The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

A weekly podcast for coaches, embodiment teachers and anyone who sees the body as more than a hunk of meat. Embodiment Unlimited host Mark Walsh, interviews leaders and innovators from around the world. We cover coaching, mindfulness, trauma therapy, martial arts, meditation, somatics, yoga, and movement practices generally. The flavour is light-hearted, conversational and practical. The podcast has been going for seven years and had over three million downloads.

775.The Coaching Paradox: Finding Transformation Through Stillness - With Nic Askew 06/30/2026

775.The Coaching Paradox: Finding Transformation Through Stillness - With Nic Askew In this episode, I speak with filmmaker and interviewer Nic Askew about presence, stillness, and what it means to truly see another human being. Drawing on decades of creating deeply intimate filmed conversations, Nic shares his perspective on why the most meaningful moments emerge not through technique or performance, but by letting go of agenda and allowing something authentic to unfold. We explore what this means for coaches, examining the paradox at the heart of coaching: while clients often come seeking outcomes, the greatest transformations frequently happen when neither coach nor client is striving to get somewhere. Nic explains why where we speak from matters more than what we say, and how genuine presence can create the conditions for insight that no framework or methodology can manufacture. The conversation also explores the relationship between stillness and identity, the difference between speaking from the thinking mind and speaking from a deeper place of awareness, and why experiences such as creativity, improvisation, and embodied coaching often feel as though they arise from something beyond conscious effort. Mark brings both curiosity and scepticism to the discussion, questioning whether such an intangible approach can be taught and how it fits within the realities of professional coaching. Along the way, we discuss the tension between process and presence, the challenge of communicating transformational work without overpromising outcomes, the role of uncertainty in coaching, and why creating space for people to encounter themselves may be one of the most powerful things a coach can offer. ----------------------------------------------- Become a certified embodiment coach. Coach beyond mere words and support clients to transform their lives: ----------------------------------------------- Check out our for more coaching tips and our for full episode videos /episode/index/show/embodimentpodcast/id/41905580

774. Coaching Across Cultures: What Every Coach Needs to Understand - With Tamara Tan 06/23/2026

774. Coaching Across Cultures: What Every Coach Needs to Understand - With Tamara Tan In this episoden, I speak with cross-cultural coach Tamara Tan about the often-overlooked role culture plays in coaching, communication, relationships, leadership, and personal development. Drawing on her experience living and working across multiple countries, Tamara explores how culture shapes the way people build trust, express emotions, communicate feedback, approach authority, and make sense of their identity. We discuss why coaching models that work well in one culture can fall flat in another, and why cultural awareness is becoming an increasingly important skill for coaches working in a globalised world. We dive into the differences between American, European, and Slavic cultures, exploring how attitudes towards success, self-promotion, responsibility, conflict, vulnerability, and personal growth are deeply influenced by cultural conditioning. Tamara explains why some clients expect direct challenge while others need greater relational safety, and how coaches can avoid projecting their own cultural assumptions onto the people they work with. The conversation also explores trust-building across cultures, the impact of collective history and social norms, the challenges of cross-cultural relationships, and why curiosity is one of the most valuable qualities a coach can develop. Along the way, we examine identity, belonging, stereotypes, multiculturalism, and the balance between recognising cultural differences without reducing people to cultural labels. ------------------------------------------- Check out our new Certification for Coaching Neurodivergent Clients ----------------------------------------------- Become a certified embodiment coach. Coach beyond mere words and support clients to transform their lives: ----------------------------------------------- Check out our for more coaching tips and our for full episode videos /episode/index/show/embodimentpodcast/id/41689945

