Silvia Čiháková Aguilar is an experienced polyglot, educator, and certified professional in language coaching and body-based practices. She holds a PhD in Environmental Economics and has built a multifaceted career spanning over 30 years in language education and coaching. She is a certified German teacher through the Goethe Institut, an official DELE examiner for Spanish with Instituto Cervantes, and a certified Qigong teacher. She is also a Professional Neurolanguage® Coach and a Team Coach accredited by ICF and holds a diploma in CLIL methodology. Silvia has extensive experience teaching Czech, French, English, German, Italian, and Spanish as foreign languages, and has worked with learners of all ages, from infants and toddlers in “Baby and Me” programs, through children, adolescents, and young adults, to professionals and older adults. Her personal experience as a mother of three trilingual daughters further informs her insights into language acquisition and multilingual education. Silvia teaches also Qigong techniques to teachers and coaches who want to regain focus and vitality (not only) for their job. Born in Guatemala and currently residing in the Czech Republic, Silvia integrates her background in economics, neurocognition, and embodied practices to help language professionals develop presence, focus, and sustainable teaching practice.

Publications and Media:

Silvia regularly publishes content on social media about language learning, neurocognition, burnout prevention and professional development, and hosts her podcast ¨401¨ focused on error management and learning mindset. She has been featured in interviews and articles by colleagues and media outlets in coaching, language education, and personal development, in multiple languages. Examples include: Interview with Teachers who Caoch, 2025, English language, Podcast episode with Jennifer Niño, 2024, Spanish Language Podcast episode Teachoviny, 2025, Czech language. Her contributions highlight her expertise in multilingual learning, coaching, and embodied practices, and her commitment to supporting the wellbeing and professional growth of language teachers and coaches worldwide.

Session Synopsis:

Caring for the Neurolanguage Coach: Qigong-Based Self-Regulation for Presence and Sustainable Practice        

Neurolanguage Coaches, as highly trained professionals, work with high levels of attention, precision, and self-awareness, often maintaining a strong internal focus on performance, presence, and results. Over time, this sustained engagement can lead to mental overload and reduced internal ease, even in the most experienced coaches.

This workshop, led by a certified Qigong teacher and Professional Neurolanguage® Coach , introduces selected qigong techniques for personal practice, supporting self-regulation, presence, and sustainable professional functioning. Where possible, we will briefly discuss neuroscientific principles underlying attention, focus, and the mind-body connection, highlighting how simple movement and awareness practices can enhance learning and teaching readiness.

Participants will learn how the techniques are performed, their names, and their intended purpose, with the aim of helping coaches lower internal guard, reconnect with bodily grounding, and restore readiness for learning and teaching—meaning the ability to fully focus, engage, and absorb new information or practices without feeling mentally blocked.