Melting in Chocolate
By Stacy Kamala Waltman
A group of us were bathed in chocolate aroma last week as we toured the Scharffen-Berger Chocolate Factory in San Francisco.
Our tour guide was an interesting man who had been with the Scharffen-Berger company for many years and had a lot of provocative stories to tell. To me, the most interesting tidbit he shared was right before passing around the first of three plates of differing chocolate samples for us to savor.
Our guide encouraged the group to indulge our taste buds and experience how each chocolate bite blossomed into varying flavors. He reminded us that our stomachs don’t have any taste buds and that by letting each chunk completely melt into our mouth before swallowing we would experience the truest and richest flavors of these tasty morsels.
I was grateful for the reminder. I might have missed the full intoxicating experience of each chocolate piece because instead of being present, I had been living in the future - rushing the occurrence by wondering how the other chocolate samples on the plate were going to differ from one another and how long it was going to take before he passed the next sample around.
My mind was also observing the entire process: how the company was marketing its business, our tour guide’s skill at remembering details, how adept he was at delivering jokes, and more. If left unchecked, my mental chatter might have dulled the full sensory enjoyment of each individual chocolate mound only allowing the first delicious layer of sweetness to register before swallowing so that I could resume my mental analysis.
But with my mental prattle now quieted, I returned to the lesson of chocolate and was amazed to find that the rich thick goo in my mouth actually tasted different the longer it remained on my tongue. And as the treat oared through my mouth, there were a variety of different flavors that blossomed - just like he said they would. I am forever in our tour guide’s debt.
We miss so much by rushing through our lives and allowing our minds to overtake the rest of our being. Whether it’s a morsel of chocolate or slowing down to enjoy our children, the rewards of life are found in taking the time to experience the richness of each and every experience.
Where can you slow down? Where can you turn up the quiet? How will you savor the day?
Enjoy a virtual tour of the Scharffen-Berger Chocolate Factory in San Francisco: http://www.scharffenberger.com/vtour.asp
Stacy Kamala Waltman brings a well-rounded blend of experience and personal development skills to her coaching practice. Bridging the spiritual world with the professional arena, Stacy draws from a rich and varied background to enhance her client's personal, spiritual and professional life.
After earning a B.A. in journalism at San Diego State University along with a minor in business administration, Stacy has worked in a variety of business settings including group/team facilitation, public speaking, marketing, promotions, corporate communications, sales, web site design, and public relations. In small, medium, and large companies, she has learned what it takes to succeed.
Stacy Kamala also serves her community as a consultant and volunteer, most recently as a Facilitator on the Bend2030 project and as a commissioner on the Oregon Governor's Commission on Women.
Stacy's real-world experience is a counterpoint to a 20-year history as a student of Swami Satchidananda's Integral Yoga, an ecumenical organization, located in Buckingham Virginia. Stacy Kamala is also a certified Yoga Instructor of Svaroopa Yoga based in La Jolla, CA.
From the postures of Hatha Yoga to breathe control, meditation and chanting, Stacy has developed a deep appreciation for the peace, centering and focus to be found in the world of spiritual studies. By combining these various disciplines with specific coaching training and advanced education at the Coaches Training Institute - accredited by the International Coaching Federation, Stacy provides an integrated approach to her coaching practice.
Her vision is to guide her clients and teams to a life of fulfillment and success by linking their spiritual, material and practical needs. Stacy's clients are those people striving for more in their lives; better communication skills, a healthy relationship with money and increased earning power while maintaining skillful life balance. Clients learn more effective time management skills and find a greater awareness of the world around them.
"In addition to being a wonderful communicator, Stacy is a gifted and powerful coach," says Jim DeLaurentis, CFO, The Andrew Lauren, Inc." She has wonderful energy and commitment."
Whether you participate with her in a teleseminar format, organizational team or individual coaching, Stacy's approach will illuminate blind spots and increase awareness of yourself while enhancing how you interact in the world.
If you are committed to living a life of choice - choosing to serve yourself, your community and the world - then you would be Stacy's ideal client. For additional information, visit client testimonials.
To schedule a sample session at Integration Coaching with Stacy Kamala Waltman, please send an email to ic@integrationcoaching.com