773. How Coaches Can Stay Calm in a Dysregulated World - With Mark Walsh & Dr Helen Machen-Pearce 06/16/2026

772. Coaching for Meaning: Beyond Goals and Happiness - With Mark Walsh & Dr Helen Machen-Pearce 06/09/2026

771. Why coaches need shadow work -with Lucija Glagolic Hora 06/02/2026

770. Staying Human in the Age of AI - With Margaret Moore 05/26/2026

769. Coaching Through the Meaning Crisis- with Mark Walsh and Dr. Helen Machen-Pearce 05/19/2026

768. The Coaching Skill Nobody Wants to Practice - With Sean Fargo 05/12/2026

767. Embodiment and the Blind Spots in Modern Therapy - With Andrew Hartz 05/05/2026

766. Embodiment meets self-defense: training the body to say no - With Martijn Bos 04/28/2026

765. From Skills to Meaning: Rethinking Coaching Through Embodiment and Faith - With Chandler Stevens 04/21/2026

764. From Self-Regulation to Theoregulation: Expanding the Coaching Model - With Virginia Moutlia 04/14/2026

763. Why Modern Psychology Can’t Heal Us: Coaching, Virtue & Human Nature - With Daniel 04/07/2026

762. From Reaction to Relationship: The Art of Conscious Communication - WIth Jayaraja 03/31/2026

761. Why Aren’t People Having Kids? Meaning, Culture & Modern Life - With Mark Walsh & Dr Helen Machen-Pearce 03/24/2026

760. Coaching In The Presence Of Trauma: Boundaries, Confidence & Ethics - With Julia Vaughan Smith 03/17/2026

760. Coaching In The Presence Of Trauma: Boundaries, Confidence & Ethics - With Julia Vaughan Smith Julia Vaughan Smith joins me to explore what it really means to be a trauma-aware coach. We unpack the fear many coaches carry of getting it wrong, causing harm, or stepping outside their scope, and how that can undermine confidence. We look at the difference between working with trauma and working on trauma, and why coaching doesn’t need to become therapy to be effective. We also explore the shadow sides of both coaching and psychotherapy, the rise of popular approaches like parts work, and how to stay grounded in good practice. Towards the end, we dive into the powerful dynamics between mothers and daughters, trauma entanglement, and how early relationships shape identity and behaviour. Find out more about Julia's work here: . ----------------------------------------------- Julia Vaughan Smith is a master accredited coach and supervisor, a retired registered psychotherapist and an author of three books including ‘Coaching and Trauma’, one of the very few books that deals with this topic and ’Daughters: How to Untangle Yourself from your Mother’ which considers the trauma behind difficult and painful daughter/mother relationships and the entanglements that ensure. She has been teaching and talking about coaching and trauma since 2010 and ran Masterclasses with Jenny Rogers on the topic over several years. Other than coaching and psychotherapy, she has had a long and varied career. ----------------------------------------------- Join our membership program for coaches, facilitators, therapists and educators who want sustainable growth: ----------------------------------------------- Check out our for more coaching tips and our for full episode videos Uplevel your coaching with a free copy of Mark's latest eBook, Join Mark for those juicy Fancy some ? Connect with Mark Walsh on /episode/index/show/embodimentpodcast/id/40501690

759. Everything Wrong WIth Modern Trauma Therapy - WIth Mark Walsh & Dr Helen Machen-Pearce 03/11/2026

758. How Women Can Be Better Understood By Men - With GS Youngblood 03/04/2026

758. How Women Can Be Better Understood By Men - With GS Youngblood This week I’m joined by GS Youngblood to explore what healthy masculinity actually looks like in modern relationships. We get into masculine–feminine polarity, why so many men get stuck between “nice guy” passivity and hyper-masculine posturing, and what real relational leadership means in practice. We unpack his three-part blueprint: respond instead of react, provide structure, and create emotional safety. We look at co-regulation, communication breakdowns, financial and physical safety, and why intimacy is often harder than leadership at work. We also dive into embodiment as daily training for men who want to stay grounded under pressure, and I ask GS what advice he has for younger men navigating dopamine addiction, loneliness, and cultural confusion around masculinity. Find out more about GS Youngblood's work here: ----------------------------------------------- GS Youngblood is the acclaimed author of the groundbreaking book “The Masculine in Relationship”, which challenges the modern notion that all Masculinity is toxic by offering a model - the Masculine Blueprint - for men to become grounded in their own power AND more relational with their Feminine partner. In his 2nd book “The Art of Embodiment”, GS teaches that a daily embodiment practice is the foundation of men living more in their masculine. The practices that he teaches help men ground their nervous system, and as a result become more powerful, choiceful, and relational. ----------------------------------------------- Become a certified embodiment coach. Coach beyond mere words and support clients to transform their lives: ----------------------------------------------- Join our membership program for coaches, facilitators, therapists and educators who want sustainable growth: ----------------------------------------------- Check out our for more coaching tips and our for full episode videos Uplevel your coaching with a free copy of Mark's latest eBook, Join Mark for those juicy Fancy some ? Connect with Mark Walsh on /episode/index/show/embodimentpodcast/id/40308545

