I have experienced a year of what feels like “too many” significant endings and I am grateful that I have the support of my practices, my coaching communities, mother nature and my teachers.
I would particularly like to pay tribute to and express deep gratitude for an inspiring woman, and my Leadership Embodiment Teacher, Wendy Palmer, who left her earthly body on 2 December 2022. (Wendy is pictured above with my colleague and friend, Amit Prag.)
Although I understand that death is part of life this is still a very painful loss for me, the entire worldwide LE Community, Wendy’s family, friends and Aikido Community. As Karen White aptly put it, “With all the practices and spiritual work we do, it does not take away from the pain of losing the people we love, respect and care for. This is part of being human.”
I met Wendy in 2013 and will never forget walking into the room and immediately feeling her presence. She shone brightly and had a touch of grace about her. I sat next to her in circle and could feel her energy radiating out towards me – it was inspiring.
I knew immediately that this was the work I wanted to do. I knew that in order to create deep change we must work with and through the body – with loving awareness. This meeting changed the trajectory of my life and both Wendy and Karen made this possible. Through the learnings I was able to hold space and be with my brother in a calm, mindful way in his final hours in 2016 and to be fully present for Yazhi as she transitioned. It’s not always easy – and the practices have and continue to support me and my clients in profound ways.
Wendy was the founder of Leadership Embodiment, a process that uses principles from the non-violent Japanese martial art of Aikido and Mindfulness to offer simple tools and practices to increase leadership capacity and respond to stress and pressure with greater confidence and integrity. Wendy held a seventh degree black belt in Aikido and has practiced Mindfulness for over 40 years. She worked with executive teams worldwide & authored four books, Dragons and Power, Leadership Embodiment, The Intuitive Body & The Practice of Freedom.
If you have ever been on retreat with me or experienced a coaching session with me you will remember the centring practice and some of the other embodiment practices we explored together.
I am so deeply grateful for the opportunity to have trained with Wendy – to have learnt from her, laughed with her, danced under the moonlight and stars with her & become part of a supportive global community. I am privileged to honour Wendy’s legacy and share the practices from this powerful work on my retreats and in my coaching practice.
Tiphani and family, may you feel held and loved and supported at this time of grieving.
Wendy, may you continue to dance amongst the stars and shine your light on all of us and guide us. And may we continue to share this meaningful work so that we make it possible for others to connect with heir light too.
With Deep Gratitude, Namaste.