Chatting to Mireia Miró

Miriea Miró is a former world champion ski mountaineer, the youngest woman to ever hold the title, at the tender age of 22.

She was also a trail runner and a base jumper, constantly chasing the highs, the energy and the intensity.

Following a long battle with knee and gut issues, four years ago she finally hit rock bottom and from there has been on a journey to understand herself, to work on her belief system and ultimately to help others as a life coach.

We talk about her sporting career, the long road to her breakdown, the subsequent self-discovery in coming out the other side, self-care, acceptance, taking action and the importance of talking about mental health.

It’s an inspiring talk with someone who is obviously and rightly proud of the road she has been down. She is upbeat and honest about her struggles and so positive about the future and her enthusiasm for helping other people is evident.

You can contact Mireia on https://www.mireiamirovarela.com/en/ or on Instagram on @mireia_miro

The teachings that Mireia follows are by https://drjoedispenza.com/ and https://www.tonyrobbins.com/

Transcript

Please note transcripts are automatically generated by artificial intelligence and may not be 100% accurate.

“SPEAKERS

Mireia Miro, Catie Friend

Catie Friend  00:02

Hi, welcome to chatting to a friend. I'm Katie Friend. And in this podcast I'm chatting to incredible women about their life experiences and adventures, as well as their thoughts on friendship, community self care, setting boundaries, and how they keep healthy, happy unsane. Today I'm chatting to Maria Mito, former world champion schema engineer turned life coach, we are talking about her sporting career, but more about how about four years ago, after a bit of a breakdown, she decided to rebuild her life and use her own experiences to become a life coach and to help others. A truly inspiring chat. Hi, Maria, how are you?

Mireia Miro  00:45

Hi, thank you. Fine. Good. I'm

Catie Friend  00:47

very, very happy to have you on the podcast we have met on and off over the years very briefly on the skimo World Cup circuit. But it's very nice to talk to you in person.

Mireia Miro  01:00

Yeah. Yeah. It's been now, two, three years that I'm not in the circuit. But yeah, I had been there for a long time, so on and off some years also, but my dad has been a long career in ski mountaineering.

Catie Friend  01:17

Just a little bit of background, a world champion, ski mountaineer and a World Cup winner and a three time peer mentor winner. That's amazing. For those who may not know what the peer mentor is, can you give us a little bit of background?

Mireia Miro  01:30

Yeah, permitted. for the, for the ski mountaineering race. It's a it's more than it's a is more than 2500 metres of elevation gain. And some people compare it like the Tour de France in ski mountaineering.

Catie Friend  01:48

Incredible and you've watched it three times, which is pretty impressive. And, and you're also you've been a trail runner and done some BASE jumping. Did I read on your website?

Mireia Miro  02:00

Yeah. Also also did some BASE jumping.

Catie Friend  02:05

Okay, good. And then so that was a few years ago. Now, as you said, and you're in a new profession, now you are a life coach.

Mireia Miro  02:17

Yeah, I am a life coach, I spent many years in the sport with some good moments with some other moments that were not that good. And finally, yeah, three years ago, all these all these I wouldn't either like the war bad moments, but led me to start exploring more about how the mind war works, how our thinking and behaviours works to create the life that we want to be in the state of being that you want to be. And, and I start diving into all those, all those concepts of And recently, I finally decided to take the leap and use it also. To work to work on it professionally, finally, I was spending. I mean, I've been working on myself every day for the last years. And, and for me, it was kind of really natural to start working professionally on on that. Because I've really developed some skills for myself, and it was a way to put to serve other people on a way that I like to serve.

Catie Friend  03:25

Incredible, amazing how you can take something that happened, it was not so positive and turn it into helping other people. I love that. Could you maybe talk us about through your journey? Because you were very successful schema engineer, as we said, and then you were there. You weren't there. You were on, you're off and then suddenly Not at all. I know you had some knee injuries and and so on. And then I read in Instagram the other day that you About four years ago you were at rock bottom. Can you maybe talk us through the journey from World Class ski mountaineer to really in a in not such a happy place.