757. Maintaining Integrity In The Personal Growth Industry - With Mark Walsh & Dr Helen Machen-Pearce 02/25/2026

756. Coaching Adult Development: Leaders Who Can Handle Complexity - With Jennifer Garvey Berger 02/18/2026

756. Coaching Adult Development: Leaders Who Can Handle Complexity - With Jennifer Garvey Berger I sit down with leadership thinker and complexity expert Jennifer Garvey Berger to explore what leadership really looks like in an anxious, fast-changing world. We dig into mind traps, adult development, and why leading today isn’t about having the answers, but building the capacity to work with complexity, uncertainty, and multiple perspectives. We talk about the breakdown of trust in institutions and leaders, how anxiety shrinks our circles of trust, and why people often look for strong or even bullying figures when they feel powerless. Jennifer explains adult developmental stages in practical terms - how we move from external validation to internal authority to deeper wisdom - and what coaches and leaders can actually do to grow. We get into reflection, getting off autopilot, and the key developmental move of turning judgment into self-inquiry. We also explore big cultural swings - from postmodern fragmentation to a possible “re-enchantment” of meaning - and ask whether current global pressures will push us into regression or growth. We finish with the role of community, love, and intentional relationship, including Jennifer’s experiment living in a shared house in France, and why real development happens in connection, not isolation. Read more about Jennifer's work here: ----------------------------------------------- Become a certified embodiment coach. Coach beyond mere words and support clients to transform their lives: ----------------------------------------------- Join our membership program for coaches, facilitators, therapists and educators who want sustainable growth: ----------------------------------------------- Check out our for more coaching tips and our for full episode videos Uplevel your coaching with a free copy of Mark's latest eBook, Join Mark for those juicy Fancy some ? Connect with Mark Walsh on /episode/index/show/embodimentpodcast/id/40065170

755. Coaching For Resilience In A Stressed & Addicted World - With Mark Walsh & Dr Helen Machen-Pearce 02/11/2026

754. Coaching Clients To Shift from Fear to Wisdom - With Shirzad Chamine 02/03/2026

754. Coaching Clients To Shift from Fear to Wisdom - With Shirzad Chamine I’m joined by Shirzad Chamine, creator of Positive Intelligence, to explore what it really means to learn in difficult times. We talk about fear-based “saboteur” patterns, why toxic positivity makes things worse, and how negative emotions can be useful signals rather than flaws to suppress. We look at trauma as something all humans experience on a spectrum, how post-traumatic growth actually works, and why compassion must come before reframing. We also explore religion, secular belief systems, technology, political polarisation, and why both faith and rationality get hijacked by fear when we’re not paying attention. This is a wide-ranging conversation about learning to lead — ourselves and others — from love rather than fear, especially in a fractured world. Read more about Shirzad's work here: ----------------------------------------------- Shirzad is a New York Times bestselling author of Positive Intelligence, translated into 20 languages. He has been CEO of the largest coach training organization in the world, has trained more than 100,000 coaches, and trained faculty at Stanford and Yale business schools. Shirzad lectures on Positive Intelligence at Stanford University. His Saboteur Assessment has been used by more than 2 million people and a majority of Fortune 100 companies. A preeminent C-suite advisor, Shirzad has coached hundreds of CEOs and their executive teams. He holds a BA in psychology, an MS in electrical engineering, and an MBA from Stanford. ----------------------------------------------- Become a certified embodiment coach. Coach beyond mere words and support clients to transform their lives: ----------------------------------------------- Join our membership program for coaches, facilitators, therapists and educators who want sustainable growth: ----------------------------------------------- Check out our for more coaching tips and our for full episode videos Uplevel your coaching with a free copy of Mark's latest eBook, Join Mark for those juicy Fancy some ? Connect with Mark Walsh on /episode/index/show/embodimentpodcast/id/39700505

753. Coaching Autistic People More Effectively – With Mark Walsh & Dr Helen Machen-Pearce 01/27/2026

752. The Future Of Wellbeing Coaching - With Mark Walsh & Dr Helen Machen-Pearce 01/21/2026

751. Why the Body Matters in Coaching - With Mark Walsh & Dr Helen Machen-Pearce 01/13/2026

750. Why Embodied Coaching Still Matters in an AI World - With Rod Francis 01/06/2026

750. Why Embodied Coaching Still Matters in an AI World - With Rod Francis Rod Francis joins me to explore what coaches need to learn as AI becomes more present in our work. We talk about embodiment as lived experience rather than technique, and why presence, unpredictability and felt sense are things machines struggle to replicate. We also get into transhumanism, Western culture’s tendency to objectify the body, and the deeper question of what it actually means to be human. We cover learning through practice, beginner’s mind, working responsibly with trauma, and the challenges of training coaches in a world where people arrive over-informed but under-practiced. A grounded, honest conversation about learning, coaching, and why real human connection still matters. Rod's coach training is: Rod's personal coaching: ----------------------------------------------- Rod Francis is a US-based coach, educator, storyteller, researcher and writer who has led professional coach training programs across Europe and the USA for more than fifteen years. As founder and creator of the ICF-accredited Emergent Coach Training and a Certified Focusing Professional, he’s pioneered a model of Focusing-Oriented Coaching that unites presence, embodiment, and awareness-based practice with professional coaching competencies. A former professional dancer, performer, and entrepreneur, Rod’s work explores the confluence of ancient wisdom traditions, somatic intelligence, mindfulness, systems thinking, and contemporary science to foster human transformation, optimization and the easing of individual, social, and ecological suffering. ----------------------------------------------- Join our membership program for coaches, facilitators, therapists and educators who want sustainable growth: ----------------------------------------------- Check out our for more coaching tips and our for full episode videos Uplevel your coaching with a free copy of Mark's latest eBook, Join Mark for those juicy Fancy some ? Connect with Mark Walsh on /episode/index/show/embodimentpodcast/id/39080525

