🌊 Collective Awe!

I’m deep in a Team Coaching course at the moment, exploring emotional rhythms and sentic states (Clynes). As coaches, we can use these as tools to mirror a team and build rapport or shake things up to shift their energy.

One of the sentic states is "awe" – still, quiet, yet transformative, opening space for appreciation and connection.

Last night, at Orewa Beach (along with what felt like half of Auckland), I experienced collective awe firsthand: bioluminescent waves glowing neon blue. Our collective gasps, then silence, punctuated with tidy screams of joy – it was awe in action.

One principle I’ve been drawn to in team coaching is embodiment - it goes hand-in-hand with sentic states. It’s about moving beyond words – not just talking, but experiencing, doing, feeling, and truly living it, so insights are deeply felt and embedded.

I’ve seen pictures of bioluminescence before, but nothing compares to the lived experience - standing knee-deep in cold water, in complete darkness, waves rippling around me, feeling the quiet energy of a shared, unforgettable moment. That’s the kind of presence that transforms a team.

I might struggle with recreating bioluminescence in a team session, but there are other tricks up my sleaves. If you’d like to experiment team embodied experiences with me, please get in touch!