I first came to Azulfit because I needed time to think things through. I was stressed and frustrated with my work life but I didn’t know what I wanted to do or what my options were. I’d been unwell for a long time and I couldn’t quite see beyond where I was.
A wise woman once (probably) said: “When everything gets too much in your life, go on an Azulfit retreat and find yourself”!
Lying by the pool one day I got chatting to one of the other guests and she told me how coaching had made such a difference to her life. She told me what it was and how it worked: By helping you to focus in, get clarity on what you wanted and making yourself achievable goals, which the coach holds you accountable to, to ensure you made it. As well as thinking ‘I could do with some of that’, it sounded like something I would love to do – I enjoy helping others to develop, grow and take control of their lives. And so it was that thanks to Azulfit, the idea of me becoming a personal development or ‘life’ coach was born.
As soon as I got off the plane back home I did some research and within 3 weeks I was on a taster weekend for training to be a Coach. I’m not usually an impulsive person but this had really struck a chord with me and I wanted to try it on and see how it suited me, whilst I still had the renewed energy from the retreat. From that weekend, I was hooked and my journey to becoming a qualified coach began.
It’s such a simple but effective tool and it feels natural, as it works holistically, and I love to ask questions and listen to what people are saying, and sometimes more importantly, not saying! Just some time out and a conversation and I had found what I wanted to do and made it happen.
I of course got myself a coach too, to make sure that I stuck with it – it was a 2-year course so easy to get waylaid or lose focus – and I needed someone there for me to help me focus on my goals, keep me going through the tough times and challenge me when I lost my way or lost sight of my end goal.
And now that’s what I offer to others – time for a focussed conversation about what you want to do, or might want to do, and how you can realistically do it, looking at your complete life so the whole becomes balanced, not just one part of it.
And now I’m going to be coming back to Azulfit in 2018, not as a guest this time but as their resident coach, offering a week where coaching will be available to you alongside their other fantastic programme. I couldn’t be more excited to give something back to Azulfit, as my first visit there radically changed my life.
New Year is a time of fresh hope, new beginnings and making plans for the future. A perfect time to refresh your body and soul and put in place some really solid foundations for making your dreams a reality and accomplishing your life goals.
Coaching is complementary to everything that you get from Azulfit, the clarity of thought that I always get at the retreat, the revitalised mind and body. A fantastic time to focus in on what you want to do, work out a clear path forward and take away something that won’t just fizzle out in a few days after returning home to the normal ‘busyness’ of our lives.
Coaching starts from the premise that everyone has the best answers to their own situation within them. Through coaching you can get to these answers, plan how to apply them and take the actions you choose. By asking the right questions and giving you the quality space to focus in, I can help you to access that knowledge already there in your head, being hidden by the layers of innate protection, limiting beliefs and learnt behaviours.
New Year, New You
Life coaching, yoga & Pilates Retreat
Location: Surya Retreat, Fuerteventura
Date: 6 – 13 January 2018
Instructor(s): Christina Gates, Rachel Blunt & Jo Dombernowsky
Each morning you will wake up and enjoy a flowing yoga or Pilates class, our teachers guide you to get the most out of your practice.
Each evening we have more gentle, restorative sessions or we experiment with Pilates, partner yoga, meditations and yoga nidra. Rejuvenation and recovery prepare you for anything you may have planned for the next sun filled day in paradise!
Join us for a delicious, hearty vegetarian meals after class. Our nutrition advisor, Jo, has lovingly created menus and dishes that will delight the palate and satisfy the tummy.
During the day is where the transformative work with Christina begins. You can book one or more sessions over the course of the week with Christina. You can also trial the group session to get a feel for what coaching is all about.
Together, we’ll look holistically at what you want to achieve or change in your life, look at where you are now with it, what options you could have, what barriers or obstacles could get in your way and what you want to do to make it happen. It could be a life change, a career move or simply continuing the new health and wellbeing you have found from your time at Azulfit.
With the addition of coaching, you’ll leave Surya Retreat with not just a refreshed mind and body, but also a plan to help sustain you back in real life!
Read more about life coaching with Christina Gates
How long does a coaching session last?
Our sessions will last about 1.5 hours to give us enough time to get into the things you want to work on and make a solid plan.
How much will it cost?
Sessions at Surya Retreat will be offered at a discounted rate of just 75 Euros which can be paid in cash on the day.
Where will they take place?
We can have the session at Surya Retreat, in a nearby café or walking around the area – whatever suits you best.
How do I book?
To guarantee your coaching session, you can book a session directly with Azulfit in advance via their website. There may be some sessions still available to book once you arrive but if you want to secure a definite place please book in advance.
Will there be any group coaching sessions at Surya retreat?
We’ll run a group ‘Wheel of Life’ session at the retreat during the week to give everyone a chance to look at their life and their goals and get a coaching taster.
What if I need more than one session or want to follow up?
Further coaching sessions will be available by Skype, Facetime or other video conferencing so we can keep in touch and you can get ongoing coaching support if you want it.
What else will you offer?
As an accredited i3 Personality Profiling Coach, I’ll also be offering the chance for you to get your own i3 Profile and coaching session, to help you to understand why you are who you are, making sense of the things you naturally do. We will celebrate your uniqueness, recognising your innate skills, understanding and utilising them, to make the most of what you already naturally have. We’ll look at practical ways you can ‘dial-up’ and ‘dial-down’ your traits as you need them and how you can work with those around you who have different natural preferences, to support you in areas that are less natural to you.
I3 is different to other personality profiling tools as each one is totally unique, there is no standardising, and reports are produced individually by a real person, not a piece of software. No two i3 profiles have ever been the exact same despite c25,000 having been completed!
Please note that if you would like an i3 profiling coaching session during the week, this will need to be booked in advance, and an online questionnaire completed at least 2 weeks before the retreat. This will enable me to write your bespoke report for you which I’ll then work through with you at your coaching session. I3 is particularly useful for people thinking about a career or work change and want to understand their natural skills and preferences for work environments or if you are having a difficult time at work and want to approach it differently. It’s also great if you just want a deeper understanding of what makes you who you are.
An i3 log-in, bespoke written report and coaching session will be offered at the discounted rate for Surya Retreat clients of 165 Euros (usually 220 Euros). If you would like to book for an i3 profile or have any questions please get in touch with me directly at [email protected] or via Azulfit.
Where can I find out more about you and about coaching?
Please visit my website for more information.