Meet the Coach: Arty Thukral

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Article words by Kelly Hainsworth and Arty Thukral

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I spoke with Arty to learn more about her work as a therapist, tutor, Vastu Interior Designer and an Inner Confidence Coach.

Hello Arty

1. Could we start by you sharing a little bit about yourself? 

My birth town is Gran Canaria a small island which is part of the Canary Islands in the pacific ocean, I’m bilingual in Spanish and English. My ethnic roots are Indian, my dad was brought up in Suez Canal, Egypt and my mother in Chennai, India. 

My passion is learning about the human mind. We all have the capacity of achieving great things in life and self-belief is key.  Being an only child, I’ve always been blessed with an abundance of treasures and enveloped in the love of my family. Yet I left home at 16 to come to the UK to complete my A-Levels in Eastbourne College and since then I’ve lived in the UK with some intermittent breaks. Writing and journaling has been my constant companion. I wrote my first collection of poetry called ‘Pieces of My Heart’ when I was 14 years, I am yet to publish my first book!

One of my strengths is resilience as adaptability to change is the name of the game. After a degree in Psychology, I managed to complete an MSc in International Securities, Investment and Banking and have a career in banking to fulfil my dad’s dream.

When I moved to Birmingham after marrying my soul companion, I self-trained to help with the family business of architectural and structural plans. One of my best friend shares about me that there is nothing I cannot achieve if I put my mind to it.

Whilst I do know my limitations, I must admit that I really enjoy a challenge and always willing to try something new. What I relish most with awe is my charity work where I offer simultaneous translation from Punjabi into English, which I can do without actually being able to speak fluent Punjabi! 

2. What was your first experience of reflexology and what led to the decision to train and create your own business?

After completing my degree in Psychology, I went on holiday to Barcelona visiting a close friend in 2000. That is when first found out about reflexology which led to my training and setting my business in 2005. Reflexology is a such a wonderful and restorative therapy which reaches the core of one’s being in a subtle and powerful way. It is one of the few therapies which gives in equal proportion to the receiver as well as the giver. I was privileged to offer these sessions to my dying father which helped me remain close to him at such difficult times

3. As well as a successful reflexologist you are also a tutor in Fertile Body Method Practitioner Training and Fertile Emotional Wellbeing, please can you share more about these courses and what they involve.

I’ve been very fortunate to be the director of the Fertile Body Method which is created by Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer who is also the co-founder with Alexander Pope of Red School Ltd and Author of Wild Power: Discover the magic of your menstrual cycle and awaken the feminine path to power (Hay House, 2017).  

The practitioner training is suitable for qualified and insured reflexologists and mind body therapists such as hypnotherapists.  It is all online, takes four months to complete and is approved by International Institute for Complementary Therapies (IICT).

The training is a combination of recorded therapy sessions, education videos and years of question and answers webinars which takes approximately 100 hours to complete. The framework of the Fertile Body Method Training consists of (1) outcome (2) balance (3) resolve (4) enhance (5) prepare & (6) support. Each part has a suggested structure and scripts/visualisations. It also includes a session of one-to-one mentoring session with myself, and I am currently offering four months of my Inner Confidence Alchemy membership included within the practitioner training. To complete the training, you need to have gone through the material, read the practitioner manual and submit 9 assignments alongside the case study.  

After qualifying as a practitioner, I also offer ongoing mentoring as well as webinars. I’m in the process of creating further fertility courses/webinars which will be stand alone to complement the training and will be available shortly.

Fertile Body Method training empowers you to use visualisations with ease during your reflexology sessions and the confidence to create your own. Whilst the training is focused on fertility, I personally find the scripts enriching and I have adapted them to use them in pretty much all my offerings. 

Fertile Emotional Wellbeing Course is a shorter course which is approved by the Bach Centre. It is delivered online over 3 hours on zoom, usually twice a year and my next one is on the 28^th of June 2022. The main areas covered are assisted conception, baby loss, fertility, emotions, and corresponding Bach Flower essences. The discussion includes individual case studies, exercises, and scripts. It is a wonderful short course to give you confidence and knowledge to empower your clients to create a fertile optimum state. The requirement is to attend the course live and have basic Bach Flower essence knowledge.

