Beyond the Norm

This short guided breathwork practice is designed to help you slow down and return to yourself.
In eight minutes you will move through a gentle coherent breathing rhythm, a vagus nerve activating breath, and a grounding moment that brings your awareness back into your body and your heart.
This is the kind of practice I often guide clients through between meetings, before a difficult conversation, or at the end of a demanding day when the mind is busy and the body is carrying more than it should.
You don’t need any experience with meditation or breathwork. Just find a quiet place, sit comfortably, and follow the rhythm of the breath.
Sometimes the most supportive thing we can do is pause, breathe, and allow the nervous system to settle.
You can return to this practice anytime you need a moment to reconnect with yourself.
Please listen to this practice in a safe and comfortable environment.
Do not listen while driving, cycling, swimming, or operating machinery.
If you feel light-headed at any point simply return to your normal breathing rhythm.
⚠️ Important Safety Note
Please do not listen while driving or operating machinery.
This meditation is intended to be done lying down or seated in a safe, quiet space where you can fully relax.
💜 SAVE this meditation and come back to it whenever your mind is racing, your body feels tense, or sleep feels difficult.
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✨ If this meditation helps you sleep or relax, please like, save, share, rate and review — it really helps this work reach more people.
Big love and Go Gently now

Norma 💜

Struggling to sleep or calm a racing mind?
This 20-minute gentle body scan meditation with heart coherence is designed to help you relax deeply, settle your nervous system, and fall asleep naturally.
In this episode of Beyond The Norm, I guide you through a slow, grounding body scan and breathwork practice that helps you move out of mental overdrive and back into the body — where rest, safety, and sleep become possible.
This meditation is especially supportive if:
you can’t sleep

your mind won’t switch off at night

your body feels tense or wired

you’re feeling emotionally overloaded

you want a gentle way to fall asleep without forcing rest

We begin with calming, coherent breathing before moving through a full body scan — from the feet all the way up — inviting areas of tension to soften and release.
We then spend time connecting with the heart centre, using heart coherence to support emotional regulation, safety, and deeper rest.
This practice is ideal:
before sleep

in bed at night

during periods of stress or anxiety

whenever your nervous system needs calming

Many people return to this meditation regularly to help them sleep more deeply and feel more grounded.
⚠️ Important Safety Note
Please do not listen while driving or operating machinery.
This meditation is intended to be done lying down or seated in a safe, quiet space where you can fully relax.
💜 SAVE this meditation and come back to it whenever your mind is racing, your body feels tense, or sleep feels difficult.
Website:
https://www.normaokelly.com
Slow Spring Group (Feb 2026):
https://beyondthenorm.thrivecart.com/the-slow-spring-project/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/normaokellysystemiccoach
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/normaokelly/
Google Reviews:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mSMCrLPixXY1vY5q7
Newsletter:
https://beyond-the-norm-coaching.kit.com/newsletter
✨ If this meditation helps you sleep or relax, please like, save, share, rate and review — it really helps this work reach more people.
Big love,
Norma 💜
🌿 Work With Me & Stay Connected

In this episode of Beyond The Norm, I explore what it really means to be in transition, personally and professionally. I talk about why uncertainty, imperfection, and discomfort are not signs you’re doing it wrong, but natural parts of change.

I share practical ways to navigate transitions without panic or pressure, including how to stay present, focus on what you can control, and choose self-respect over fear when making decisions.

I also reflect on the impact of societal expectations, why they can keep us stuck, and how taking the next obvious step can restore a sense of agency when clarity isn’t available yet.
This episode is for anyone feeling unsettled, in between, or unsure what comes next and looking for a grounded, realistic way forward that doesn’t bypass the complexity of real life.

🔑 Keywords
transitions, navigating change, self-compassion, imperfection, personal growth, professional change, societal expectations, self-respect, uncertainty, next steps, staying present, leadership in transition, identity change
Please rate, review and share this episode to anyone who will benefit or need clarity in a transition.

Check out my website; normaokelly.com

My Slow Spring Group - Feb 2026 - https://beyondthenorm.thrivecart.com/the-slow-spring-
project/

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Thanks so much for listening please be sure to share, rate and review this episode. 💜

Big love Norma x

In this episode of Beyond The Norm, I’m joined by the wonderful Vicky Shilling. Vicky is a coach, author, mother, and honest voice in the entrepreneurial world.
We dive deep into the real emotional journey behind building a business: self-belief, self-doubt, identity, motherhood, privilege, ethics and what success really looks like when you peel back the pressure and perfectionism.
Vicky shares her transition from the music industry into coaching, the wobble of imposter syndrome, and how confidence rises and falls at every level of business. We talk openly about the Dunning-Kruger effect, coaching ethics, acknowledging privilege, and why radical honesty is essential for building a business and a life that actually feels good.
If you’ve ever struggled with confidence, felt like an imposter, or wondered whether you’re “doing enough,” this conversation will bring you truth, compassion and the reassurance that you are absolutely not alone.
A huge thank you to Vicky for her time, passion and sharing this inspiring interview!

