Will: I’m a Life and Health Coach, Mentor, and Mind-Body practitioner. My work reconnects people with their bodies and intuition, helping them align their lives with what they want.
Ben: That sounds intriguing. So, what is your approach based on?
Will: My approach is mainly based on two exciting bodies of research. First of all, from the Institute of Heartmath, which has been studying the heart (physical and energetic) for the past 20 years and is confirming that our hearts are, in fact, our main computers and that health and joy come from being in what they call a “state of coherence”: when our hearts energy is aligned with our brain wave frequencies. We all experience this flow when we are engrossed in a creative project or spend time with people we love.
Will: Secondly, I draw my ideas from the work of Dr Lissa Rankin, a US doctor who wrote a book called “Mind Over Medicine”, detailing the last 20 years of research on how our minds affect our bodies and how listening to our inner voice is how we can create health in our lives. She is working alongside many US hospitals to develop a new generation of doctors. Exciting stuff, to say the least!
Ben: Indeed. But how did you get to where you are now?
Will: After four years as a Personal Trainer, I realised I needed to do more to help my clients stick to their behaviours. So, in 2013, I launched Love: Fitness, a program designed to help professionals enjoy exercise and take care of themselves.
It became clear that the only way for people to find proper health and fulfilment, and to stick to their healthy habits, was to listen to their intuition. So, I undertook a course on intuition, Darren Eden’s Transformation course, during which I learned many of the processes I use in my sessions. The work I do now continues the ideas and methods I have developed over the years.
Ben: How would you describe your current work then?
Will: My work is called “Alignment.” It reconnects people to their bodies and intuition, helping them align their lives with their desires, such as health, work, relationships, and creativity. It gives people clarity on their current patterns and beliefs, what they really want, and how to make steps towards it.
I offer it in different formats. My main work is one-to-one sessions, which I run at the Rambert studios in Waterloo or my home in London Fields. I also run monthly Alignment Dance Evenings, sometimes with live African drummers. These are a good opportunity for people to discover the work, meet me, and go deeper into their bodies. I also run alignment workshops regularly. These are very exciting because I get people to use their intuition on each other, and the insights people gain from others are often magical!
Ben: And who is your work for?
Will: The approach is designed for anyone seeking clarity on any aspect of their lives, anyone seeking to reconnect with themselves at a deeper level, and anyone keen to dig deep, learn, and change their lives. It can also be helpful for anyone struggling with health, depression, addictions, weight gain, procrastination, low energy, stress, or illness. It’s for anyone who wants to know more after reading this interview!
Ben: Great. And what does a regular session with you look like?
Will: My sessions are very intuitive, as I respond to each person differently, so they are all very different. However, each one combines elements of embodiment, meditation, free movement, physical training, intuitive processes, self-inquiry, and coaching. Sessions can last between 1 and 3 hours and can also be done online via Skype (without the movement element, of course).
Ben: What do you enjoy most about your work?
Will: I love seeing the progress my clients make. Even after a couple of sessions, people can feel their bodies speaking to them and learn to understand what their bodies need. I especially enjoy seeing my clients create what they love, either a new job, exciting creative projects, or healthy lifestyles—it really makes my heart sing!
Ben: You value the physical body highly. How important do you think it is to get regular sports massages?
Will: In an ideal world, we would all have weekly massages! Many studies show the importance of touch and human connection with health. So even just for that, getting regular massages is essential. Also, sports massages are a significant way to take care of our bodies’ structure, which is significantly impacted by our exercise, movements, and even our posture at work. In our society, people tend to sit for 8-10 hours every day. This creates tightness and tension, which must be looked at for good health and mobility. So getting regular sports massages is, in my opinion, very needed.
Ben: Thanks, Will. And finally, how can people find out more about your work?
Will: They can log on to my website, willpike.co.uk, where they can read my blogs, download my ebook, and take a two-minute test.
