Elementas
Lou Booth Wellness coaching & business mentoring
Autumn’s Message to Start Anew
We often talk about January and the New Year being the time for fresh beginnings, new resolutions and intentions. Yet I wonder, is September and Autumn the more natural time for change? My love of nature and fashion has always been stimulated by Autumn ’s enchanting colour pallet. Psychologically it would definitely make sense. The colours of Autumnal leaves signify a time when as adults or as children we’ve all had to grapple with new starts; timetables, getting to new new places and people. Memories of a mental shift in pace and pattern, returning to school, college or Uni after the a summer rest? I wonder, maybe our brain is naturally hardwired to change in Autumn, if so could we harness this energy?
Change can be exciting and energising, mapping out future plans and aspirations, new adventures. Change can also be subtle or pronounced. Change can be unsettling and uncomfortable; especially the type of change that arrives without welcome. Changes like a pandemic, or those unexpected life defining words from a partner, a boss, a doctor or vet – that can stop us in our tracks, to catch our breath, and potentially change our lives for better or worse. Such experiences can take even the most prepared of us by surprise, without the cushion of time to prepare for the shift, the journey or fall out that can follow.
Coming back to Autumn as she reliably returns again, spreading her stylish cape of deep purples, ruby reds and vibrant yellows. Could Autumn’s uplifting spirit help you to start anew? Could this new season and natural splendour soften your mental and emotional landscape, helping you to press pause as we emerge from multiple lockdowns? Could you take time to balance out the benefits of personal and work changes, with the harsh shifts in society that we have all experienced in the last few years?
As we all adapt to natural life pace and rhythm, I invite you to keep curious and open. As we start to make sense and navigate our new world, emerging from multiple lockdowns. As we begin to notice the subtle shifts to our behaviour and society norms and habits, remember to take time to re-calibrate and adjust.
“True life is lived when tiny changes occur”
Leo Tolstoy
What can we learn from the natural movement of Autumn as she prepares to open her natural jewellery box of seasonal delights?
- Tune in to your senses to become more present; let your eyes notice the colour changes around you. Feel the air temperate shifting bringing a palpable chill to the air. Watch the play of Autumn’s mellow light dancing on pavements, textures and surfaces. Remember to “press pause” and connect with your mind and emotional internal weather system daily.
- Calm and support your nervous system as you move and settle into a new pace, albeit perhaps a less familiar life. Take a deep breath in and then a long release. Make your breath audible (helping your mind to hear you), giving it permission to rest and settle just for a few minutes during your day.
- Watch and learn from nature. Hear the wind’s energy gently gathering momentum nudging acorns and sycamore seeds to let go, to take a leap of faith to scatter and flourish.
- Like Mother Nature, embrace the strength of tender compassion, for self and others described by expert and researcher Dr Kristin Neff as a beautiful mix of keeping loving, connected and present.
- Gather together your own personal harvest with gratitude and appreciation. Take stock of your gifts and abilities, acknowledge how you (alongside others) have done your best to survive and triumph over uncertainty.
As we learn to deal with and recover form the life challenges that are thrown at, we can build resilience. Remember that ‘energy follows focus’ and we can build what transformational leader and businessman Stephen R. Covey (October 24, 1932 – July 16, 2012) called our “circle of influence” rather than getting lost in our ‘circle of concern’.
As with the strength of the mighty mountains and ancient oaks that stand tall, as the winds of life come and go, we can emerge wiser, stronger and more resilient.
Autumn is truly a time of hope, a knowing that ancient cycles will prevail. A reassurance and remembering that that “this too will pass” good or bad, it will not stay the same. We can trust that with the right support the flow of life continues.
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world”
Mahatma Gandhi
Despite what we are told there is another way. Sidestepping our harsh cultural stereotypes and judgements woven into our language encouraging us to “smash it” or “kill it”, imagine how would it feel to move with more ease, an acceptance of yourself and find a tempo that resonates and best fits with you?
