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What if I told you that white guilt is tied to a nervous system response?
Coherence is needed to feel the uncomfortable emotions of white guilt; otherwise, the fight-or-flight response could be activated. Nobody wants to come off as a “bad person.” Being deemed “guilty” or associated with a group of people that did things you don’t agree with by another large group of people could seem extremely scary to the nervous system. When your logical brain is saying, “I don’t believe in what my predecessors believe in. I didn’t do anything personally. I would never do those things.” You’re in defense mode. When you feel defensive or protective of yourself, even subconsciously, your actions reflect those feelings. Feeling defensive and protective leads to performative allyship, which is confusing because, if you’re paying reparations or hiring marginalized individuals, as just one example, how could that be performative? The motivation behind those actions is so YOU feel better. You’re reacting to your nervous system activation, taking those actions to feel safer. Even though you might have the best intentions, without addressing and tending to the nervous system activation and becoming coherent BEFORE you act, the performative energy will be felt by others. These actions have the vibe of “take the money so I don't have to feel uncomfortable.” What would happen if you were willing to get coherent and feel uncomfortable to become a better ally? If, when you’re radically honest with yourself, you find yourself in the land of white fragility, aka fight, flight, fawn, or freeze about the topic of race and privilege, I can help you cultivate the capacity to feel uncomfortable, because doing so is important. You have to be willing to confront white guilt or guilt about the privileges you have, feel the feelings that come up when you do, and recognize how those feelings motivate you into action. Why is this important? Because actions create results. What are the results of performative allyship? Yes, sometimes reparations are performative, and when they are, they carry the energy of survival. Any type of reparation born from your survival energy will only be a short-term solution for those you’re trying to make amends with. If you’re re-acting from fight-flight and haven't changed the way you think about yourself or others. You will continue to perpetuate something you feel guilty about, to begin with. Get coherent. Be a coherent ally. When you do, you’ll be more authentic about the actions you take. Your actions won’t be about making yourself feel more regulated; they will be about having the capacity to change how you think about what’s going on and showing up differently than those before you. Coherence, in essence, is connection and communication. When a body is in coherence, all its parts are in sync and communicating with each other. The body goes into thriving mode. Can you see how taking action from THIS place, rather than from guilt, or fight, and flight energy, could affect the results you create? As within so without. A coherent ally creates unity and communication from within. I wonder what could be created in the world with that energy? I’m inviting 3 allies to coach with me 1 on 1 about this. We will work together to cultivate the capacity to be a coherent ally. Our work will consist of creating a new baseline of coherence in your body and building more capacity to reflect on and deliberately choose what you want to think about those you’re advocating for. Remember, thoughts create emotions, actions, and results. Our work together will help you become clear about what your desired results are and what you will need to think and feel to achieve them. What could we accomplish if we work together? Let's find out. Book a free coaching consult today.
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Every human is pure energy and intention, capable of shaping their reality on purpose. Most people are trapped in survival mode, burnt out, fearful, reactive, or numb. They cycle through inherited patterns and familiar emotional states that keep them disconnected from their power. This is not weakness. Modern culture deliberately activates fight, flight, freeze, fawn, and shutdown through messages, images, and frequencies that overwhelm the nervous system and pull people away from their inner truth. My work interrupts that cycle. I teach people how to Stop. Drop. Create Coherence™, which is a bio physiological shift out of survival mode and into clarity, awareness, and grounded personal sovereignty. In coherence the nervous system steadies, consciousness expands, and a person can more easily access the part of themselves that remembers the truth: I am Creator. I am not a victim of circumstance. Coherence is the bridge between surviving and thriving. It transforms trans-generational trauma, dissolves fear based patterns, and opens the door to deliberate creation. When someone becomes coherent, they reclaim their personal power, their self belief, and their ability to create the life they want. My message is simple and universal: Get into coherence so you can create on purpose. When your internal state shifts, your entire reality reorganizes around what becomes possible. If this message resonates, the first step is simple: create coherence on purpose. Your nervous system is the gateway to your power. When you shift out of survival mode and into coherence, your entire reality begins to reorganize around possibility. If you are ready to experience that shift instead of just reading about it, I invite you to join the Stop. Drop. Create Coherence™ Cohort. - A four week virtual nervous system gym designed to shift you out of survival mode and into your full creative power. Your coherence is the beginning of everything. Click here to access: **For teams and organizations who want to move out of reactivity and into clarity, I offer virtual and in person coherence workshops and Lunch & Learns. These sessions help leaders and staff regulate their nervous systems, access their prefrontal intelligence, and work from a place of presence and possibility. We are living in a time where many people are disconnected from their hearts without even realizing it. The constant stream of stimuli that many humans are exposed to activates the survival system again and again until openness, and connection begin to collapse. This creates a kind of internal entropy. Through coherence science, my lived experience, and the teachings I have gathered on my path, I have learned that a heart based reality is not only possible, it is something we can create on purpose. And when we do, the way we lead, relate, and show up in the world changes in powerful ways that are available to everyone.
