Intuitive, Holistic, Spiritual Life Coach Laura Svolos

I’m Laura, also Swami Adityananda, a seminary-trained, Certified Professional Coach who integrates standard coaching techniques with principles of Eastern spiritual wisdom and metaphysical laws that I’ve studied over the past 15 years. I received my coaching training from the International Coach Academy, which is accredited with the International Coach Federation and meets its highest standards.

I received my spiritual training from the Temple of Kriya Yoga where I graduated from a three-year seminary program and was ordained a Swami of Kriya Yoga.  In this program, I studied the theological philosophy of Kriya Yoga and its underlying unity with other Eastern religions such as Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.  As your coach, I draw upon my training as well as my intuition, my communications background (two degrees from Northwestern University), and 22 years of professional experience spanning industries such as politics, entertainment, journalism, and not-for-profit.

My passion is to help you break free from what’s holding you back from living the life that you dream about but feel is out of reach. I look around today and see that many people feel trapped – trapped by a job they don’t like; trapped by financial constraints; trapped by an unhealthy relationship; or trapped by a hectic, demanding lifestyle. I believe the path to freedom from these traps– one that is sustainable over the long-term – is the path of wisdom. However, most people lack the time to study the wisdom or the knowledge of how to apply it, which is a shame because it is eminently practical and empowering. This is where I come in.

The focus of my practice is to blend coaching with teaching and to work with my clients on internal and external levels.

• Internally, I teach my clients how to become more conscious; how to attune to the laws of the universe; and how to apply spiritual principles to break free from fear, anger, or limiting beliefs that may be holding them back from attaining their goals.
• Externally, I apply standard coaching techniques to help my clients clarify their values and goals and then I work with them to create action plans with support structures to help them stay focused and accountable.

My goal is to equip you with the tools, skills, and wisdom that I have learned through my studies and experiences to help you navigate the ups and downs of life over the long-term – long after we have finished working together.  I am a holistic coach in the sense that I help individuals in all areas of their lives, personal and professional. I have coached people from all walks of life, not just those who are on the so-called “spiritual path.” Past clients span the globe and include entrepreneurs, corporate executives, professors, doctors, lawyers, graduate students, working moms, stay-at-home moms, artists, architects, designers, writers, producers, and yes, even other coaches.

My Coaching Can Help You To:
•    Simplify your life and create more balance and freedom through time-tested techniques, including skillful time management
•    Discover what energizes and inspires you
•    Create more wellness, harmony, contentment, and peace of mind
•    Eliminate stress and anxiety through meditation and breathing techniques
•    Free yourself from fear, anger, or limiting beliefs that are blocking you
•    Build your self-confidence and self-esteem
•    Create support structures to help you stay focused while will power waxes and wanes
•    Integrate into your personal and professional life spiritual principles such as compassion, acceptance, detachment, forgiveness, gratitude, and contentment
•    Learn how to attune to the laws of the universe including the law of attraction, the law of causation (karma), the law of correspondence, and others
•    Resolve problematic situations or relationships at work or home harmoniously
•    Navigate the transition to a more meaningful, fulfilling career — or to semi or full retirement
•    Start and grow your own business
•    Develop true security so you can enjoy your wealth rather than worry about losing it
•    Discover your life purpose and regain your vitality and joy for living.

The Process of Coaching

The process and tools that I use in my work vary depending upon your nature, your goals, and the circumstances in your life. However, in general, my coaching involves the following steps:

•    I begin with a “foundation” session in which I gauge how you’re doing in the areas of diet, exercise, sleep, and rest. I call it the “foundation” session because these areas, when they are going well, provide a general foundation of support for you as we move forward toward your more specific goals. I also begin by teaching you a basic, five-minute meditation practice that serves as the foundation for developing self awareness and self discipline.

•    I help you to clarify your values and goals. By values, I mean what is most important to you at this stage of your life. For a lot of us, our values shift as we get older. And sometimes, we have adopted values that are not our own. This breeds dissatisfaction. The goal-setting process involves thinking about what you want and why you want it.

•    I help you to expand the horizons of your self-awareness and develop greater self-discipline so you can gain more control over your mind, which is the tool by which you are creating the circumstances of your life;

•    I help you to identify the obstacles (internal and external) that may be preventing you from achieving what you want. For example, are you holding onto fear, anger, or a limiting belief about what is possible? Or are there disempowering structures in your life that are posing obstacles to your progress?

•    I teach you how to get what you want  and how to dissolve that which may be getting in the way by sharing principles of Eastern spiritual wisdom and modern physics about how the universe is wired, how you are wired, and how to attune to the universe by working with the laws of the universe instead of against them.

•    I work with you to create an action plan with value-based goals and support structures to keep you focused.  In this regard, I work with people on internal and external levels. Internally, I teach meditation techniques and other rituals to help individuals manifest their action plan and dissolve that which may be getting in their way of fulfilling it. Externally, I work with you to develop action steps and support structures. Will power waxes and wanes. Support structures are there to help you stay focused during the times when will power is waning.

•    I work as a coach to keep you on track and accountable. Ultimately, my goal is to coach you to independence rather than dependence so you aren’t reliant upon me or anyone else to sustain your progress. And you will be equipped with the tools and wisdom to navigate the ups and downs of life long after the coaching is over.

Education and Training

I am a Certified Professional Coach and received my coaching certification from the International Coach Academy (ICA). ICA’s program is accredited with the International Coach Federation and meets its highest standards.

In addition to my coaching certification, I graduated from a three-year seminary program at the Temple of Kriya Yoga in Chicago, Illinois. Upon graduation, I was ordained a Swami of Kriya Yoga (which basically means I am a priestess and spiritual teacher).

I also completed training with the Tama Do Academy of Sound, Color, and Movement where I learned how to restore balance in the physical and subtle energy bodies using vibrational modalities such as sound and color. (Tama-Do means “Way of the Soul.”) I had the privilege of studying directly with Tama-Do’s founder, Fabien Maman, who is regarded as the founding father of sound therapy for his groundbreaking research.

In 1987, I graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Studies from the School of Speech. Three years later, in 1990, I returned to Northwestern and received a master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism. In 1991, I was awarded a scholarship to go to Moscow to study the effects of glasnost on press freedom. I presented several talks on my findings to various groups including the Board of Trustees at Northwestern University.

Skills and Work History

My skill set includes critical thinking, analytical skills, intuition, and an ability to communicate and inspire people to take the step they thought they couldn’t take. I also have good instincts, strong entrepreneurial skills, and an enterprising nature, which helped me break into two notoriously nepotistic industries (politics and the film industry) without any contacts.

However, I am most proud of my work in the late 90s because I succeeded in creating a healthy, balanced, and prosperous lifestyle by starting my own business as a nonprofit consultant while studying in the seminary program. In my last year of business, I was working 3 hours a day and making six figures.  It was during these years as a consultant that I started to apply the principles of Eastern spiritual wisdom (and the laws of quantum physics) to my life. And I credit those principles for my success. Now I would like to share them with others to help them achieve their goals.

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