adjusting it can both help me present myself better and be able to feel more present in my body. Continuing to learn more Isadora Duncan dancing, has of course also really enabled me to claim my space. Which theme did you have and how did this work, or not, for you? What did you learn?

Next year… 2023, I’m going to pledge to let Enthusiasm be my guide. I want to feel enthusiastic about what I do and if I don’t, examine why, and see if I can make another choice. To enable me to fulfil this pledge, I will look into what naturally makes me feel enthusiastic and thus seek these type of opportunities and relationships, while I work towards fulfilling my goal: To move to San Francisco. I have also already taken some steps towards moving, by applying for a couple of jobs, looking into the best route for me, made some contacts and an estimated time schedule and budget.

Read more about making a personal growth theme here and here. You can also contact me for a series of coaching sessions to help you set, and fulfil your goals.

Now that Christmas is upon us, what better time of year than to practice real generosity of heart! Yesterday, I heard two acquaintances talk about their Christmas gifts that they had received from each their employers and this brought me to think of what I’d like to give my future employees. Swedish gingersnaps of course! A little basket of goodies, and a tea light holder made of glass. If you were an employer, what would you gift your employees?

Take this exercise further and consider what you really would like to give to your family, friends and loved ones, if money was not a problem and you could get them anything you would like. Make a list!

Check the list to see if it’s things that you really would like yourself. Then make a special wish-list for that. Continue the list for others, and really think through what you know in your heart that they long for. Write it down. Offer your wishes to God, or to Santa… Share it too, if your want.

Merry Christmas!