4. At what point in your business did you know that you wanted to provide coaching to both your clients and other business owners?

I was a tutor at the College of Foot Health Practitioner, I taught the ABC level 3 in Reflexology and have been mentoring Fertile Body Method Practitioners. This tutoring experience helped me realise that I really enjoyed instilling confidence and helping others trust their capabilities. It is actually effortless for me to support and uplift others, and I really love witnessing the transformation in others.

My ethos is to help others realise their true inner potential by amplifying their strengths aligned to their values. This is when the seed was planted to coach others and now that I’m grateful to have the opportunities of empowering entrepreneurs to have successful businesses to serve their clients from a state of abundance and inner confidence.

5. If reflexologists reading this have not worked with a coach before, can you explain what they could expect when working with you and how it could benefit their business?

Working with a coach is like having your personal cheerleader by your side. It can be challenging and lonely to be self-employed. Often there is not much support available. As an Inner Confidence Coach, I gently highlight the areas that need focus on, as well as helping you realise where your strengths are so you can navigate through the ebbs and flows of life with ease.

I have created Inner Confidence Alchemy Membership which also includes one-to-one coaching, it is a wonderful synergy of group and individual sessions with the purpose to create accountability. The tools I use include are evidence based such as emotional freedom technique, compassionate focused therapy and acceptance commitment therapy. As a coaching client of mine shared, these help to get to the root of the issue rather than simply add a plaster. 

The benefits are clarity to move forward with confidence to charge fair competitive prices, create firm boundaries, to know when to say with reduced guilt, overcome the imposter syndrome and ultimately to feel worthy to earn an earnest living. I would not advocate anything that I do not do myself, I work with mentors and coaches which has helped me be where I am today.

Coaching is setting realistic goals to help you achieve your desired intentions whilst acknowledging your shortcomings.   One of my colleagues shared that when there is a stagnant smell, witnessing the negative is clearing out the reason why the smell is there rather than simply adding a fragrance to mask the foul stench which is focusing solely on the positive. This is the reason why coaching will help you know yourself, your weaknesses to and give you tools to raise your vibration. My approach is not to create dependency rather it is to offer a safe place which you can replicate to give you permission to grow to unimaginable heights. Whenever you need an uplift or a boost, you will find me there.

6. If there was one thing that you wish you would have known when becoming self-employed what would it be?

Boundaries is key for a self-employed business. It is paramount to know what your role entails and what is beyond the scope of your responsibilities. Writing a manifesto and regularly reviewing is a great help. I was born into a family business, so when I set my own business I fully emersed myself. I’ve learnt to set boundaries gradually, in hindsight I will not change anything as such as I’m a strong believer in kismet, but boundary setting is key.

7. Having created a successful business, what advice would you share with a reflexologist who is feeling stuck within their business?

Feeling stuck in a business is evidence that you have the awareness of your progress hence you know when you are static.  The key is to focus on the solution on how you can move forward rather than making your problem bigger than life. 

Part of the Fertile Body Method training, is to ask clients solution focused questions which you can use in your own life, focusing on the actions that will help you extricate you from the quagmire of your own feelings of being stuck.

Self-awareness of your strengths and values, setting realistic goals will motivate you to propel forward in a safe manner without overwhelm and with confidence. Journaling, tapping (EFT) and visualisation are great self-help tools which you can learn yourself and I include in my coaching.  A simple technique known as tap and breath is to use a positive affirmation on each of the EFT points, repeat them following an inhalation and exhalation. This will open the gateway for ideas to flow in which you journal and accordingly take the next steps in a systematic way. 

Bach Flower Essences are a great source of inspiration.  If you do not know which way to go, Bach Flower Essence Wild Oat will gently highlight the direction.