04:07

Yeah, yeah, it has been an amazing journey and a lot of ups and downs and as you said, I I start my ski mountaineering career reading a good pace and, and doing really good and and I became ski mountaineering Junior World Champion. And then I became ski mountaineering under 23 World Champion and ski mountaineering senior World Championship all in for five years. It was all very fast, all all the way up to the summit up to the top of the sport, it was really fast and and, and, and I mean, it was kind of natural, right? And then you are up on on a sport that you been putting your life on for the last five years or so. And, and you envision your future and you know, I mean, I was thinking Like, wow, I have a great future in front, right. And I'm now on the top. I'm on the top and senior category with really young age, I was 22 at the time, and I think that I was an I still am the youngest person to win a World Championship in senior category, and it's not. I mean, if I'm wrong, something to me. It's not a problem if I have to, to, to admit that mistake, but I think I think that, that, that I'm, I'm the youngest woman to achieve winning ski mountaineering individual World Championship in senior category and vertical race, right. And I was really young, bright future ahead in the sports and then something goes wrong, right. And, and I at that time, I also start try running in summer, and I was also performing super, super good level, I was winning the races where I was going and and, you know, when your mind starts to arrive to vision and think, wow, I have a Yeah, I have a really great future in front. And then I had a knee injury. And it had to be an injury that could heal fast, but, but I will, I will, I will make the story short, because we can talk about, about all the story for a long time, right, but making the story short, the injury became chronic injury, and then I start getting so frustrated with myself because I wasn't performing at the level I wanted to perform. I wasn't feeling that I was where I wanted to be. And, and, and I was doing at the time, I was doing still good results. But for me, it wasn't enough. It i was i was in such frustration for the situation, I was in that it was kind of eating myself. And, and I start also having that problems. And, and finally on on 2013 I said wow, I cannot hold it anymore, I have to stop and I have to take a break and I have to do something different because my mind is burnt out right I I'm training everyday I have pain I'm starting to develop also got problems and and I'm so frustrated because I'm not performing at the level I want to perform. And I'm saying that I was still being dissolved because I was always on the podium on the World Cups and and the World Champs but it wasn't enough for me. So. So I start the job by jumping at the time and I stopped completely ski mountaineering. And I start by jumping in for me to ask kind of our relief. I always say that, that my life in skinny Anthony was so intense that I I was looking for something super intense to replace it. Yeah. And I love that feeling of kind of, of having. I mean, at that time I started shopping and you start you jump off a cliff and it's a feeling like wow, it's the life and death. It's really seen right the line when you start I mean, I want to explain myself because when you start practising more and knowing more of the sport, I mean, the line is not that thin. But at the beginning there's a feeling right that is there's a feeling that wow, this is for is extreme, and I have to be careful. And I have to be my mind has to be sharp when I practice a sport because it's it's easy if I'm not sharp, sharp minded to get hurt. And I'm, well then I I spend one or two years only dumping and then I still have pain on my knees. I still had problems on my oh my god and and I don't know, how are we? I, I I start again? Well, I know why I know why.

09:02

But I have I started competing in Kenya scrutineering but I have been disconnected for two years and in my physical problems were still there. And in it was impossible I mean was impossible for me to perform at a high level so so I still did two three years more computing on ski mountaineering but it was really frustrating for me to ask for different varying kind of weather when you have seen yourself so in the top to see yourself really far and that you are just not capable. You are just not capable to come back. And and you don't know why that's the worst. You don't know why and you have pain your knees. I had pain in my God, my mind was not working well. So. So really, yeah, there was a moment where I touched the bottom and I start asking myself really, I think that are really profound questions like what am I doing here? Right. What is life? About and, and I always say to a person that is asking these questions that this is a great moment, this is a great moment, because when you start asking yourself these questions, it's a new door for you can open. Right and, and you are at the bottom, you are in a difficult place, you are in a difficult situation. You don't find any sense on anything. You're questioning what is life about and what am I doing here, but it's a great moment to, to take a new direction, a new direction that that is more aligned with our purpose of what we are doing really here. And, and it happened this way. Right on. And on. Four years ago, I I remember one day that I was kind of I'm not a religious person or whatever. Right. But, but I I, at that time, I believe that there's a force that is giving everything life, right. And it's not perfect, because everything is perfect. And nature is perfect. And we are As humans, we are also perfect. And and I asked this, this force this, that I asked for guidance, I really needed something to I really needed some something to tell me that that. Okay, there was a sense of being here. And, and there was a meaning and, and I had to which direction did did I have to follow? And the answer came right. And I start that was the moment. I mean, it was my worst moment. And I remember it really clear. But and I already had been some years before going down right falling to that place. But for me, that was the before and after that, and I won't say that, that everything has been perfect from them. Because it hasn't and I have had to work on myself a lot. I have had to work on it on a deep level also myself. And but there was a complete change, right? That's when when you know that you are really taking a term and you are not taking a kind of okay, I'm, I'm burned out of this. And now I do that? No, I'm not talking about this kind of term in your life. I'm talking of a deeper term.

