“It is not that mindfulness is the “answer” to all life’s problems. Rather, it is that all life’s problems can be seen more clearly through the lens of a clear mind" - Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Over the past few years, mindfulness has become a hot topic for personal development and well-being. Adopted from Buddhism, the aim of mindfulness is to alleviate stress and develop a habit of being more aware and alert of the ‘here and now.
There have been many benefits from the practise of mindfulness such as improved well-being, work performance and state of mind. The most prominent is that it can help to reduce stress, problem solve and increase cognitive ability. Research conducted by University of Oregon also found that integrative body-mind training, a form of mindfulness meditation, can actually promote a change in the brain and help us to subconsciously regulate our emotions and attention, increasing our self-awareness.
Mindfulness within coaching can help to encourage ‘flow’ within a coaching session- helping both the coach and the client to “be” in the moment. The other benefit of mindfulness is that it trains the mind to notice distractions and then let them go. This can help the coach to truly focus on the client- to notice what is being said- and not being said.
Coaching Academy Confidence Coach Pam Lidford shares some insight to what initially interested her about mindfulness.
I was first introduced to Mindfulness and Meditation about 30 years ago, as part of my personal development when studying (child) psychology for the first time, though I didn't become a serious practitioner of it at that point, (I think that was due to youth), as a 'doer' who'd been told by my professors and therapists to STOP and start ‘being’ I understood the value of being Mindful and did my 'best'.
As I was an anxious young child and woman I was constantly searching for a way to handle anxiety, I knew it wasn't good for me but knowledge is just knowledge and without commitment to a practice, doesn't change anything. So I had the good fortune to meet a wonderful woman in my early 30's who introduced me to meditation and Mindfulness which was life changing. For the first time in my life I was able to be in control of and manage my anxiety, I found calm and peace within, something I hadn't ever previously experienced. I became a practitioner of both and have used them pretty much daily ever since (over 20 years). As part of my ongoing development I studied with a holistic school which has sadly now closed down, where I learnt about and practiced Vipassna, meditation techniques, Transcendental Meditation, breath work, Reiki, crystal healing and many other holistic practices that encouraged being present with the self and the client. Over the past 8 years I have also had a keen interest in Buddhism and Zen philosophy where true mindfulness originated.
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