This month we want you to meet ACMM graduate Holly Shoebridge! Holly found meditation after experiencing a health crisis. She now offers 1 on 1 work as a holistic coach, breathwork practitioner, and meditation and mindfulness teacher.
Continue reading to find out more.
Hi Holly! Tell us a little bit about yourself
Earlier in the year, I completed the Certificate in Guiding and Teaching Meditation and Mindfulness. Separate from that, I have also spent the past years studying counselling, trauma, crisis support, body mind connection and regenerative detoxification (been a busy few years!). When I am not studying, you’ll find me with my husband, our beautiful 1 year old son and two cheeky bulldogs, typically out in nature or by the ocean. I also run an accounting practice, working with small business owners to help manage their businesses. As a result, I’ve also been studying taxation parallel to meditation + bodymind connection – a wonderful balance between head and heart.
What attracted you to become a meditation teacher and study with ACMM?
I have meditated for many years, however in late 2018, I navigated a health crisis which was the catalyst that pushed me to dive deeper into meditation, spirituality and body mind connection, in a bid to facilitate healing for myself. When searching for places to study meditation teaching, ACMM came highly recommended, a great course outline and the credentials I was looking for. A brilliant program!
How has meditation impacted you on a personal level – what are the benefits you have seen?
Gosh, the benefits are many and profound. I navigated debilitating anxiety for almost 15 years. Meditation, initially, was simply a way to ground and come back to the present moment and alleviate those ruminating thoughts. However, as the practice has continued over the years, meditation has become so much more. It’s an exploration of the soul, a deep dive into the Self, into past traumas, suppressed emotions, an invitation for all of that to arise, to facilitate healing and consequently, a most beautiful release and expansion into the infinite spirit/energy/consciousness/awareness that we all are.
What does your personal meditation practice look like? What styles or types of meditation do you enjoy?
My personal practice can be quite varied. It is consistent, every day though. I typically start with a grounding into the body each morning, into a revitalising breath practice. At times during the day, I’ll practice a brief mindfulness meditation – I find this enhances my mental performance with work.
Other times, when I have more time/space (ie. when my son is cared for), I take the time to settle into a mantra (Vedic) meditation and sink deeper into a blissful experience, where the body falls away and we are left with a spacious awareness – I try to do this as often as I can, several times a week.
Do you have your own meditation/mindfulness/holistic business, plans to start one?
Yes, I do! My business is called Holly Shoebridge Coaching. I offer a range of services, from 1 on 1 as a holistic coach, breathwork, meditation and mindfulness sessions, to group and/or corporate meditation, mindfulness + breathwork sessions, an online program called “21 Days For Vitality” is about to be released (very excited for this!) and retreats coming very soon.
On the 12th of October 2022, I am leading a collaborative online meditation and healing circle with Julia Cox (Julia is a reiki master, healer and medium). I will guide participants in a beautifully relaxing meditation, while Julia sends out healing energy to all attending. Participants of the last session we held back in September offered some beautiful and profound feedback of their respective experiences. All are most welcome to join us for the next session.
I am also a small business accountant and tax agent. Meditation and mindfulness certainly compliments this work, in fact any work we do. A regular meditation practice can help us to become better acquainted with the present moment, which in turn can increase our mental efficiency and performance (we save energy by not ruminating on the past or worrying about the future) and impacts our related work output.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about becoming a meditation teacher?
Consider the impact on the planet if everyone meditated, if everyone was mindful of the way they showed up in their life each day. Consider then that teaching meditation is effectively being a conduit for passing on these ancient yet effective and profound methods to others, like a ripple effect that permeates the world in a most positive way. It’s a very rewarding experience, on so many levels, highly recommend!
What have you enjoyed about studying with ACMM?
The program itself offers such a wonderful breadth of information from specific meditation techniques, how to write and lead a meditation of different kinds, the science behind these practices, right through to effectively and compassionately working with people and facilitating sessions in a respectful and supportive way. Also being allocated an experienced coach to guide us throughout the course and various assessments to facilitate our learning and growth is absolutely brilliant.
You can find out more about Holly’s offerings at:
https://www.hollyshoebridge.com/
https://oceansaccounting.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/holly.shoebridge/
https://www.facebook.com/HollyShoebridgeTeach
We provide Basic Certification right up to Diploma level training that includes supervision. A range of post graduate training options and support, are also available, including our Business Lounge Program which supports new meditation teachers to begin or expand their teaching practice. Download a prospectus for all the details.