Catie Friend  12:22

Amazing. And I was I saw I saw, I've got so many questions. I completely understand not that I've ever been a high level athlete or anything like that. But about this time last year, I had, what I sort of described as a nervous breakdown, perhaps wasn't as dramatic is that and that sort of expression doesn't really exist in medicine in medical circles anymore. But I was talking to somebody recently, and they said, she called it a reset. She said you had a reset. And I thought that is the most magnificent word for it. And it describes exactly what you've just said, there's a point before, there's the time before and there's the time after it. And you don't suddenly get better the next day. But it's a point at which you say I have a choice to make here. To help myself get better. Or

13:17

Yeah,

Catie Friend  13:18

to just keep you know, to not live the life I need to live.

13:23

Yeah, yeah, completely and is what you say, right? It's not that the day after everything is fine. But you start the journey, and that moment, you start a different journey. And at least I start a different journey. And I start looking more into the inner world. I start looking more on how I was reacting to, to my environment. How was it was I thinking how was that affecting on how I was feeling and and you start developing a different sense of things and a different perception and a different perspective. And yeah.

Catie Friend  14:04

And so what what were the what were some of the practical things that you did, as a realisation? For example, me when I realised that I really needed to take more care of myself I one of the first things I did was I gave up quite a lot of my commitments, my sort of voluntary commitments, I just said, I can't do it. I started saying, No, I'm sorry, I can't help. What did you have some practical things that you did right there and then to sort of alleviate your anxiety or depression or whatever it was that you felt that you were suffering?

14:37

Yeah, I started meditating. I started with meditation and I started doing Dr. Joe dispenza work i is now third that I would recommend always to everyone. I think that for me, he changed my life. I mean, I mean, I had, you know, I listen to many people and but I really think I really loved the way he explained things and how we, how he, he, he explained really difficult things, very easy for everyone. And I start doing his work daily. And ensure then I have learned from other authors and, and I have, you know, you you are you expand your knowledge expand your but but for me, this was the best work I could have ever done.

Catie Friend  15:30

And what would so what sort of work does he do? Can you give us an example?

15:34

Yeah, yeah, I mean, I mean, yeah, yes, he does so many things. And he's, he's so great. But he's neuroscientists, his chiropractor also. And he has many, he has done many research on the brain. And so he bases his work on on meditation and how to rewire your brain through metacognition. And he also explains a lot Well, there are many others that explain that, but but how you're thinking and feeling affects your, your inner state? And how does this affect what you create in your life, right, and that everything that we create Finally, is a projection of who we are being right. And so by rewiring your brain through meditation, you are creating a new state of being, and then that's attracting things. But this is kind of I mean, this is just one part right of his work, because he also explains, I mean, he explains different techniques, he has different types of meditations. And, and for sure, for me, it was really a eye opener, right to all these years. And in kind of, wow, I mean, everything he said, For me had many cells. And I'm not saying that people have to follow him or do their work. I think that what is important is, for me, what was really important is to find an author that speak to me, that I really felt that well, I understand this guy, and I love what he's explaining. And I sticked to his, to his teachings, right, and, because what I see today is that people when they are in crisis, when they, they are so lost, and they start looking here looking there, but but they don't put into practice the knowledge and if they put it, they put it for so short amount of time that they cannot see results. And if you want to see results, when you are in a crisis, you have been, I mean, many time creating these moments. So you have to give also time to get out of it. Right. And people don't have patience to to apply and apply the work of someone.

Catie Friend  17:41

And no, that's absolutely true. Because when I finally reached out for help, I sorted there was a part of me that thought, well, I'll just go and see, you know, the doctor or the nutritionist, and you know, the acupuncturist and then and then at all, I'll be fine, I'll be fine. Because I think a lot of the time Yes, you're right, we are impatient, but we also were hardwired, I think to go Well, yes, well, I certainly am, well, it'll, it'll all be fine. And then, when someone said to me, this is gonna take you about a year, and only if you look after yourself, and you continue to look after yourself to, you know, practice self care, which we all sort of think is having a nice hot bubble bath. But in fact, it's so much more than that. And it's all about, as you say, consistently, eating right, sleeping correctly, you know, saying no, all the things that, you know, putting boundaries in place to protect yourself. Yeah. And

18:40

this remembers me that I, I mean, I was there also, I mean, I spent years years thinking, Okay, I will go maybe one day to the psychologist or two days, and, and it's fine enough, right. And then I yeah, I mean, it was me myself, I wasn't sticking to, to do things, right. I when I want to kind of the miracle solution in one day, one hour, and, and that's fine. Don't bother me anymore, right. And that's not how it works, really. I had to learn it the hard way,

