Mindfulness in Coaching
"It wasn't until I was able to fully accept myself that I was able to change." (Carl Rogers)
Mindfulness means to meet oneself (and others)
with compassion, openness and acceptance.
By practicing a mindful attitude, you learn to be present NOW. Step by step you will succeed in just observing your daily "head cinema" of judgments, doubts, memories and future plans, as well as your physical perceptions and emotional states such as sadness, joy, despair, euphoria, fear, liveliness, love, anger etc. , without getting lost in them.
Mindfulness Exercise: Conscious Breath
Breathe in and out consciously.
Can you notice your breath flowing through your nose?
Can you feel your feet on the floor?
How does it feel NOW?
Can you notice the pause between inhaling and exhaling?
How are you doing right NOW?
Are you sad or exhausted?
Are you content or full of joy?
What thoughts are associated with these feelings?
Which stories from the past or which associations with the future emerge?
Keep coming back to your breath and body perception NOW.
Practice being a witness of your thoughts and feelings.
With Mindfulness you´ll learn to be present with your emotions, feelings and body sensations - without immersing yourself in the experience, or ideas associated with them
Practice taking an observer role to everything that arises in your inner experience.
Just watch your sensations and thoughts with compassion and an inner attitude of "aha".
For example: "Now I'm in a bad mood." Aha. "Now I am happy." Aha. "Now I feel desperate." "I know this so well from before." "It makes my stomach churn." "I want this to go away." "It´s never going to stop". "And what am I supposed to cook tonight?" Aha. Etc. etc.
Breathe in and out again. NOW. Observe your ever active mind and notice the many thoughts without getting lost in them.
Over time, this can create a pleasant distance from the frequently stressful carousel of thoughts.
In addition, a mindful attitude enables you to have the important experience that all feelings - pleasant as well as unpleasant ones - disappear after a certain time: If you do not suppress them, but acknowledge, own and accept them without judgment.
What you suppress becomes stronger. What you allow and accept, will disappear after a certain time.
Mindfulness and (self-) compassion are scientifically proven to have positive effects on certain regions in our brain.
Our whole system learns a new, less stressful way of dealing with feelings and thoughts.
Our brain builds new neural connections. As Mindful Coach and Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher I´ll support you very effectively in this process.
"The most important decision we make is whether we believe the universe is a friendly or a hostile place."
(Albert Einstein)
Mindful Coaching: The Power of Thoughts
Mindfulness also means: When we learn to consciously notice our thoughts, we will recognize over time how they shape our reality. Neuroscientific studies show that the fine structures of our brain are constantly changing - in line with what we think and where we direct our attention and energy. Unfortunately, many people have not learned to focus their attention on what they find helpful and positive for themselves and their lives. Learning to mindfully and conciously harness the power of our thoughts in a positive way can effectively dissolve stress and blockages.
Try it out with this exercise:
How are you feeling right now? Joyful, happy, fulfilled? Or anxious, sad, helpless ? What thoughts are associated with these feelings? For example, if you are feeling anxious or helpless, ask yourself what you could think to make yourself feel a little better. Then, consciously focus your attention on this new thought and notice how it makes you feel now. Is there any other thought that would help you feel even better?
Holistic Coaching: Learning Self-Compassion and embracing what IS
Compassion is commonly thought of as something we can show primarily to others.
Treating ourselves with compassion is often judged as being selfish.
Modern neuroscience shows that compassion for ourselves can make a significant contribution to emotional well-being and inner stability.
This self-compassion is an ability that everyone owns or can develop. Learning to face our own suffering and pain with compassion and to accept everything we have experienced in our life, can radically change our life.
Treating ourselves with kindness instead of suppressing problems and pain or criticizing ourselves for "being like this" is the key to embracing what IS.
And that's exactly where change can begin.