Observe and learn from nature’s perpetual cycles and seasons and tune in and reset your own natural personal rhythm. Find new ways to acknowledge and hold your vulnerability, with a firm but flexible stance, a fierce compassion of bravery, empowerment, wisdom. It will serve you well as you draw upon your personal, rich abundance and unfurl through your life seasons with a natural, more effortless grace.
Lou Booth is a wellness and mindfulness life coach and business mentor. She works with individuals and organisations to develop new approaches that to help them to thrive and flourish. Contact Lou lou@elementas.co.uk 07715814833 www.elementascoaching.com
www.linkedin.com/loubooth
If you are open to change and want to grow your personal and organisational resilience and wellness get in touch I still have places on fully funded* programme of Peer Networking with 1:1 Coaching. It runs from late October 2021 until March 2022. * Lancashire Organisations conditions apply see https://elementascoaching.com/elementas-to-deliver-government-backed-peer-networks-initiative-in-lancashire/
Image courtesy of Dani Korai (Fundamental Nature) taken in Romania when training alongside inspiring professionals exploring new steps and ways to live and work.
elementas to deliver Government-backed peer networks initiative in Lancashire
elementas has been appointed by Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub, to help Lancashire’s businesses overcome challenges, build a trusted network and improve their performance through a funded programme of targeted knowledge sharing.
Peer Networks, which has just been launched is a national programme for SME leaders that want to work with likeminded business leaders to address key challenges and reach their goals.
It will run from September 2021 to March 2022 and follows a successful pilot programme which ended in March this year and supported more than 320 Lancashire businesses.
It will create a range of diverse peer-to-peer networking cohorts of 8-11 businesses in a range of sectors across Lancashire. Peer Networks is delivered through a series of high impact group sessions, with each cohort led by an expert facilitator.
Andrew Leeming, programme manager, Boost, said: “Our Peer Networks pilot, which took place last year, helped more than 320 Lancashire business leaders at a critical time in the county’s recovery from coronavirus. “We’re proud to announce that Peer Networks will be returning so that we can support a whole new group of business owners and managers to work together to address key issues, support each other and develop their business. “elementas is one of the 17 expert organisations we have chosen to help us deliver this exciting programme.”
Lou Booth, elementas owner founder said: “The elementas cohort will focus on Resilience and Wellness; front of mind for us all, as we navigate our business pandemic journey. The sessions are designed to help the group explore what Wellness and Resilience means to them personally and in business. With new tools and understanding participants, will be better equipped to talk wellness together and with their staff and colleagues. Participants will be able to recognise stress, anxiety and burnout earlier. This means they can lead better and keep doing what they love doing and be enterprising and creative to thrive and flourish. Resilience and wellness II builds on the success of the first cohort and I’m ever so excited to bring more fabulous Lancashire businesses together to do their magic! ”
The programme includes interactive action learning, small groups, flexible topic selection and one to one coaching. Let previous participants tell you more and check out their videos on this link Wellness and Resilience Peer Network:
“Please do this … The support is fantastic …”
I joined Lou’s previous group and thoroughly enjoyed the programme. This mainly was down to Lou’s enthusiasm and professionalism throughout. Everyone who has attended has stayed in touch which, in this busy life, speaks volumes for the value we all gained. Mick (MD Sancus Solutions Ltd)
“I attended this programme recently and had massively supportive experience both personally and professionally. I can highly recommend it to all “
Carl Bell Managing Director The Whitaker Organisation Community Interest Company, Museum, Art Gallery and Cultural Hub.
“I was involved in one of Lou’s groups and I have to say that it was an absolute pleasure and joy to have met so many talented and wonderful people, all on their own journeys and all able to offer wisdom, support and mentoring. Lou is a delight to work with and an experienced mentor and life coach. Her knowledge on wellness and resilience was insightful and creative. I only wish I could take part again! If you’ve not been involved, sign up now! 😊 “
Nicola Murray Head of Operations / Deputy Director at Sue Ryder
“I can personally recommend Lou Booth and the Peer Networks scheme. I’m very happy to speak to anyone who is interested and would like an informal chat about my experience – which is all very positive and has opened many new doors for me.”