Catie Friend  19:19

I think but I think when you get to that situation, you unfortunately you do have to learn it the hard way. Because as you say, it's taken you a long time to get into that situation. And so, actually, even the coming out the other side, it's hard because you're confronting a lot of beliefs that you've held for a long time, whether that be about eating or relationships or whatever it might be that you know or your body. And so you got to rewire reprogram yourself and these things as you say do not come overnight. So what and in terms of your You said you asked sort of the higher power or whatever the you know, yes, source whatever one believes and yeah, do you feel like you almost had to have permission from somewhere for someone or something higher than you to say it's okay, you can, you can stop the craziness. No. And you can stop the adrenaline and the near life and death and the heart racing and punishing your body. It's okay, no, you can, you can start to look after yourself.

20:35

And I think that if I didn't know, had arrived to that point to that really bottom point, because I was physically I was physically, really, I mean, I had, it was not only my knees, then I had pain in my head in my feet. And also, my, my, all my gods were in a very, I mean, I was in a very bad place physically. And I think that and, and that's also meant, but I think that I hadn't arrived to that place, I wouldn't have taken action that I have done. It was impossible, because I had the opportunity for many times before I had years of opportunities to, to start taking action. And I didn't do it. You know, I had to wait until I was I wasn't my worst place to really say, okay, that's, I mean, that's all, you know, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna go beyond where I am now. It's for me to my bottom. And now I have to really take action in a different way. And, and I think that I needed I needed that to take action with how, on on the way I have done it. If not, it would have been impossible, right? And, and, and so with these, I want to say that everything's perfect. I mean, the timing was perfect. It was the perfect moment. I mean, I didn't know how to put words on that. Because now, it's now that I see that at that moment, I didn't have this understanding this perspective, right. But when I see it from now, it's kind of, I understand it. And it has sense for me. And every time it was perfect. Every timing was perfect. And my situation was also perfect.

Catie Friend  22:18

You're absolutely right. You don't you wouldn't take the action, because I had spent a long time saying, oh, if I just eat a bit better if I just maybe do this, you know, I'll just give it another month or I'll just give it another week. And then suddenly, there's that big bam. And you think, okay, know that I can't do this on my own? I can't. I have to, I have to reach out and get help. Do you? Did you have a supportive community around you, friends, family? And do you think that they had noticed that things are getting worse? But it's sometimes difficult to to accept help? Until you notice you really need it?

23:06

I'm kind of a really solitary person solitary, is that English? It is correct. And I get the I have to do a lot of things for myself. And I think that, even me, I didn't realise where I was. I'm realising now because now I'm much better. Right? And when I look back as well, wow, how could I be there? And how could I? I be there for so long time. It's kind of now it's kind of even for me to understand, right? How was that possible? And, and I think that I was the first that I didn't want to, to really accept and look where I was, right. I what I know is I was suffering, I was feeling frustrated and I was feeling all those kinds of, of negative emotions but but I didn't know what to do. I was I mean, I didn't. I was kind of I was kind of inside my box right and, and and, and I couldn't see beyond that. And sure there were friends that that that so how I was but but I have been always a person that I have that I like to decide for myself and where I want and when I want it and I don't like it all that some that someone chooses for me. And so I think that that people can tell you or they can try to tell you but but you have to be the one that realises where you are and and realises that you want something different for yourself. And this is the first step I think that and when you when you when you say I want something different for myself, is not what we are talking right what I've done for years like Something fast and okay. Or I think, I don't know, I don't like my job, it is my job. And so it's kind of a bigger commitment of this inner work, and really taking be taking conscious being conscious of, of what you have been doing until now. And what is not working? What is not working of who you have been being? Right. I don't know if I'm explaining myself.

Catie Friend  25:27

No, you are you absolutely are. And I wondered if you could tell us some of the things that you do do differently now, that have allowed you that perhaps, even though you maybe didn't see the difference straightaway, can know that you can look back? Can you give us sort of other daily habits or their monthly habits? Are there things that you do so very differently now that you think, Why on earth? Was I not doing that before? Yeah, I