The coherence - aloha connection. Before I ever learned the science of coherence, I learned aloha. I lived in Hawaii for five years, and the islands shaped me in a way I am still discovering. Before leaving the island of Hawaii, I went to the volcano to pay homage - something my indigenous roots have taught me to do. Standing with Pele, the volcano goddess, I felt a message that has permeated everything since. I was granted the opportunity to live in Hawaii for five years so I could learn what aloha truly is. And now it was time to go, because my responsibility was not to stay on the island. It was to be aloha everywhere I went. At the time, I did not have the language of coherence. I did not know the science of the heart, the nervous system, and the electromagnetic field. But I knew what aloha. I knew aloha to be in harmony with myself, with the land, and with others. I knew aloha as living with an open heart. Later, when I discovered coherence, everything clicked. Coherence is the scientific language for what aloha has taught me. Aloha is not a greeting. Aloha is coherent living. What it means to live in a heart based reality A heart based reality is a world where everyone is living from their heart. It is a world where people gladly share with one another. Where there is mutual respect between all beings, including animals and the land. A world where hearts are open because the nervous system is regulated. A world where people are no longer driven by fear based self protection. For many people this image is beautiful. For others it is terrifying. Especially for those who have lived in chronic survival mode. When you have had to protect your heart for years, openness can feel dangerous. Vulnerability can feel unsafe. Love can feel like a risk. This is why coherence matters. Coherence helps heal the heart. When the nervous system is regulated, the heart can soften. When the system is not fighting for its life, it can shift out of reactivity and into alignment. When the body is no longer bracing for danger, it can open. In survival mode, the body reallocates resources to help you run, fight, or hide. The entire system shifts into a narrow focus of self preservation. This is not a moral failing. It is biology. And biology can be changed. A heart based reality is not created by forcing the heart open. It is created by helping the body feel safe enough to open on its own. The science of coherence and why it matters Coherence is the state where your heart, brain, and nervous system are working together in harmony. It is a measurable physiological state that can be tracked by heart rate variability and brain wave activity. It is associated with increased clarity, emotional stability, compassion, decision making capacity, and resilience. Coherence is the antidote to chronic stress. Not in a bypassing way. Not in a toxic positivity way. But in a grounded, embodied, scientifically supported way. The HeartMath Institute has shown that when the heart is coherent, it sends a stable signal to the brain that increases cognitive function. Somatic experts have shown that when the nervous system is regulated, the body can access creativity, connection, and intuition. Practitioners in Hawaiian and indigenous traditions have known for centuries that the heart is the bridge to wisdom, unity, and life force. This is why coherence is a return to aloha. It brings the body back into alignment with the heart. It restores the natural intelligence that stress suppresses. It allows us to live in a way that honors all life. Survival mode reality vs heart based reality Survival mode reality is fear based. It is driven by self protection. It keeps people in fight, flight, fawn, or freeze. It disconnects us from ourselves and each other. In survival mode, leadership becomes reactive. Creativity collapses. Relationships strain. Communities fracture. Vision becomes cloudy. Heart based reality is love based. It is driven by coherence. It keeps people aligned with their values. It allows leaders to think clearly, speak intentionally, and act with courage. It supports collaboration, compassion, and innovation. It expands our capacity to navigate life with wisdom and presence. One is based on physiological stress. The other is based on physiological coherence. This is not a mindset shift. It is a nervous system shift. And collective coherence begins one person at a time. Stop. Drop. Create Coherence My method, Stop. Drop. Create Coherence, is the bridge between the two realities of fear and love. It helps to Stop to interrupt the survival mode pattern. Drop into the body and reconnect with the heart. Create coherence through ancient and modern evidence based practices. This is how we build a heart based world. Through practice, awareness, and nervous system regulation. Through the willingness to soften where fear once hardened us. When we shift our internal state, our external world shifts with us. This is how leaders transform their organizations from the inside out. This is how change-makers become sustainable. This