The Resilience and Wellness is a fully funded project.
It is available to any small or medium sized business that has:
- Operated for at least one year
- At least five employees
- A turnover of at least £100,000
- An aspiration to improve
Ideally, participants should also have:
- The potential to scale up
- The ability or potential to export
There are still places available if you wish to part of a journey to grow and transform join our Resilience and Wellness Cohort (starting late October 2021) . Get in touch with to find out more Lou Booth 07715814833 (phone or WhatsApp) or email Lou@elementas.co.uk.
10 Years Old
Today is special and I have reason to be feel happy, grateful and proud. elementas has come of age, my company is 10 years old, a decade old! It marks a milestone on a journey to founding my own business and living a life that I love.
I am particularly thankful to all my clients, friends and supporters who have encouraged me from my very early days with elementas.
I can still recall meeting new start-ups and discussing our ambitions and hopes. I remember being a fledgling learning to fly, talking to other new start-ups who were mapping their futures to run their own businesses. Today I work with such people as a volunteer mentor. I was leaving behind the certainty of a secure 9-5 type job and a regular salary to follow my dreams and carve a new way to live and work. It was exciting and liberating but rather scary at the time, I didn’t have an anchor. I remember taking some months out to volunteer in South America, and writing my elementas (elements was taken!) business plan and deciding on my company values (natural, creative, holistic) half-way up an Andean Mountain!
This last year we have all had to deal with unplanned change and had to find new ways to live and work. In the middle of a global pandemic wellness and illness are at the front of mind for many of us at work and at home, with our loved ones. More than ever I sense that people are starting ‘to get’ the benefits of the work I do through elementas; combining my business background with mindfulness, wellness, compassion, heart-focused emotional intelligence coaching. A fellow professional and respected friend calls my work ‘gold standard’. In the earlier years it was tricky as these ideas and concepts were more alien or unfamiliar to many I came across. I had to be brave and muster up my courage and it paid off. More and more I see first hand the difference mindfulness techniques and mindfulness practices and compassionate leadership makes to individuals, teams and leaders. Clients find more clarity, develop more self-trust and insights. It is magic and simple!
I am grateful that I kept trusting my instinct, learning from wise experts, building my knowledge, skills and experience, taking time out (to keep well) and keeping going. After a decade of doing the work I love, navigating being a small business in a pandemic the words “together we flourish” ring more true than ever. I am truly grateful and resourcing my inner resilience and wisdom on my fascinating journey!
(On the way back from a break in Skye, May 2021)
Talking Men’s Health
I have always enjoyed working with men, in business and industry. In more recent years, I have become more curious about men’s health, as more men have come to me for coaching for help with work pressures and stresses; be that personally or with their colleagues and teams.
Recently I took the opportunity to train as a Men’s Health Champion, with the Men’s Health Forum. It was as chance to improve my own skills, and to better understand men’s health. I thought this would to help me in my role as coach as well as better support the relationships with the men in my life both professionally and personally. It was great to work with men’s health trainers Peter Baker and Jim Pollard, experts in this field.
We all came together as like-minded and enthusiastic practitioners, including organisations like the NHS and police, to learn more. Together we learnt more about the do’s and don’t and how to get men talking with appropriate conversations about their health. We used tested frameworks and processes to understand the stages of change and the best ways to support men in their journey to improved health choices. Together we explored the barriers that men say get in the way of their wellness. It was good fun and definitely a worthwhile experience. I was able to sharpen my awareness and knowledge about the current issues and challenges around men’s health. Here are some facts that cannot be ignored:
- Culturally and socially there is still a pressure for men to be strong.
- Health and wellness is a tricky subject to talk about; we need to learn to listen well.
- Men are less like likely to see a doctor, go to the opticians or visit a dentist than women.
- In the UK, one man in five dies before he reaches 65 years old.
- Four in five suicides are by men – suicide is the biggest cause of death for men under 35 and there has been a sharp increase in the rate among men aged 35-64.