Chapters:
00:00 — Introduction to Vicky Shilling02:52 — From the Music Industry to Health Coaching05:48 — Understanding Self-Belief in Entrepreneurship08:54 — Navigating Self-Doubt & Imposter Syndrome12:01 — Family, Approval & Identity15:05 — Ethics & Transparency in Coaching18:08 — Privilege & Power Dynamics in Business21:02 — Client Success Stories & Real Transformation24:07 — Motherhood Meets Entrepreneurship27:02 — Redefining Success Beyond Money29:48 — Authenticity & Honest Conversations32:52 — Closing Reflections

Key takeaways:
​Self-belief shapes every stage of entrepreneurship
​Confidence rises and falls naturally (and you’re not imagining it)
​The Dunning-Kruger effect explains early overconfidence + later self-doubt
​Privilege and ethics matter deeply in the coaching space
​Motherhood requires a flexible, compassionate approach to business
​Vulnerability builds deeper client trust than perfection ever will
​Real success is personal, evolving, and deeply individual
🔗 Connect with Vicky Shilling
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vicky.shilling/?hl=enWebsite: https://vickyshilling.com/
Her Book 'Just start Now'; https://vickyshilling.com/book
Vicky’s Substack: https://vickyshilling.substack.com/

🔗 Connect with Me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/normaokellysystemiccoachLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/normaokelly/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@normaokellytransitioncoachWebsite: https://www.normaokelly.com

Key words:
Vicky Shilling, self-belief, entrepreneurship, authenticity, coaching ethics, privilege in business, motherhood and business, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, business mindset, purpose-led business, entrepreneurial transformation, confidence in business, Beyond The Norm Podcast
🎙 Work With Me
If you’d like support with identity, purpose, transitions, systemic coaching or leadership work, you’ll find everything at:https://www.normaokelly.com

Till then Go Gently

In this episode of Beyond The Norm, I’m diving into something we all face , the kind of loss that doesn’t just break your heart, but breaks your identity wide open. I talk about how loss doesn’t just take something from us… it takes a version of who we were. And in that space, we’re left wondering: Who am I now? What’s my purpose? What happens next?
I explore how grief can create a full-blown identity crisis, especially in midlife, when the roles we’ve played start slipping from our fingers.

I share what I’ve learned personally and professionally about navigating these endings, honouring them, and letting them reshape us rather than destroy us.
I also talk about how purpose often emerges in the rubble
not in spite of loss, but because of it. And I bring in one of my favourite tools, breathwork, as a way to regulate the nervous system, clear emotional debris, and reconnect to the parts of ourselves we thought were gone.
If you’ve felt lost, disconnected, foggy, or unsure who you are after a loss , whether it’s a relationship, a job, a dream, a home, or even an identity — this episode will help you understand what’s happening, why it’s happening, and how to move forward with intention and compassion.
Take AWAYS:
Loss isn’t a moment; it’s a continuum we learn to live with.

Grief often triggers a crisis of identity.

Purpose tends to reveal itself through loss, not before it.

Breathwork can anchor and heal when everything feels chaotic.

It’s essential to honour the endings in your life.

It’s okay to feel lost — it’s part of the rebirthing process.

Finding your tribe makes the journey lighter.

Your purpose evolves as you evolve.

You can rebuild yourself after loss — gently, slowly, truthfully.

Life’s hardest chapters often spark the deepest transformation.

loss, identity, purpose, grief, self-discovery, breathwork, healing, transformation, resilience, personal growth, identity after loss, how to find purpose after loss, rebuilding identity, grief and identity crisis, breathwork for healing, purpose after grief, midlife identity shift, spiritual awakening after loss
I mention Elizabeth Gilbert’s newest book about loss, All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation.
Here’s a link to more about it:
https://www.hippocampusmagazine.com/2025/09/review-all-the-way-to-the-river-love-loss-and-liberation-by-elizabeth-gilbert/
Chapters:
00:00 — Navigating Loss and Change
02:24 — Understanding Identity in Grief
03:51 — The Fog of Grief
08:30 — Finding Purpose Through Loss
12:45 — The Journey of Self-Discovery
17:59 — Rebuilding Identity After Loss
24:21 — Breathwork as a Tool for Healing
38:34 — Finding Your Tribe and New Desires

Key Quotes:
“Who am I now?”

“Your purpose is evolving.”

“Finding your tribe is key.”

“Loss asks us to rebuild who we are.”

“Purpose emerges when everything false falls away.”

Please rate, review and share with anyone else you know going through loss:
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