749. We're Changing Direction In 2026 - With Mark Walsh and Dr Helen Machen-Pearce 12/29/2025

748. Why The Power Of Breathwork Matters More Than Ever - With Emily Ray Henderson and Simona Dvorackova 12/23/2025

748. Why The Power Of Breathwork Matters More Than Ever - With Emily Ray Henderson and Simona Dvorackova I sat down with two highly experienced breathwork facilitators, Emily Ray Henderson and Simona Dvorackova, to explore what breathwork actually does beneath the hype. We talk about why breath has become so central right now, from nervous system regulation and everyday stress, through to trauma release and altered states of consciousness. We explore how breathwork helps complete unfinished stress responses, why the body holds tension and memory, and how conscious connected breathing can release things without needing to analyse or relive the past. We also get into safety, facilitation quality, and why trust and experience matter so much in deep work. Along the way, we touch on science, spirituality, non dual experiences, modern wellness culture, and where breathwork might be heading next. From simple tools anyone can use, to profound immersive experiences, this is a grounded look at breath as a foundation for healing, presence, and human maturity. Find out more about Emily and Simona's work here: ----------------------------------------------- Emily Ray Henderson is a certified Wellness Counselor, Reiki Master, Massage Therapist, 500 HR-RYT Yoga Instructor and Facilitator with The Kula Collective, Ceremonial Space Holder & Alchemy of Breath Breathwork Practitioner & Master Teacher. She has a variety of skill sets and experience in modalities such as body work, energy healing and hypnotherapy. ----------------------------------------------- Join our membership program for coaches, facilitators, therapists and educators who want sustainable growth: ----------------------------------------------- Check out our for more coaching tips and our for full episode videos Uplevel your coaching with a free copy of Mark's latest eBook, Join Mark for those juicy Fancy some ? Connect with Mark Walsh on /episode/index/show/embodimentpodcast/id/39080480

747. What Real Confidence Is Made Of - With Mark Walsh & Dr Helen Machen-Pearce 12/16/2025

746. From Dance Floor to Classroom: Embodied Teaching – With Flouer Evelyn 12/09/2025

746. From Dance Floor to Classroom: Embodied Teaching – With Flouer Evelyn I sit down with Flouer Evelyn - one of the most skilled dance teachers I know and a long-time member of our Embodiment Unlimited faculty. We dive into what actually makes a great teacher: classroom management, clarity, time-efficiency, group regulation, and how to hold a room without killing the vibe. Flouer shares how she weaves embodiment models into her partner-dance work — from centering and co-regulation to elements, U-curves, and even sneaky ETK poses. We also explore follower/leader dynamics, nervous-system awareness in dance, working across cultures, and the real art of improvising from a solid plan. If you teach anything - dance, coaching, yoga, workshops - this one’s packed with practical wisdom from someone who’s taught thousands of hours worldwide. See more of Flouer's work here: ----------------------------------------------- In every session Flouer's genuine warmth and contagious excitement reflect her passion for helping people discover connection through their bodies. Originally from New York City and now based in Italy, Flouer is a partner dance instructor and embodiment coach with an MFA in dance and certifications from the University and Mentee programs at Embodiment Unlimited. She has been teaching and facilitating experiences worldwide since 2010, working throughout Europe, North & South Americas, Australia, and Asia. She is known for weaving together compassionate presence with practical tools for navigating relationships—with the widening circles of oneself, partners, community, and spirit. Her approach emphasizes both acceptance and integrity, helping you discover authentic expression and effective boundaries while deepening the connections that matter most. ----------------------------------------------- Check out our for more coaching tips and our for full episode videos Uplevel your coaching with a free copy of Mark's latest eBook, Join Mark for those juicy Fancy some ? Connect with Mark Walsh on /episode/index/show/embodimentpodcast/id/39080435

The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

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