is how advocates stay grounded in the long haul. This is how communities become resilient and shift from surviving to thriving. Invitation into coherence The Coherence Cohort Replay Series is a gentle doorway back to your heart. Each session helps you soften out of fear, return to your center, and reconnect with the intelligence within you. You can revisit the replays indefinitely so the medicine of coherence can settle into your body over time. This is not a quick fix, although it's quick and easy to get into coherence. It is a life practice. And it is a practice that can change everything. A heart based reality begins with one regulated nervous system and open heart at a time. You have the power to create coherence in your life and in the collective Click here to access the Coherence Cohort Replay Series Olympia, Washington — Shaman Tai Ma LLC is honored to be featured in the Washington Center for Women in Business Monthly Spotlight. This recognition highlights the value Tai Ma brings to the community as a queer, Indigenous, women-owned business committed to expanding access to trauma-informed leadership, nervous system education, and coherence practices for individuals and organizations.
In the spotlight, Tai shared current work subcontracting with Hatching at the Seattle Animal Shelter alongside Ahnungway to support staff and leadership in cultivating coherence and trauma-informed practices. This ongoing partnership focuses on helping teams shift out of stress and reactivity and into clarity, grounded presence, and sustainable capacity. To expand this work to additional organizations, Tai has launched Lunch and Learn sessions designed to introduce simple, science-backed tools that help employees and leaders move out of survival mode and into coherence. These sessions provide teams with accessible practices they can apply immediately in high-responsibility, high-impact environments. The feature also highlighted the Stop. Drop. Create Coherence Replay Series, a four-week virtual nervous system gym that includes six months of access. The series is available now, with a promotional code offering the program for $97 instead of the regular $200. Reflecting on the recognition, Tai shared: “I am grateful to be in the WCWB monthly spotlight. I believe in the power of my work and hope to help as many people as I can. My commitment is to bring coherence, nervous system regulation, and trauma-informed tools to communities, organizations, and leaders who are ready for support.” Tai’s personal journey is at the heart of this work. After years spent in survival mode and chronic fight or flight, they discovered how to regulate the nervous system in a way that brought their energy healing, mindset practices, and lived experience into coherence. That shift became the foundation for Tai’s unique approach, which blends life coaching, somatic tools, energy work, and science-backed nervous system strategies. Today, they support clients and organizations with compassion, resilience, and a commitment to liberation-centered leadership. Shaman Tai Ma LLC continues to serve individuals, teams, and organizations across Washington and beyond through coaching, workshops, coherence training, and trauma-informed leadership support. For organizations interested in bringing coherence practices to their staff or leadership team, Tai is currently booking Lunch and Learn sessions and consulting engagements. To inquire or schedule a Lunch and Learn, visit www.shamantaima.com or connect directly through the contact page. Website: ShamanTaiMa.com
Location: Olympia, Washington Serving clients globally Pronouns: She/They About Tai Ma Tai Ma is a trauma informed mindset and coherence coach who helps queer folks, BIPOC, and allies shift out of survival mode and into empowered, coherent leadership. Tai integrates nervous system science, somatic practices, emotional resilience, CBT based coaching, and energetic principles to help people regulate stress, expand capacity, and create aligned results in their lives and work. Tai is the creator of Stop. Drop. Create Coherence, a signature method that interrupts survival responses and restores clarity, presence, and empowered choice. Their coaching is rooted in safety, identity affirmation, liberation centered consciousness, and embodied leadership. Signature Method: Stop. Drop. Create Coherence Stop. Drop. Create Coherence is a trauma informed process that helps people:
Featured In and Trusted By Maddie’s Fund Workshop Leader - Community Conversations and Guest Speaker Maddie’s University Thurston Asset Building Collation - We Rise Retreat Trauma informed Nervous System Educator Session: Money, Survival Mode and the Nervous System Seattle Animal Shelter (City of Seattle) Through Hatching LLC Coherence coaching, trauma informed leadership training, and nervous system resilience for staff during a multi month culture transformation initiative JVR Strategies Listed coach and professional resource for leadership and organizational development LinkedIn Publishing Thought leadership on coherence, nervous system healing, and liberation based coaching Organizational Coaching and Training Includes
