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responding in the same terms. For instance, a kinesthetic learner will often use touch-oriented phrases like, "I feel that's true," while a visual learner says, "I see what you mean," and an auditory learner says, "That sounds about right." People are not confined to just one mode, but they will usually have one that is predominant. If you want your clients to see, hear, and feel your rapport, it is important to match your language with their language. Here are some words matching the three VAK orientations: • Visual learners: examine, focus, illustrate, imagine, look, notice, observe, see, view, watch. • Auditory learners: articulate, discuss, hear, listen, remark, speak, state, talk, tell, tone. • Kinesthetic learners: activate, affect, emotional, feel, foundation, intuition, sensitive, solid, sore, warm. case in point Here are some examples of healing language in my work. Transforming a Client's Limiting Beliefs The client was a middle-aged woman who came to me for a series of shiatsu and Vibrancy Coaching sessions. She had not exercised in the past 30 years, and her job involved standing for many hours. When she started the sessions with me, she complained of swelling in her ankles and stiffness in her joints. Each time I rotated her ankle joints, I commented favorably on the increased flexibility (which was miniscule, but visible). By focusing on the positive, my words and bodywork techniques encouraged her to join a gym and sign up for a series of yoga classes. She also began incorporating healthy lifestyle choices into her daily routine. Her friends and coworkers began to comment on the improvement in her appearance, attitude, strength, and health. Negative comments about the client's obvious lack of flexibility could have been counterproductive to helping her improve her health and her sense of well-being. Finding the Body-Mind Relationship A client said to me, "I just want to relax, but my mind gets in the way." By this remark, I understood him to be critical of himself, limiting himself both mindfully and physically. I suggested he begin to take notice of when his breathing was shallow and when it was deep. When his mind took such notice, it could direct his body toward deeper, more relaxing breaths. Although this appears on its face to be a simple process, in reality it was quite revolutionary for the client. It helped him begin to let go of a crippling self-criticism. One day he said to me, "Oh, I see—I can see how my mind and body can always work together." My recommendations in our sessions, though I t p a y s t o b e A B M P C e r t i f i e d : w w w. a b m p . c o m / g o / c e r t i f i e d c e n t r a l 69