Mental health is becoming more and more talked about and accepted in day-to-day life and MindLabs, the world’s first live mental health platform, offers its subscribers ‘mental-help’ sessions and tips on mindfulness.
Isik Tlabar is an empowerment coach and breathwork facilitator who works at MindLabs and her mission is to encourage people to awaken their true self and create deep fulfilment in their lives.
Tlabar explained why she wanted to become a coach, gave her advice to people to try and break the cycle of self-sabotage and revealed how we can find purpose in our lives.
What is MindLabs and why did you want to join their team?
MindLabs is the world’s first live mental health platform. Their mission is to make the world a happier place. I wanted to join their team as nearly everyone suffers from mental health problems at least once in their lifetimes however there can be a stigma around it. I loved how MindLabs is about making taking care of our mental health as normal as going to the gym to remove the stigma around mental health.
Why did you want to be an empowerment coach and breathwork facilitator, and could you explain what both of those roles entail?
I love people and I enjoy being of service with love. Ever since I was little, I was very in tune with those around me. So, after studying architecture, it was obvious to leave that and build a business where I guide people into who they truly are. We all want to be seen and it’s my joy to see people and show them their unique essence and purpose.
My coaching work is all about directing people to their power and purpose, so they live a life that feels true to them. It entails letting go of old beliefs, conditioning and connecting with your authentic truth. I use intuition, conscious creation, shadow work, inner child work, energy work and many other modalities I collected over the last 15 years. Breathwork is deep breathing into the body. It’s a powerful way of releasing heaviness, stress, anxiety, bringing you back to your centre allowing you to experience more love, joy and freedom in life.
It entails healing trauma through using breath, sound and movement. It’s emotional deep work that gets to the core of issues. I hold group events or 1:1s where people let go of so much that they didn’t even know they were carrying. It allows them to feel lighter, freer and more alive.
How can people create deep fulfilment in their lives?
We feel fulfilled when we live a life that feels true to us. When we live where want to live, do what we want to do, say what we want to say, connect with people we want to connect with etc. We can create deep fulfilment when our lives are filled with everything that we love. When we don’t connect to those things, we might feel disconnected or a bit lost.
It’s about making choices consciously and intentionally whilst letting go of old habits, old ways of being so everywhere you look in your life represents you. This also requires you to be honest with yourself. What you love might go against what you were taught. I grew up within a Muslim conditioning where sexuality was so repressed. It took all the courage and willpower to go and explore my sexuality to then become a sexuality coach.
I broke out of so many rules, conditioning that I was taught. It’s not always easy as old parts of you need to be let go of, however it’s so rewarding when you’re being authentically yourself and not scared of what others think of you. The truth is we’re grown adults and we can create the life we want to live.
How can people find real purpose in their lives?
Your true essence is who you are. Your purpose is how you express your true essence in the world. People can find real purpose when they know what their nature is like. Then they can create a purpose that is in alignment with that.
Following your joy always leads you to your purpose. As children, we naturally know what we love and don’t love. As we grow up, we might forget or disconnect from it, but it’s always there. Looking into what you loved when you were little is another great way to connect with your purpose.
The first thing I teach my coaching clients is how to listen and act on your intuition. Your intuition is your inner compass guiding you towards what you love. Your intuition often whispers. Your mind shouts. When you listen to that whisper and act on that, not only does it start to get louder, because you’re paying attention, your life starts to transform beyond your imagination. This leads you to your purpose.
What advice can you give to people who self-sabotage and want to try and break the cycle?
Self-awareness is key. Noticing and acknowledging in what ways and strategies you are sabotaging is the first step to break the cycle. This takes the power out of it.
Then you can close your eyes, take a few deep breaths in. Imagine there’s a golden ball of light above your head yourself, it descends onto your body, it touches your head and lights up everything. You’re empty and free. In that space, you can ask yourself what you love instead, what would be a more empowering choice. This allows you to connect with your truth and heart gives you a higher option to follow. Then act on that.
Imagine you have a river bend, water flowing through that river bend so many times. So, you’re taking the water and leading it somewhere else. In the beginning, it would be tempting to follow the old pathway. So, practice and receiving support from a coach, community are essential whilst having compassion towards yourself.
Could you explain the connection between breathwork, spirituality and mental wellbeing?
I see spirituality as living connected to spirit. It’s knowing you’re powerful but you’re not on your own, you’re supported by divinity, universe, God, life, whatever you want to call it.
Mental wellbeing supports the mind. Breathwork supports the body. Spirituality supports the soul. We need all mind, body, soul pillars working together in harmony in order to not just function, but to thrive and live fully. They all play a vital role in our aliveness.
How do you personally wind down and relax after helping others with their lives?
This takes regular practice for me to actually rest and relax as I naturally have lots of energy. I love taking hot baths, with epsom salts and candles. This year I promised to take myself away once a month to a retreat or a holiday somewhere. That’s been wonderful so far. I get massages, I go to spas. I don’t work on the weekends unless I’m holding a workshop, so I might take myself to an adventure walk in nature which is a great reset for me.
Interview conducted and written by Lucy Roberts, who you can follow on Twitter, @Lucy_Roberts_72.
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