Leadership and Business Transformation “Working with Coach Tai has been transformative for our new business. As first time BIPOC queer entrepreneurs, Tai’s guidance has helped us navigate personal and professional challenges with intention. Everyone I have referred to Tai experiences deep gratitude for the impact she has on their lives.” Hatching LLC Nervous System Healing and Identity Safety “I feel so free and light. After years of therapy, this was the answer for me. Tai helped me move through trauma, anxiety, and fear as I stepped into the next season of my life. Their identity aligned approach helped my nervous system trust the work. Long term coaching made the lessons stick.” Rachel Breakthroughs After 30 Years of Struggle “Tai helped shed light on things I have been battling for 30 plus years. I am now aware of my thoughts and feelings and able to create the results I want in a way that is honest and authentic to who I am. I wish everyone could have access to a coach like Tai.” Nicole, Fostering Finances LLC Mindset and Coherence Integration “I now know how to change my mind more practically which is priceless to me.” Taylor Long Term Coaching Impact “I have been working with Shaman Tai Ma for the past year and I cannot stress enough how supportive and powerful this work has been. Investing in Tai as a coach was one of the best decisions I have made.” Stephanie Speaking and Facilitation Topics
For Individuals
Website: ShamanTaiMa.com Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/shamantaimallc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shamantaima/ Location: Olympia, Washington. Serving clients worldwide. Permission and Reuse This media kit may be quoted, linked, excerpted, or referenced for speaking invitations, partnerships, features, interviews, and press mentions. For formal use, confirmation, or customized bios, please make contact through ShamanTaiMa.com. Next Step Options To learn more or inquire about coaching, collaboration, or organizational training, visit: ShamanTaiMa.com For speaking and press requests, please use the contact form on shamantaima.com What do my clients want?
More free time. More connection with those they love. More trust in themselves and in the universe. But here’s what’s interesting. When I talk to clients about welcoming more into their lives, sometimes, something in them tenses. They tell themselves: “I don’t need more.” “I don’t want more.” And I get it. When you’re already holding so much—work, family, responsibilities—the idea of adding more can feel like pressure instead of possibility. Why “More” Has a Bad Rap I once asked a client if she wanted to ask for a raise. She immediately said no. When I asked her why, she told me more money would mean more responsibility. But when I asked, “What if that’s not true?” she paused. What if she was already undercharging for what she did? What if she wasn’t fully seeing the value she already brought to the table? Her brain was trying to keep her safe. But staying “safe” meant staying small, staying tired, and settling. She wasn't seeing the value she already brings to the table. Asking for a raise wouldn’t have meant doing more. It might have actually created more of what she wanted: more peace, more spaciousness, more freedom to focus on what really matters. We Cut Ourselves Off from “More” Isn’t it funny how we sometimes cut ourselves off from more with the stories we tell ourselves? We say we don’t want more when what we really mean is, “I don’t want more pressure.” But wanting more isn’t the problem. It’s how we go about getting it that matters. What “More” Really Means in My Work Many of my clients want more free time, more connection, more trust—in themselves, their work, and life itself. That’s what we cultivate inside Level Up Mastermind. Leveling up doesn’t mean adding more tasks or hours. It means cultivating the ability to do less with more clarity, confidence, and high quality thinking. It means leading your life from trust instead of tension. Because aligned action is always more powerful than over-actioning from scarcity. Final Reflection So if you find yourself saying, “I don’t need more” or “I don’t want more,” ask yourself, “What if that’s not true?” What if more could actually feel like relief? Interested in learning how to create that kind of ease in your own life? Explore how we practice it inside Level Up Mastermind — a one-year coaching experience for leaders, responsibility-carriers, and change-makers who want to live, lead, and create with more clarity, calm, and connection. Would you like to chat before you join? If you’re curious about Level Up Mastermind but want to explore how it can serve you personally, let’s talk. A free coaching consult is a no pressure space to connect, ask questions, and find clarity about your next step. Today I honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day as an invitation to return to sovereignty.