We can all support the men in our lives be they friends, family or colleagues by being present and being ready to listen; when men are ready to talk.
To find out more about 1:1 wellness coaching and business mentoring or organisational wellness sessions, please get in touch WhatsApp 07715814833 or email Lou@elementas.co.uk
Find out more about the great work of the Men’s Health Forum (MHF) and their mission to improve the health of men and boys; all backed up by the latest research and facts. Discover partners that work with MHF, online resources ways individuals and organisations can get involved and raise awareness about Men’s Heath and Wellness.
elementas “Together we flourish”
People will never forget how you made them feel
Wellness has been front of mind for most of us, as we have navigated unfamiliar waters over the last year. Life changed beyond all recognition for many, whilst others found they were on the front line almost like “warriors of light” in the effort to save and maintain lives. I feel extremely grateful for all of these individuals and their service to humanity.
I also feel reflective and sad about the pending anniversary this week of the death of my client and dear friend Artist David Burrow (1945- 2020). Dave was one of the first to lose his life (15 April 20) during the pandemic. Dave was a pleasure, a brilliantly talent artist, who like many famous artists before him had, suffered with ups and downs of a long term mental health condition. A close friend of my late mum Cath, Dave became a close friend, an kind of uncle/ father figure, during our “Artist Endeavours” together planning exhibitions and trips out for coffee and cake. I miss his wisdom and laugher dearly, and the lost opportunity for his heartfelt presence he brought to our shared conversations about my mum and her life.
Over the last few months I have been designing e-books of wellness (to be released May 2021, celebrating 10 years running my own business).
The well books have been a labour of love. They are packed with inspirations from art to poetry, ideas, thoughts and tools intended to bring more wellness and harmony to our daily lives. I’ve created a series of six linked books (mind, body, emotions, spirit, resilience, kindness and compassion). These simple books are designed to focus our hearts and minds towards a journey of greater wellness, rather than illness. The intention is to help us all to explore the interconnectivity of our mind, body, emotions and spirit.
I have dedicated my “wellness of emotions” to Dave. It includes one of my favourite oil paintings by Dave, appropriately named ‘Hartz Mountains, Germany”.
“One of the reasons Dave said he loved painting is that every brush stroke is a part of him, his way of contributing something to the world.“ Clare
Here is a sneak preview of Dave’s contribution to emotional wellness:
Working from home, home schooling, isolation from our loved ones and restrictions have been tricky. This last year may have brought some gifts; time to pause or reflect and reassess, more time in nature, or a new family pet. However for many it has also brought much loss, and suffering and lack of the support of physical connections and interactions, that ‘someone’ to talk to or share our personal experiences with.
More and more people are starting to appreciate the value of keeping well and maintaining good health. The benefits of mindfulness are starting to become more widely recognised, which means my skills are increasingly in demand. After nearly a decade in business, I still strive to build my understanding, skills and experience in coaching and mindfulness, to ensure I can offer the best professional services and importantly something useful and relevant to clients.
This year is no different, my passion is for bringing wellness, coaching and mindfulness into our everyday lives continues. I am mid-way through a mindfulness MSc at Aberdeen university I and have been attending Mindfulness training on-line. Last August I become a licenced Heartmath coach.
Over the last six months I have successfully designed, delivered and facilitated a pilot Wellness and Resilience Peer Group with a diverse group of Lancashire business leaders. This project was on behalf of Boost Lancashire and gratefully funded by The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The project included personalised 1:1 coaching as well as mindfulness and group action learning. Client feedback was great, it was transformational experience. I feel proud of what the individuals and groups have achieved together, and how they supported each other personally and professionally, how they made each other feel…..
I hope to run this project again in May, 2020 please get in touch if you are interested in this fully funded programme.
To find out more about 1:1 wellness coaching and business mentoring or organisational wellness sessions, please get in touch WhatsApp 07715814833 or email Lou@elementas.co.uk
My Story
A beautiful video, sharing the energy behind elementas coaching and mentoring may it continue to create ripples of wellness….
