The Importance of the Body

In this inaugural episode, we speak with Ken Kirby and look into the multifaceted relationship between the body, mind, and emotions and how we can use these in our personal development.

Here are some of the topics covered in the Stepping In podcast episode: The Importance of the Body:

• What is the importance of caring for our physical organism in the face of health epidemics related to obesity and chronic diseases in the US and abroad.
• How to meet your basic physical needs, including sleep, nutrition, hydration, and exercise, to maintain physical health.
• Your body’s sensory and reactive functions are integral to interacting with and responding to stimuli independently of our conscious mind.
• Our mind-body connection and how we sense things without conscious awareness, like feeling someone’s gaze or sensing tension in a room.
• Intuition and body awareness make us more aware of subtle signals from the body.
• How do you do a body scan and become more in tune with your physical being?
• Developing and working with our bodies as we grow through our lives.

We’ll discover the importance of recognizing and caring for our physical selves, understanding our body’s signals and reactions, and cultivating a deeper connection with our bodies for personal growth and well-being for lifelong success and wholeness.

Resources mentioned in this podcast
Eugene Jenen: Referenced for research on the “felt sense” and its importance in therapy and understanding situations or challenges in a whole-body way.

Ken Kirby’s website: https://www.enjoyablyhuman.com

About Ken Kirby, Ph.D.
Ken Kirby holds a Ph.D. in engineering and has worked across various government levels. He’s an entrepreneur, having founded and sold a business to a multinational corporation. With over 20 years as a consultant and 15 years as a teacher, coach, and companion, Ken blends his engineering background with spiritual practices.

Driven by a quest to alleviate existential anxiety, Ken has delved into spiritual traditions like Christian, Taoist, Buddhist, and Bön. He found healing through qigong and dzogchen practices. Ken employs diverse methods, as evidenced by his engineering knowledge and credentials in coaching, inner relationship focus, Radiant Heart Qigong teaching, and Realization Process® teaching. His goal is to help people reduce suffering and enhance enjoyment in life.

About Adam Klein
Adam is dedicated to creating a more just, sustainable, creative, and loving world. Before joining New Ventures West, he helped create a first-in-class business solution to combat global slavery and relaunch a San Francisco Bay Area center for integral spiritual formation.

Adam has a Master’s degree in Engineering from Santa Clara University. Some time ago he entered the world of Ironman triathlons and ultra-running as a means to further understand the importance of the body and the deep, integral nature of being human.

Adam focuses on integrating NVW’s purpose and bringing it to fruition. He oversees strategy, tech, and the flow of various internal work streams, as well as supporting graduates and ensuring ICF compliance.

He regularly leads the Professional Coaching Course, hosts our orientation events in San Francisco, is the creator and host of the NVW podcast Stepping In, and has his own business coaching leaders and individuals.

About Stepping In
Stepping In is a podcast of bold inquiry into life’s biggest challenges with one of the world’s oldest and most distinguished coaching schools, New Ventures West.

In a spirit of curiosity, compassion, and honesty, we delve into how Integral Coaching can address some of the most pressing issues we face as individuals, communities, and stewards of our planet.

In the Stepping In Podcast, we explore what it takes to develop the sensitivity and capacity required to live and thrive in an increasingly complex world.

About New Ventures West
From its humble beginnings to one of the top accredited coaching schools in the world, New Ventures West pioneered one of the deepest, most transformative forms of human development available for coaches, leaders, and anyone looking to bring people alive in possibility.

Further Exploration
New Ventures West: https://www.newventureswest.com/
Getting Started with Integral Coaching: https://www.newventureswest.com/get-s…
Free and paid Integral Coaching events: https://www.newventureswest.com/class..

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to physical health and basic needs
04:31 How the body senses and reacts to our environment
11:43 Our body sensing goes beyond our cognitive understanding
06:53 The connection between emotions and physical sensations
09:55 Introduction to our felt sense
13:19 Examples of our body’s intuition
15:08 Eugene Jenen’s research
16:26 Developing the body of a coach
18:22 Tailoring a developmental plans
19:01 Final thoughts on the body’s role in personal development

Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed used with permission
License 1504673862 Date 4/30/24
©EMI Blackwood Music Inc OBO Oakfield Music LTD