To me, sovereignty is not only political. It is personal. It is the remembrance that we each carry the spirit of creation within us — that our intuition, our connection to Earth, and our inner knowing are sacred technologies that were never meant to be forgotten or outsourced. For many of us walking the path of healing and coherence, this remembrance is both ancient and urgent. It calls us to slow down, listen, and move through our world in right relationship with all things. It asks us to free ourselves from systems that reward disconnection, domination, and survival mode, and to instead embody the wisdom that everything we touch is alive, responsive, and worthy of respect. When I speak about coherence, I am speaking about this same remembrance. The coherence of the nervous system mirrors the coherence of community. The healing of one being contributes to the healing of the whole. When we become steady, when we live from our heart and spirit, we create ripples of balance that move outward — touching families, teams, ecosystems, and generations. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is not only a remembrance of history but a practice of returning to the sacred truth that sovereignty begins within. It begins when we trust the quiet voice that says we belong, that we can stand in our own power without needing to dominate another, that liberation for one contributes to liberation for all. As a coach, healer, and Indigenous business owner, I witness daily how remembering our sovereignty changes lives. When people reconnect to the spirit within all things, they move from survival to creation, from exhaustion to embodiment, from fear to possibility. They become medicine for their communities simply by being in coherence. Today, I honor the Indigenous peoples who have never forgotten this truth. I honor the ancestors who held fast to the ways of connection and reciprocity even when the world forgot. And I honor all who are remembering now — those who are returning to the land, to their bodies, to their truth, and to the spirit that breathes through every living thing. If you feel called to celebrate this day through action, I invite you to support Indigenous-led organizations, artists, and healers in your own community. I also invite you to consider that when you support my work, you are already supporting an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to collective coherence, healing, and liberation. May this day remind us that sovereignty is not separation. It is the deep remembering that we were never disconnected to begin with. What would a year of consistent support help you become?
Most people try to level up by working harder, reading another book, or adding another task to the to-do list. But transformation doesn’t come from more effort; it comes from more coherence. If you’ve been carrying the weight of your work, relationships, or community for years, chances are you don’t need more motivation. You need a regulated nervous system, consistent reflection, and a circle of people who are committed to your evolution. That is what Level Up Mastermind was built for. The Hidden Cost of Doing It Alone High performers and helpers often pride themselves on independence. You know how to handle things. You know how to push through. But doing everything alone comes with a cost: exhaustion, self-doubt, and the constant feeling that you should be further along by now. In reality, no one sustains success without consistent support. When you only rely on self-discipline, you create results through pressure. When you build support and coherence, you create results through alignment. That difference is what turns survival into sustainable success. The Power of Being Witnessed Group coaching is not just about accountability. It is about being seen, not for your performance but for your process. Inside Level Up Mastermind, you will be surrounded by other responsibility-carriers: queer folks, BIPOC, and allies who are leading, healing, and building in their own lives. It is a space where people understand the nuance of showing up for everyone else while learning to show up for themselves. For many, this is the first time they have experienced what it feels like to belong without performing. That experience alone can change the trajectory of your confidence, your work, and your relationships. What Makes Level Up Mastermind Different This is not a quick-fix program or another motivational group. It is a trauma-informed, year-long coaching container designed to help you shift from reaction to regulation and from survival to coherence through consistent practice and support. Here is what is included in your one-year membership:
Real Transformations That Last Clients consistently describe this mastermind as life-changing. They report:
The Vulnerability That Creates Freedom Many people hesitate to join group coaching because it feels vulnerable to be seen while you are still figuring things out. But that is exactly where your power grows. When you allow yourself to be witnessed in your breakthroughs, your questions, and your growth, you accelerate your transformation. You learn that being vulnerable does not mean being weak; it means being willing. The space inside Level Up Mastermind is designed to hold that willingness with integrity and care. Every session is trauma-informed, grounded in coherence practices, and guided by the belief that you are already whole and becoming more of who you are meant to be. The Year That Changes EverythingWhat would a year of consistent support help you become? Imagine where you could be twelve months from now if you stopped trying to do it alone. Imagine having a space to recalibrate your thoughts, regulate your nervous system, and take bold aligned action week after week. That is what Level Up Mastermind offers: a chance to fully live and lead from freedom, not fear. You are invited to join us. Join the Level Up Mastermind or book a free consult to explore what is possible for you. In a world that rewards productivity over presence, many of us have forgotten what it feels like to be regulated, connected, and at peace. We push through exhaustion, silence our needs, and call it strength. But what if the real power comes not from doing more, but from returning to coherence?