25:56

mean, the way I see my own situation, I mean, we all have difficulties in our lives, right? And, and I like I've said this sentence, because this race, because I have heard for so many people from so many people, but but it's pain is is what suffering is optional. Pain is how it is in English, pain is an oblique is obligated, but suffering emotional right? Now, okay, we all have difficulties on our lives. And this is, this is not this is kind of not an option, right? Where we all have difficult times or have challenging situations. But suffering is optional. And this means the way you choose to look at them. And the way you choose to deal with these situations is, is your choice, right? And way you emotionally engaged with these situations, right. And with these, I tend to imagine, and I still have to change a lot. I mean, I'm not where I want to be yet but, but I've changed so much in an item. I mean, I have learned to work a lot of my state of being and, and also to, to, to start questioning my own beliefs. And these are unpredictable, I meditate, I do meditation every day now for three years or so. And I also from time to time, work on my vision and, and my vision in life, and I work on the beliefs or my limiting beliefs that are stopping me to get there. And I do a lot, a lot of inner work for myself. And for example, I don't write every day, but from time to time I like to I like to stop and in tech, which which are my the limiting beliefs that are stopping to anywhere I want to get and what is what I really want. And I believe kind of a techops right. And, but but then it's an everyday practice also. Right. And it's an everyday practice of how do I I, I engage with everything that's happened around me and and i think that I'm more and more much relaxed. And I have had I have learned also, to question my thinking to question my beliefs to don't take things too personally, to don't take things as a punishment. I mean, it's kind of I was really in a victim place. And I see now and I had so many problems, but I was giving them them also because I wasn't a victim state right. I was kind of everything is against me, right? I was kind of getting that life happening of you all these to me, right? This kind seems the world has made a complaint against me. Working, nothing was working. And I had that feeling that nothing was working because for me nothing was working right. But but but when you understand that it's not the welcome plotting against you that that you have the power to decide how you want to feel how you want to think how you want to show up in your life, which direction direction you want to take in your life, then things start to change.

Catie Friend  29:12

It's incredible, because you talked a lot in there about beliefs and limiting beliefs. It's something that I've been learning a lot about recently, and it's absolutely extraordinary. How much of your beliefs come from your childhood, how your parents were, what you know, not suggesting anybody, anything bad about one's parents, anyone's parents just that that's what they believed to be the truth or the case. And presumably, you as a young athlete, you must have had coaches as well. And you know, you you soak in so much of what other people believe to be true. And it's so extraordinary when you finally think actually, I don't think I do believe that anymore. I I choose to go this way. that subject.

30:01

Mm hmm. Yeah, yeah. Now, and and, uh, you know, one other thing. Other thing that I have learned from this time is that I'm not always right. I mean, it's, it's been my way of thinking it's my, another person have its way of thinking and everything is perception is the way you are, you are making the interpretation of what's happening, right. And in our belief system is I mean, our minds 95% unconscious and 5% conscious, right and on our legal basis, so, so we are operating from the, from the unconscious part almost all day. And our unconscious part of the mind is made up of all these beliefs that that have been made from experience from our parents from how we grew, and, and all that stuff, right. And once you start, once you start being curious about them, and once you start digging more into them, you realise that you are the one that you are, I mean, you are seeing the world through your own story. And you are telling your own story of the world, right and of things. And I see these a lot when, for example, when two people break when a couple breaks one plane, one lorry and the other a completely different one. And, and they have both been the same situation. And you would say, Wow, this seems kind of a different, completely different story. Right?

Catie Friend  31:31

Yeah. Have you? Well, they always say there's always three versions of the truth. Yeah, one person's version, the other person's version? And then what actually happened?

31:41

Yeah, completely. Yeah, that's it. That's it. And, and once person's version, and the other person's version is made of their own beliefs, right. And, and I think that it's a very interesting subject, right. And I've worked a lot also myself on that. And I'm saying, right, I still have this feeling that I have still a lot to work, it's kind of now it's good. For me, it's kind of an endless, and it's worth working on, on your mind and on your, on your belief system on yourself. And on your connection also to the world.

Catie Friend  32:15

It's really interesting, you say that, because I feel a little bit the same, and I'm a little bit earlier in my journey than you. You know, it's not it's not it's only been a year, since I had my sort of reset, as we will call it. And, and, but I sometimes, I don't know about you, I sometimes get a little bit overwhelmed by the whole, you know, challenging my beliefs or trying to change the way I deal with things. Because sometimes I think, oh, it would just be really nice to just not go back to the way it was. But you know, I just wish it were easier, or I wish that I didn't have to think about this all the time. How do you help people with that sort of big, you know, because there is, it's good to start to challenge yourself, but sometimes you presumably just need to give yourself a break.

