Now Bodhi

A smiling photo of Bodhi when he was Bruce as a baby.
You named me what???

On August 18, 2015, my name legally evolved to Bodhi Jeffreys.

I was born with a name that never felt right. I never felt like a Bruce Cohen (Bruce Jeffrey Cohen). It's a fine name, and I'll be auctioning it off on Ebay, but it just never resonated with me. Worse, hearing it was irritating at a very deep level.

In college, I used stage names when playing music in clubs. I used Bruce Jeffreys for a while and it was better but still not right for me. I even tried Joshua Blakely, but discovered that I didn't have enough chest hair to pull that off.

My dear sister even ran a "Name That Bruce" contest. We received over 70 entries, some of which were so funny, but alas, nothing showed up.

Forward decades to 4 years ago. The name thing still haunted me. And for a guy who's work in the world depends on him being clear, this sure eluded me. Timing not right? Couldn't get out of my own way? Bad name karma for that time during the Ming Dynasty when I named my child Boobiedoo?

The Gift

But in 2011, in a sacred ceremony, Simone and I gave each other names — names we could grow into over the next span of our lives and work. We agreed to choose names that would start with the first letter of our first names, S, B.

I chose Shanti for her and she chose Bodhi for me. Without sharing the names with anyone else, 4 years we used those names exclusively with each other. She became Shanti and I became Bodhi. If felt so right.

The name Bodhi written in Sanskrit.

Every time she called out to me it was like a
sweet song playing. It was vibrationally resonant,

as though I'd stepped into a new frequency, my true vibration.

In late May, 2015, as her life force was slipping away and the time was nearing where she could no longer speak, she looked at me tenderly and said, "Bodhi my dear, you do realize that when I'm gone there will be no one to call you by your true name? It's time to tell the world who you are."

It was a devastatingly painful moment....and liberating.

It took a month of being with this, working it out, processing anything that was in the way of clarity and freedom to reach the moment of absolute surrender. Then elation. Got in my car and off to the courthouse I went.

What's In A Name?

The name Bodhi written in Pali.

Bodhi is often mistranslated as enlightenment. Closer is awakened. But the purest translation is "true nature of things". Jeffreys comes from the English, "Godfrey" which comes from the Germanic, "Gotafrid", which means "peace of God". For me, the translation is "freedom". And this is what my work and path in the world has always been about: The true nature of things and freedom.

As with so many things, Simone's intuition was spot on. This is a name I can spend the rest of my life growing into, more and more deeply. And it finally feels right.

Now, and ever, Bodhi

Recent testimonials

  • I am learning to live with an open, positive heart thanks to Bodhi's wisdom and guidance.

    Julie Sidur Insurance Professional Oceanside, California

    Working with Bodhi on an individual basis is teaching me how to see the truth about my self-defeating ways and empowering me to deal with the toxic energy in me from as far back as my childhood. He is helping me break free from my negative, conditioned responses that I have had most my life. I am learning to be able to express myself more clearly from my authentic higher self. All I have ever wanted to do is to be able to connect with people.

    Bodhi shows me how to do this through helping me to process what is really going on inside, seeing what is truly needed and proceeding from a grounded, secure place in my communication with people in my life. I am learning to live with an open, positive heart thanks to Bodhi's wisdom and guidance. For this I will be forever grateful to Bodhi.

  • I’m thankful for your clarity and presence and for how much peace it has brought into my life.

    Violet Lehrer Owner, Clarity Path Coaching Carlsbad, California

    Bodhi, I woke up flooded with gratitude for you today — your essence, your teaching, your energy, your sweet soft voice, your non-judgment. Your ability to have integrated that and not just teach it is inspiring to me. I’m thankful for your clarity and presence and for how much peace it has brought into my life. I’m thankful that the kids have learned the meaning of resistance and trigger.

    I’m thankful for the hundred times I’ve heard your voice saying “the truth and essence of who we are is love” and that I can hear that voice in my head louder than the childhood “you’re not good enough”. I’ve thankful for the healing you’ve guided me on. I’m thankful that you have shown me (and Matt) the path to our hearts. I’m thankful for all the moments of freedom and joy that are in my life because I am not in resistance. You have made a profound difference in my life.

  • Bodhi's insight into guiding me to truth is rare and unique.

    Sofia Manning Best-Selling Author, Founder of Manning Inspire Copenhagen, Denmark

    I have met a lot of coaches and being a coach myself I have very high standards for what I think a great coach is. Bodhi is more than a great coach, he is a healer and teacher as well as a brilliant coach. Bodhi's insight into guiding me to truth is rare and unique. I feel lucky to have the opportunity to work with him and highly recommend his coaching to anyone who is committed to truth and living a life from freedom.

  • It was my sessions with Bodhi that helped me to heal my most self-destructive patterns.

    Kirstin Nielsen Partner Relations Manager, Aarhus BSS Career Højbjerg, Denmark

    Bodhi is a fantastic teacher and coach, and I’m so thankful for working with him. Though I’ve worked with coaches and therapists over the last 10 years, it was my sessions with Bodhi that helped me to heal my most self-destructive patterns. Now I feel very blessed that my life flows. Bodhi is a very warm and humorous person, and I always get amazing insights during our sessions.

    As a coach I had primarily been using a very result-oriented model with a great number of people in Europe. After meeting Bodhi I learned to act from truth and I feel so much more present with my clients. As a result, my business has expanded naturally without any other effort than just being able to use what I’ve learned from Bodhi with my clients. He makes a great difference for so many people.

  • It feels safe to let go of the identification with mind in his presence.

    Silja Bjorklund Quantum Energetics Practitioner, QE With Silja Encinitas, California

    Working with Bodhi has brought me into a profoundly deep awareness of my true nature. It feels safe to let go of the identification with mind in his presence. His coaching to live this in my daily life is gentle, clear, and very effective.

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