Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Dawn Baccala.
Angela, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I took a pretty long and winding path to become a Tantric Coach! I’ve always been a spiritually oriented person. I remember starting yoga classes in graduate school before there were studios everywhere… I went to a community center and learned from a senior citizen. Later on, when I was around 30 years old, I started studying Tibetan Buddhism and became familiar with Tantra.
When I was around 40, I went in a bit of a different direction in my “seeking” and started practicing open relationships and polyamory. I learned so much about relationships and human dynamics and really became a sounding board for many friends in the community. I helped a lot of folx with emotions they were experiencing around open relating.
Then, one of my best Buddhist friends told me about a tantric relationship coach named Layla Martin — and she thought that I should be doing exactly what that woman was doing. I was skeptical but kept it in mind. During the pandemic, when we had different schedules and some more time at home, I realized I wanted to go for it. I enrolled in a program to become a Sex, Love & Relationship coach.
I studied with Layla Martin. Her technique combines modern science, somatic approaches, and ancient tantric wisdom. It was a perfect fit, very much a capstone on the spiritual studies I’d been involved in for two decades. I finally found my calling!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The wandering and meandering nature of my path to coaching was probably my greatest challenge, in a way. I didn’t have the vision of how what I was learning in the realm of religion and psychology was going to play out in terms of a career. I didn’t even know it would lead to a career! I have a master’s degree in another field and had a 20+ year career in education. The idea that I would leave that for something entirely different was pretty radical.
Another struggle was balancing my existing career as a librarian and reading tutor with my yogic, Buddhist, and tantric studies. Once I enrolled in Layla’s coaching certification program, I was essentially a full-time student and also had a full-time job. It took a LOT of passion and conviction to do all of that work at the same time.
As of June 2023, I’ll be a full-time tantric coach. That’s a challenge in itself — transitioning my career and growing my own business to the point that it’s sustainable. But it’s also super exciting to get to do what I love full-time!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
In my 1:1 coaching practice, I do two things: desire-based coaching and intimacy training. Most of my clients receive some combination of these two. (I see my clients on Zoom or sometimes in person for locals.)
Desire-based coaching helps people figure out what they really want in the realm of sex, love, and relationships. Then, I help them “rewire” their brain to believe what they want is actually possible — because it is! And I help them find out what internal blocks keep them from what they truly desire in life. Essentially, I help individuals and couples get out of their own way and connect with what their soul truly longs for.
Intimacy training takes a lot of forms and one of those, believe it or not, is meditation! I teach a class called Meditation for Better Sex at SassWell in Severna Park, MD. Part of how I work with clients is to help them get into an embodied state, where they can be truly in the present moment during intimacy — to get out of their head and into their body. Then, I teach a variety of techniques to overcome any intimacy issues they have (perhaps ED, or inability to orgasm, or a lack of stamina, etc.). I also lead Women’s Embodiment Circles to help women specifically with being able to be present in their body.
I should also say that I do also help people in healthy relationships with no real problems! Many of my clients are individuals or couples who simply want to take their bedroom life to the next level or go deeper in their relationship. For these folks, I do tantra training (for both individuals and couples) over Zoom. I also do in-person “Playshops” for couples. (It’s like a “workshop,” only more fun!)
The key point is: It’s not too late! I can help you stop wasting years, get to the heart of what’s blocking you, and have the sex and love you really want. So, you don’t settle for a ho-hum life that isn’t really what you want. So, you don’t die with “what if?” on your lips.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
So many people deserve credit for my success as a coach! A ton of credit goes to my spiritual friend, Lena DiGenti, for guiding me towards my calling as a love and relationship coach.
Of course, I have to credit Layla Martin as an instructor. Her program is so comprehensive and was a perfect way for me to take my existing knowledge and put it into a real transformative coaching practice.
My colleagues in the coaching program were invaluable to me as I learned and grew. In particular, Caity Wilkinson has been a dream to partner with on a variety of projects. Together we created an on-demand Masterclass for Men, an Edging Challenge, and we record a fantastic, informative podcast together twice a month: Quickies with Angela & Caity. It’s available on iTunes, Spotify & YouTube.
I also have had a fantastic companion, friend, & mentor in Daniel Wilson, Jr. He’s a transformative life coach who has supported me through a lot of growing pains in my business and helped me affirm much about my work as a coach and my own spiritual path.
It truly takes a village to inspire, educate, partner, and support us when we’re making such a non-traditional business leap — such as to become a full-time tantric coach!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.authenticheartcoach.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authenticheartcoaching/
- Other: https://bio.site/AuthenticHeartCoach
Image Credits
Aubrey Beatty
Kate Langston