33:07

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Totally, totally. And sometimes, you just need to relax and accept accepting, right when, when you start doing this work, sometimes you get too caught, too caught up on it, and I'll explain myself is not about to get cut, cut up on it, but I work with some some clients that I do some sessions and I tell them, Hey, this is not now for you to judge yourself and in and have a mean and overwhelm yourself because we will be on the same place that you were right and, and sometimes you just need to relax and in, okay, I, okay, I've been working for some time, now I have to integrate over what I have worked and, and, and also realise that when you start being overwhelmed, you start being on a place where you don't want to be and, and the solution is okay, I can lead myself to stop doing right. It's, I don't have to do doo doo doo doo all the time I I can lend myself to stop doing and just maybe take a day or so of being an acceptance of Who am I and being on a state of gratitude, gratitude and right and just take the day easy and and just let go right let go in a in a gratitude state and acceptance for and when I say acceptance, I also talk about acceptance for yourself. Right? Because I mean, finally, we are all doing I mean, it's kind of I don't know what the feeling is but but to to also to congratulate yourself for the work you're doing.

Catie Friend  34:53

Quite I totally agree. I could not agree more. That sometimes you just have to say well done me I say that to me, honestly, I say that to myself every time I meditate. And every time I managed to do some yoga, I say, well done me. Well done. Because you think I took the time out of my day to do this thing that I know will make me feel better.

35:17

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Right. We are. Sometimes we are so much in the doing mode that we just forget to stop and say, Hey, you did good today?

Catie Friend  35:28

Yeah. And do you think having been a professional sports person has helped in in a in your own journey? Or has it been difficult because being a sports person means that you are presumably fairly results focused? You are quite driven? You know, we talked earlier about, you know, wanting results right now? Or do you think, do you think that it has given you more understanding? Because, you know, you know, that you can't go from sitting on the couch to being World Champion just like that? Or do you think it's hard because impatience to be good and have results and see tangible things? and makes it more difficult?

36:09

Yeah, I think that in some things, it has been good. I mean, some things, it has been more difficult. And, and, you know, I, I, I wasn't, I think that I still am very stubborn. And so change for me change in a deep level. It has been for me, it has been, I mean, it has been a slow process. Because I my time, right. And you did me that easy, right? I need to understand and I need to apply and I experience and Okay, it's not maybe the way I I imagined but on the other side, I I committed to it. Right. And I have been very disciplined. And I have I, I have learned and I am still learning to trust to trust the process. Right. And, and I think that in some things have been very helpful. And in some others have, it's been very difficult. Because, yes, and at the beginning, I remember that I wanted results fast. And even when I started meditating, I thought, Okay, I'm gonna start meditating. And when I arrived, where I want to be, I'll stop, right? People and I want to say that because many people I for many people that wants to start meditating, meditating, because they want to solve one problem. So they want to meditate for one week, and the problem will be gone. Yeah, either. Right. And, and, and yeah, now I can love about it. And but I remember that, yeah. When even when I started meditating, for me, plus a lot of results and in, and now I'm relaxing, more and more. And, and I have also seen that, that when you are first in the results, it's more difficult than they come. But when you relax, and you, you focus yourself more in the process, then things come.

Catie Friend  38:01

Exactly, no, I couldn't agree more. Do you feel? I mean, it's a it is so important, I feel that we talk about these things, because it is, especially now in the crazy times that we're living in where people are, you know, mental health is such a huge part of this whole global pandemic. How do you How are you going about talking about this more, I see you on your, on your Instagram, and you're doing podcasts and interviews and so on? Is how important is that for you?

38:37

Yeah, for me, it has become my life. And, and it's the place where I find sense, where I find more and more sense to everything, right, and being able to work with people and to help through their difficulties and help them see different perspectives to their problems and different solutions to their problems. For me, it's so fulfilling, it's so fulfilling, because I have this feeling that I'm contributing that I'm contributing in a really positive way because I can see changes with the people that I work with, and just have this feeling that I am growing, because I'm growing every day and unconsciously every day through the people that I work with through the my own work that I do with myself and and I also think that now is such an important time. An important time. The world is kind of upside down. Yeah, look at the world from outside you would say well, these people are crazy. Right and, and, and many people are going through through through this kind of awakening process. I mean, you can use the word one I I even I don't mind a lot of the words people use but but these crisis that brings that kind of a deeper realisations and and i think that it's really great time, right and it's a really great time because all these Working in and this is what doctors are teachers, right is how to how do you want to feel independently? Or on what is going outside? Right? And what do you want to create and, and what we are seeing in the world is also our creation, right? It's never self so. So it's to ourselves to change that. And, and it's not. For me it's not through taking action on the door, it's an inner wall and in, in going on a deeper level to realise what is important, right. And and from where do you want to act? This is what is important from where am I acting? Right?

