🌿 “Their love became a field of coherence around us—holding steady when our own hearts faltered.”
Bernadette the Nun: A Heart’s Awakening
There are times in life when everything presses in at once—no time to process, no space to breathe. As a Master Certified Coach, I often teach others the power of breathwork and heart–brain syncing—how aligning into coherence can calm the nervous system and restore clarity.
And then life shifted suddenly. Within just a few days, everything turned on a dime. Three of our family members—including our beloved dog—experienced life-changing events. Illness, loss, and crisis seemed to arrive all at once, like waves crashing without mercy. I could hardly catch my breath in the middle of it all.
“Even as coaches who teach coherence, we sometimes cannot access it when the waves of life crash in.”
In those moments of overwhelm, I tried to apply what I so often teach. I paused, I breathed, I reached for coherence, comfort, and clarity. But the release wouldn’t come.
The grief was heavy, thick. My chest stayed tight. My breath remained shallow. My heart ached with growing intensity until fear whispered: What if I can’t get my breath back?
I had recently learned about broken heart syndrome, a condition where deep emotional stress can actually cause the heart muscle to weaken and fail. A dear friend of mine had collapsed from it—dying on the table before doctors revived her. The thought haunted me. Was I heading in that direction?
At the height of it, my phone lit up with a message. It wasn’t casual—it was commanding, urgent, filled with knowing:
“STOP what you are doing RIGHT NOW. Go and lay down. Open your arms. Breathe through every cell of your being. I can see your heart shutting down.”
Her words cut straight through my fear. With her psychic gift, she could sense what was happening inside me even from afar. The timing was uncanny. The message was not just advice—it was Spirit’s intervention.
That night, grace reached me in an even deeper way. I dreamt of Bernadette the Nun. She appeared, silent yet radiant, placing her hands gently upon my heart. No words were spoken, yet I knew exactly who she was. Though I was not raised Catholic, she somehow let me know her name, her presence, her purpose.
For days afterward, whenever I closed my eyes, I saw her there—steady, compassionate, a spirit guide holding me in love. Her touch anchored me when fear threatened to consume me. She reminded me of what I already knew but could not access on my own: breath is not just biological—it is sacred. Coherence is not only a practice—it is a gift.
A Coaching Reflection
As coaches, we often hold space for others to breathe, to remember their strengths, to find coherence when they feel overwhelmed. Yet this experience reminded me of something profound: even those of us who teach these practices sometimes cannot access them when the waves of life come crashing in.
In those moments, Spirit sends reminders—through a friend’s urgent words, through a dream, through a presence like Bernadette the Nun—to hold us until we can hold ourselves again.
Coaching is not about being perfect; it is about being present. Sometimes the tools we teach come through our own hands. Other times, they arrive as grace from beyond.
A Blessing in Bernadette’s Voice
“Beloved, let your heart rest. Do not be afraid. You are being held.
Breathe and know that Love moves through every cell of your being.
When you cannot find coherence on your own, trust that you are not alone.
Open your arms. Open your heart. You are guided, you are loved, and you are whole.”
{R}eflect & Rise
Take a quiet moment today:
- When have you felt a guide—seen or unseen—arrive just when you needed them most?
- How might you remain open to Spirit’s unexpected interventions, even when you cannot find your own breath?
A Note of Gratitude
As powerful as Spirit’s guidance was through this experience, we could not have walked this season alone. Suzanne, Bernadette the Nun, our family, friends, loved ones, HeartMath family, Burke’s families from school, and our ICF Southern Nevada Coaching Community surrounded us with love and practical care—prayers, phone calls, dinners, rides, and even financial support. Each gesture was a lifeline.
Their love became a field of coherence around us—holding steady when our own hearts faltered, reminding us that healing flows not only through breath and Spirit, but also through the care of community.
We are forever grateful!!
Dr. Kathy Norwood, MCC
September 2025