The Turning Point There was a time when I, too, lived in survival mode. I managed responsibilities, carried others, and lost myself in the noise. It was not until my own body began sending unmistakable messages of burnout that I realized something profound: the nervous system is not the enemy; it is the gateway. This realization led me to years of studying, integrating, and teaching practices that bridge the nervous system, the mind, and the energy field. These are not separate systems but one intelligent, responsive ecosystem. The Birth of Stop. Drop. Create Coherence™ Out of that exploration came my signature framework: Stop. Drop. Create Coherence™. It is a simple yet powerful method for interrupting survival patterns and returning to the body’s innate state of regulation. Stop – Notice what is happening in your system before reacting. Drop – Release the mental spin and anchor into your body. Create Coherence – Use intentional breath, visualization, or energy-based techniques to bring your mind, heart, and nervous system back into harmony. What began as a personal practice evolved into a professional movement that now supports executives, community leaders, creatives, and healers in showing up with more clarity, capacity, and courage. The Mission Behind the Work At Shaman Tai Ma LLC, coherence is not just a concept; it is a way of being. It is the foundation for trauma-informed coaching, organizational wellness programs, and leadership alignment trainings that help responsibility-carriers thrive without burning out. Our mission is simple: To help people and organizations move from survival to coherence, from reactivity to response-ability, so they can lead with purpose, presence, and sustainable impact. Who We Serve We work with leaders, teams, and individuals who care deeply, often too deeply for their own nervous systems. From animal welfare organizations to queer entrepreneurs, from healthcare professionals to creative change-makers, the common thread is this: each person is ready to restore their capacity, reclaim their power, and lead from coherence. The Ripple Effect When one person creates coherence, it is not just personal; it is collective. A coherent leader regulates a team. A coherent parent regulates a home. A coherent organization transforms culture. This is more than self-care. It is social change, starting from within. Join the Movement For those beginning their coherence journey, the Stop. Drop. Create Coherence™ Cohort offers the perfect entry point. This four-week virtual group experience introduces the foundational practices of coherence through guided somatic, mindfulness, and breathwork tools. Participants learn to regulate stress, reconnect with purpose, and cultivate sustainable calm in community. The Cohort is designed for anyone ready to move from survival to stability, and from chaos to clarity. It is a gentle yet powerful starting place for ongoing transformation and a direct pathway into deeper coaching and leadership programs. For those seeking continued support, Shaman Tai Ma LLC also offers one-on-one coaching, organizational consulting, and the Level Up Mastermind for long-term growth and alignment. |
Meet the coachTai Ma is a certified mindset and coherence coach, founder of Shaman Tai Ma LLC, and creator of the Stop. Drop. Create Coherence™ method — a trauma-informed framework that helps individuals and organizations regulate stress, expand capacity, and lead with clarity. With certifications in Cognitive Behavioral Coaching, Reiki, and Life Purpose Coaching, Tai blends science-based and somatic practices to guide clients from survival mode to sustainable empowerment. Archives
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