It was a pleasure to work with Northwest Filmmakers. A massive thanks to the talented artistic direction and production from Grace Found Films and for Joe McDonald’s creative skills behind the camera. Both made this a fun experience, settling my nerves, and taking me to one of my favourite Lancashire beauty spots!
Letting Go
“When I let go of who I am, I become what I might be” – Lao Tzu.
True but so tricky to trust, to let go of what we know, especially in uncertain times, would you agree?
Yet as a wellness coach I continuously witness the courage and bravery of others to want to change. Fortunately it’s part of our human nature to aspire to better, to want to achieve.
Inspired by walks in nature, noticing the rhythms and patterns of change and renewal that surround us.
Moment by moment.
May you trust your journey today and in the weeks ahead to find your life-purpose.
Keep well and motivated. Remembering that we thrive and flourish together. Lou
Coming together to flourish
Over the last eight years I have engaged in wellness projects and training in the UK and internationally. I have worked with and practically learned from fascinating teachers, professional and wellness experts from different cultural perspectives. With rich learning and experiences I am excited to have an opportunity to bring together a small group of amazing people to share, explore different ideas and build Resilience and Wellness, supporting each other. This is a fully funded government initiative called Peer Networks delivered by Boost Lancashire.
We will be meeting over a period of 5 months (mainly by zoom) and together we will:
- Understand what Wellness and Resilience means to us as individuals
- Recognise and Manage Stress in ourselves (and others) better
- Discover new insights and ways of Finding Clarity in the “midst of it all”
- Learn ways to deal with unplanned Change and Transition in our worlds
- Improve our Communications with self and others by building self-awareness
- Employ new and personalised tools to Thrive and Survive opening new doors personally and professionally.
Places are limited* and we start early November, to make an enquiry please contact Lou Booth on 07715814833
(*organisations must have 5 staff and have a turnover of £100k)
Heart of the Matter Coaching Sessions – New
Imagine being able to flourish, in today’s uncertain world? To confidently build your relationships at home and at work, achieve your goals, and to authentically connect with the heart of who you really are.
Take a few minutes to experience HeartMath………
Power to choose the way you feel.
With mindfulness and compassion approaches and Heartmath tools and techniques, to engage the intuitive intelligence of your heart. Helping you to be more self-aware, to harness and activate your helpful emotions, and to notice, interrupt and self-regulate your tricky emotions to make better choices. Getting a grip of those depleting, chaotic, emotions that come out of the blue, zap our energy and take their toll on us and those around use. Emotions like frustration, fear, anger or worry, boredom, low mood and apathy can all negatively impact our performance, if we stay with them for too long.
Trust me, to show you how to move through less desirable emotional states sooner. Interrupting your stress response and your hormone system’s vicious cycle. Move out of depleting ‘fog-like’ states, where our behaviour starts to impact our spirit and our mental and physical health to come back to balance. To more motivational and restorative emotional states and life-affirming behaviours, building energy for your overall health, wellness and reliance.
How does that sound?
“Where attention goes, neural firing flows, and neural connection grows”
Daniel J. Siegel MD
(clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA)
You will start to quickly realise the benefits of building a state of coherence and choosing to cultivate and experience renewing emotional states like calm focus, peace, joy, passion and excitement more often, improving your performance and moving towards a regenerative and virtuous cycle.
I’m positive you will love the 💓 HeartMath coaching packages I have designed. Depending on your needs you can pick Taster, Transition and Transform sessions, please book your initial consultation below.
Your in-depth Transition and Transform package involves working with an downloadable app, and your own wearable Inner Balance Bluetooth Sensor with biofeedback technology, enabling you to measure and practise coherence – Heart Rate Variability . Take control and monitor your own progress in real time, between and beyond our sessions together.
Please book a consultation to arrange your first session, or to find out more. Don’t delay, start tapping into higher levels of energy and performance and live your life with more heart, health and happiness.
Your Initial 1/2 hour Consultation (to discuss your needs)