Article by Cynthia Luna , Faculty Member at New Ventures West

Several years ago, I spent some time walking the ancient Camino de Santiago (The Way of Saint James) in northern Spain.

The Camino is a pilgrimage that has been walked for hundreds of years by people with a wide range of motivations, from spiritual to life transitions to wanting a cultural experience.

At the essence, all pilgrims are seekers.

While the adventure or the landscape may attract some, inevitably, we all encounter an inner journey—a journey into the deeper parts of ourselves that get revealed in the solitude, the challenges, the tribulations, the support, and the learning that emerges along the way.

Learning to say yes

This experience reminded me of the Professional Coaching Course , a year-long journey that people embark upon for varying personal and professional reasons with the sincere intention of learning to be of service as a certified professional coach.

This decision to engage in the world through professional coaching certification is like saying yes to a pilgrimage.

There are three primary elements that form any pilgrimage:

1. Intention/calling: Our inner motivation for saying yes to the journey
2. The journey: The milestones that help guide us along the way, which is enriched by the challenges and learnings that are found in the experience, and finally
3. Destinations: Not only the physical space to which we arrive but also the destination that we find newly and freshly in our own hearts.

"To journey without being changed is to be a nomad. To change without journeying is to be a chameleon. To journey and be transformed by the journey is to be a pilgrim.” —Mark Nepo

I came to New Ventures West in 2005, seeking a life of deeper meaning and a career where I could support others in achieving their goals and reaching their potential.

Trust your calling

I knew little about what this meant back then, but I trusted the sincere intention of being called to New Ventures West.

I had held leadership positions in the past where I learned that the more fulfilled people became, the better outcomes organizations would have and the better our world would be.

As I embarked on this adventure as an Integral Coach, I discovered that it was not just about the deepening tools but also about how we are with each other.

It was less about achieving and more about becoming.

But how do we become more human? How do we become more of who we are meant to be and contribute to the world in our very unique ways?

Michael Mead says, “Our very mortality hides within it a divine seed, planted at the beginning, waiting throughout each life to be enlivened and flower forth.”

I believe this is exactly what Integral Coaching is and what the year-long training for professional coaching certification at New Ventures West is about.

The very exploration of how each of us can become more human, more alive, and more capable of responding to the world's needs from our own unique location.

Yes, we become Integral Coaches, but we become much more than that.

We become enlivened human beings who are more in touch with our unique gifts to the world and are committed to bringing them forth in support of our own humanity.

This has been my journey, my pilgrimage, and the best part is that it is not over.

I continue to learn, to unfold, to discover ways in which I keep becoming more human and more in service of the way in which life wants to shine through me.

Getting Practical

As you read Cynthia’s words above, we invite you to spend some time reflecting on the following:

• Spend a few minutes reflecting on your own journey. What parts of your life have been a pilgrimage?
• As a journey or pilgrimage, what truths about yourself and the world have you encountered along the way?
• Who are the people who have shown up to support you?
• What do you believe about your own calling? How has it persisted throughout your personal or professional journey?
• Notice what communities, classes, and practitioners you feel drawn to. What part of yourself comes to life when you are relating with them?
• What steps do you want to take based on your observations?

Cynthia Luna will be leading our next virtual Integral Learning Lab on November 2nd from 9:30 am – 1:00 pm Pacific, and will be diving into the topic of "Listening to Your Path." No matter your role, industry or previous experience, no coaching experience is required for this workshop. Come experience the fundamentals of Integral Coaching and new conversations.

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.