Catie Friend  40:39

Absolutely. And I think it's so so important that people, especially now today, in this crazy world, they know that they're not alone that other people are going through these journeys. Nobody's journey is exactly the same. But it's, it's the principle is the same. You know that we are all under enormous amounts of pressure in the modern world, especially in the current global crisis, as you say. And I think talking about this, it took me a while to be comfortable talking about it, I don't know about you, I told my closest friends when it happened, but I'm now very comfortable. And I think it's important because I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of, or embarrassed about. You know, it just makes you realise that the person next to you is suffering or could be suffering, and you don't know about it. So, you know, it's the old adage of, you know, in this world where you can be anything be kind?

41:37

Yeah, and, and yeah, and it took a long time for me also to talk about it and, and I thought, well, what will people seeing that they will, they will think that I'm crazy of doing things like right wing, I mean, I mean, for people that have grown maybe in, in an ambience where they talk about energy, they talk about spirituality, they talk about all these kind of things, different but I, I grew up and all my friends and anyone was into those kinds of things. Right? And, and at the beginning, it was a little bit difficult because it's, it's okay, I'm talking about something really different in in an end, at the beginning, I knew that for me, this work was important in our work. And I knew that not everyone would approve it. So So at the beginning, I told very few people because I really wanted the people that I knew that could support me, it was really important for me at that moment to grow strong, to be able then to don't care about what other people thought right at the beginning, I was not at that point. And I cared about what other people thought so. So once I grew strong, like, okay, I don't care anymore, what other people were seeing, and I start opening myself and I think that I can open myself much more because what I put in social media, I still have kind of a break sometimes like, okay, don't go do don't go to too much. Right. And, and I feel it and I know it. And I think that it's my own process, right? Because it's my own beliefs. I either it's my own beliefs, but it's my journey also. And, and I think that it's really beautiful to see, right how this process how you open yourself with with time, right at the beginning, you won't do it, and then you start sharing a little bit, and then you start sharing more, and then people get interested on it. And, and you know, and the thing starts get bigger and bigger and bigger. Right. And and I think that it's kind of a Yeah, it's kind of this opening process is also kind of a, it's kind of, I remember the book of The Little Prince. When when there's this Fox, he knows this Fox, right? And, and he says okay, they start seeing each one from apart from the other. And each day they were getting closer, right and, and, and I feel that it's kind of this process, right? Okay. I have to learn to to gain trust and I have to learn to be interesting myself, not nothing other people in myself and and this is a process until I feel comfortable measure more and more and more. And until the point that I don't care at all what other people think i i i go for it.

Catie Friend  44:24

No, quite right. I love I love that analogy about the Fox and the Little Prince. I might use that. Do you have a life coach of your own? Do you have somebody that you talk to still about your process?

44:37

Yeah, sure. Sure. Yeah, I know work also as a life coach. But But I think that and I've been working doing work on myself, but I think that I have I have had a coach or a life coach for two years because I think that there are some situations that you did for me at least that you need someone to take off your perspective and help you step off from your your perspective. And for me, I've done a lot of things by myself but, but there's a point that that I've needed kind of super from someone watching externally and with no judgement and, and it has helped me a lot. And it was one of the reasons why I decided to go also for life coaching I I've known I work, I've worked with one life coach, and I still work with with him, but I've known other many life coach years, and I really love the work they do, and how do they accompany people? Right? And it's a different kind of, I mean, sure, nowadays, there are many life coach schools and, and I think that that the important thing is that you can connect with the person that's, that's the most important thing but, but for me, life coaching has given me has given me the tool to to accompany people in a way that I really like and I feel comfortable with and and I trust because it seems I've done it myself. And, and in life coaching I did. Tony Robbins certificate. Yeah. And Tony is one of the best coaches in Wisconsin, he's considered one of the best coaches in the world. And I did his certification for that, because I thought if I want to do life coaching, I want to learn and want to be sure that I learned from from the best, right, and after is how you apply it, right? Not everyone is studying from, from the best colour and at the same level, right. But then it's how you apply it and how you how you transform it on a way that you feel comfortable doing it. But, but, um, and also, I mean, I don't stop studying. I study almost every day. And I read almost every day, but but I love I love how life coaching approach approach problems. And I've used a lot of my, a lot of myself, it has helped me a lot. And that's what I chose to do life coaching.

Catie Friend  47:08

Amazing. Well, I, I could keep talking to you for hours and hours. I just had one last point, which was, you know, about on the coaching side of things, people may hesitate to take on something like a life coach, but it's it always strikes me as extraordinary because, you know, you were a world champion in your chosen sport. And yet you still had a coach, you know, Celine Dion, one of the most prolific and successful singers in the world still has a voice coach. So why would you not have a coach for something as important as the only life you're ever going to lead?