8. What has been your most humbling experience whilst running your business?

My most humbling experience is hearing the success stories of my coaching clients overcome their own business obstacles. My client’s success is parallel to my own success.   The ripple effect of helping other practitioners and witnessing their work flourishing is truly a privilege to experience. In specific hearing learner’s feedback of how my courses have transformed their life is truly humbling and multi-fold as it will go on to change the life of those whom they come to contact with.

9. What has been your greatest achievement in your business?

My greatest ongoing achievement in my business is being able to witness the miracle of life, healthy babies born with the help of reflexology, other nature inspired and mind body techniques

10. What exciting plans do you have for the rest of 2022? Any exclusive news?

Where do I begin? I do have a very creative mind. Currently my Sustainable Vastu Design offering for treatment rooms and home offices is at the forefront. I’m also going to be offering Bach Flower Introductory Level One course in autumn 2022. 

I am rebranding my current podcast to Inner Confident Conversations, and I’ll share an episode every full moon starting from flower moon on Monday 16^th May.  I’ll share in my weekly spark of inspiration newsletter, register here to receive these.

I am launching a weekly newsletter which includes a new podcast called Resource the Fertility Therapist, come and join here. I’m working on my Boost Your Inner Confidence Bach Reflex chart and training. There is a book/ journal on the cards too which hopefully will publish this year, let us see how things evolve.

11. As a therapist, tutor, and coach – how do you organise your week and make sure there is also time for self-care?

Self-reflection and meditation are my allies which provide me a framework to organise myself. I’m grateful to nature, which is all around us, specially as I regularly escape to my local nature reserve for grounding and rejuvenation. I always have my personal Bach flower personal mix with me and regularly journal inspired by the moon phases. There is always time scheduled for EFT swaps and reflexology sessions. 

12. What is your hope for the reflexology profession for the future?

I have worked as a reflexologist in my local GP surgery and have been referred regularly too. I hope that there will be more opportunities for reflexology to grow alongside allopathic medicine for the holistic wellbeing of clients given the uncertain and turbulent times.

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Quick Fire Questions – Get to Know Arty More.

(1) What is your favourite place to go on holiday?

Costa del Sol, Malaga. I love southern Spain, its culture, historical heritage, the people, the coast and ambience. It is a safe haven of pure peace, bliss and joy. I do not seem to get enough of it : )

(2) Coffee or Tea?

Both! Organic fair-trade coffee with oat cream during the day and a cardamon Indian tea with oat milk in the afternoon.

(3) How would you spend your ideal day away from work?

Vegan coffee flask in the nature, with a good book, my journal, coloured pens, my personal Bach flower mix, hand reflexology routine and my aromatherapy blend.

(4) Instagram or Facebook?

My Facebook group Recharge your Inner Confidence, come and join me to feel uplifted here.

(5) What is your favourite well-being book or podcast of all time?

Insight at the Edge, the host Tami Simon is full of compassion and wisdom which is showcased when she interviews some wonderful luminaries.  Self-Healers Soundboard is another source of uplift, Dr. Nicole LePera is truly inspiring with her thought proving topics.

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Arty’s Business Tips

1. Always give from your overflow, you cannot give what you do not have.
2. Self-reflection and self-awareness is key. Spend time with yourself, meditating, journaling and engaging in self-care. 
3. Organise the space you work and spend time in it. Face the east (towards sun) for inspiration and creativity, it is the gateway of enlightenment. 
4. Surround yourself with those who lift and inspire you. Befriend your inner critic gently with compassion to keep evolving.
5. Transform your failure into steps towards your success. Be patient in time even grass becomes milk.
6. Do not give the control of your happiness to anyone else. 
7. Be aware that you can choose the way you view life by adapting your attitude and choosing the lens you look through at the world. 
8. Focus on the task at hand and give it your best shot, whatever you do, do it well with a sincere heart and prosperity will follow you in equal measure if not more.
9. Raise your vibration by attuning to nature, gratitude and acceptance.
10. Learn to know yourself better, increase your own self-worth (no one else will!) and trust in your own innate wisdom, you already have what it takes to be successful, you just need to realise it.