47:49

Yeah, yeah, completely. I completely agree. And, and going back to Tony Robbins, he has coach people like, like Serena Williams, and Bill Clinton and Opera. Right. And you say, these are the most successful people in the world? How? How do they have a life coach and, and being successful doesn't mean that you don't have you don't need to burn you don't need I mean, I mean, people, people, I think that people wait too much before asking for help. And they see it like, like, they see like a bad thing as a weakness. Yeah, yeah, like a weakness. Right. That's the word. That's the word. And that's not it. Right? It's, I mean, it's, it's, it's being able with a goat is like it's tapping into your own potential and learning to use it more effectively. Right. And, and it can be when you have a problem and but you don't have to have a problem. Maybe you have a vision, and you know, how to get to that vision. And, and I think that people have at least here where where I am. People have many barriers when when asked when asking for help. But on the other side, I have to say that say that many people that I work with have told me I would have never gone to come to see up psychologist because I think that it's too much

49:13

when they feel comfortable.

Catie Friend  49:16

Well, I think there's there's an element of practicality with a coach, I think that appeals certainly appeals to me. Because you know, it's all very well talking and talking and talking and talking about stuff. But at some point for me personally, I like someone to say, Well, how do you think you might deal with that? Or what is stopping you from doing this or you know, this sort of asking of the questions and the practical maybe there's a plan to be made rather than just rehashing old hurts

49:50

and resentments are Sure, sure. And, and these are also I enjoy I enjoy so much my job because one day I'll be helping someone Planning, organising putting priorities on the life. Some other day, I'll be happy helping someone to go through some limiting beliefs and blockage. And and, and this is so beautiful this is so beautiful because I can I can accompany the person in their hole right and and we have to stop thinking that one person is one problem in a specific area of their lives. I mean, I mean, I mean, and and for example, for example when I think about one example about that is, for example, Tiger Woods when there was a time where he wasn't doing good performances in golf, and everyone was saying what's happening with him what's happening with him and the problem was not in golf, the problem was in his life. And yeah, and sometimes we, you know, we get so so. So we miss miss understand the thing, right? It's not the problem in my job, it's not the problem with my partner, it's not the problem. I don't know, in whatever, it's my, it's, it's my own personal problem that I'm manifesting manifesting through this through my job through my partner's through. And I think that coating, it just has, it's a really beautiful way to work on these problems in a, in a way, you know, as you were saying kind of in a with empowerment of the person and action taker. Right. Yeah. And we are gonna, we are gonna, we are gonna face that. And, and we are gonna work, we are going to work on that.

Catie Friend  51:38

Right? Absolutely. I I just love it. I think it's so as you say empowering and it opens up so much of life that perhaps, you know, somebody may not have thought of before, because of limiting beliefs because of circumstances and so on. And yeah, I think what you're doing is absolutely amazing. And I congratulate you on using the sort of the down and dark sides or parts of your life and your journey to help other people. I think that's absolutely incredible. How can we get hold of you? what's your website?

52:16

Well, my web website is, you know, to write my name, Miyamoto varela.com

Catie Friend  52:24

I will put it in the show notes, so everybody can read it properly.

52:29

They're perfect. Yeah,

Catie Friend  52:30

and we can get hold of you on Instagram as well.

52:33

Yeah, yeah, Instagram is Malaya Midori,

Catie Friend  52:37

I will also put that in the show notes. And you are available. And obviously you speak very good English. So available to help in English and in Spanish.

52:47

Yeah, yeah. Not in Catalan.

Catie Friend  52:50

Also in Catalan, yeah, yeah. Oh, amazing. Well, there you go three, three languages, and to speak, and to, to coach and, and so on. Thank you so much for joining me. I know you have to go. But I'm really so grateful for your time. It has been absolutely brilliant talking to you.

53:10

Thank you. Thank you, to you for for having me in, in this interview. And yeah, it was pretty nice to talk about this topic. I think that it was the first time they really did an interview like that, talking more about these topics, because many times people want to know why. Well want to know another kind of have questions more related to sports. And it's super nice to be able to talk about where I am now. What am I doing? And how are I arrive here? Because everything has has its own story. Right. And, and as I mean, many people have

Catie Friend  53:47

have really interesting stories. And it's really great when you can talk about it. It is and that is the purpose of my podcast is to talk to people about their amazing stories. So thank you for sharing yours. I really, really loved it. And we will speak very soon, I

54:01

hope. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you very much. Bye Bye.”