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Psychology Research Journal 2018, Vol 1 n. 1;
How to cite this article:
González, M., de Diego, A., & González López, J. (2018). Mindfulness and Coaching: Promoting the Development of Presence and Full Awareness. Psychology Research, 1(1).
Abstract. Mindfulness and Coaching are two relatively recent disciplines that have developed in parallel during the last decades. More and more coaches are interested in the practice of Mindfulness, both as a technique for their own personal development, as a tool to offer their coachees. Our purpose with the present article is to offer a review of the literature on the possible utilities that the implementation of Mindfulness in the field of Coaching can have. To this end, the information has been organized, initially presenting the essential elements of both disciplines, as well as the similarities and differences between them. Subsequently, the possible utilities of this implementation are raised, with special emphasis on its effect on processes and key competences for the effectiveness of Coaching, such as presence, awareness and the relationship of Coaching. Finally, the conclusions of this work are presented. In short, Mindfulness can contribute to develop in a practical way the competences of presence and conscience that characterize the authentic Coaching. In this way Mindfulness contributes to strengthen the relationship of Coaching, that relationship between the coach and the coachee in which this can feel felt, connect with their own resources and generate the changes that allow them to develop their potential. In this way Mindfulness can be a powerful tool to contribute to the well-being of coaches, as well as that of the coachees and, therefore, that of society as a whole.
Keywords:Mindfulness, Coaching, Coaching Relationship, Presence and Embodiment
Resumen.Mindfulness y Coaching son dos disciplinas relativamente recientes que se han desarrollado de forma paralela durante las últimas décadas. Cada vez son más los coaches que se interesan por la práctica de Mindfulness, tanto como técnica para su propio desarrollo personal, como herramienta para ofrecer a sus coachees. Nuestro propósito con el presente artículo es ofrecer una revisión de la literatura sobre las posibles utilidades que puede tener la implementación de Mindfulness en el ámbito del Coaching. Para ello se ha organizado la información presentando de forma inicial los elementos esenciales de ambas disciplinas, así como las semejanzas y diferencias que mantienen entre sí. Posteriormente se plantean las posibles utilidades de dicha implementación haciendo especial hincapié en su efecto sobre procesos y competencias clave para la eficacia del Coaching, tales como la presencia, la conciencia y la relación de Coaching. Para finalizar, se presentan las conclusiones de este trabajo. En definitiva, Mindfulness puede contribuir a desarrollar de forma práctica las competencias de presencia y conciencia que caracterizan al auténtico Coaching. De esta forma Mindfulness contribuye a fortalecer la relación de Coaching, esa relación entre el coach y el coachee en la que este puede sentirse sentido, conectarse con sus propios recursos y generar los cambios que le permitan desarrollar su potencial. De esta manera Mindfulness puede constituir una poderosa herramienta para contribuir al bienestar de los coaches, así como el de los coachees y, por ende, al de la sociedad en su conjunto.
Palabras clave:Mindfulness, Coaching, Relación de Coaching, Presencia y Embodiment
Throughout history, the search for a full, healthy and meaningful life has led humans to look within themselves. Numerous disciplines have emerged over the centuries with that same purpose, among them Mindfulness and Coaching. Both are closely related with Psychology and their common goal is to try and contribute to human development and well-being. More and more coaches are interested in the practice of Mindfulness both as a tool for their own personal development, and as a tool to offer their coachees. From our experience, the implementation of the characteristic skills of Mindfulness to the Coaching process has the potential of optimizing the latter’s effectiveness by encouraging the coach with the essential skills recognized by the ICF, such as full awareness and presence.
In this regard, Mindfulness is a mental training that teaches us to increase the degree of awareness and presence in our lives, by helping us to learn how to live our lives with greater balance and fulfillment. The interest of western science for this millenary practice has experienced an exponential growth in the last decades. In general, scientific research shows that training in Mindfulness is effective for promoting mental, emotional, physical and social health and well-being both in the general population and in the clinical population (Grossman, 2004; Chiesa & Serreti, 2011; Keng, Smoski &Robins, 2011; Khoury et al., 2015; Carlson 2012). Among the main benefits associated with its practice are an increase in emotional regulation capacity, the strengthening of attention and concentration capacities, and the reduction of stress and discomfort levels (for a review, see Chiesa & Serreti, 2011; Keng, Smoski & Robins, 2011; Khoury et al., 2015). These results have led to Mindfulness having a great impact at a social level. Thus, numerous media outlets around the word, such as The Economist, Forbes, Harvard Business Review or Time, have echoed what has come to be called the “Mindfulness Revolution.”
Meanwhile, Coaching has also experienced a great development as a discipline to promote change and well-being in people and organizations around the world. In recent decades, this development has been reflected in the increase number of programs and interventions of Coaching, the development of scientific research in this area and the emergence of international organizations aimed at regulating ethical and quality standards in the Coaching profession, such as the International Coach Federation (ICF).
Our aim in this article is to review the possible benefits of implementing Mindfulness in the context of Coaching. For said purpose, a review of the literature on the topic has been carried out. It has been structured presenting the essential features of both fields, as well as the similarities and differences between them. Subsequently, the possible benefits of said implementation are presented, highlighting its effect on key processes for Coaching effectiveness, such as presence, and the coach-coachee relationship. Finally, the conclusions of this paper are presented at the end.
This bibliographical review is mainly based on original articles, books and papers that have been published, and include Mindfulness in the practice of Coaching. The researches were conducted through the following databases: PubMed, Scielo, Ebsco, Medline, Psycarticles and Google Scholar. The following keywords and operators were used: “OR” (“mindfulness” “mindful”) “AND” (“Coaching” “Coach” “Coachee” “Coaching relationship”). No annual criteria were established for this search, since our aim was to locate the entirety of publications because of the recent use of Mindfulness in the context of Coaching.
The initial search generated 329 results. In order to conduct the selection, the abstracts were reviewed, as well as the complete papers when necessary. This was done in order to determine whether they were linked to the application of Mindfulness in the context of Coaching or not. Those articles and books that provided information and/or data about this implementation were included, and those that did not were excluded. After filtering the results, selecting those that referred to the contributions of Mindfulness in the context of Coaching as an intervention discipline, six books were discovered, among which five were in English and one in Spanish, as well as five articles, all of them in English.
After analyzing the results, we can say that the ‘Mindful revolution’ has also reached the context of Coaching. Several studies show that the implementation of Mindfulness in the context of Coaching is effective for enhancing the coach’s efficiency to promote change (Spence, Cavanagh & Grant, 2008), authentic leadership (Kinsler, 2014) or physical and mental health (Robins, Holt & McCain, 2014). In order for the reader to understand how both disciplines can interrelate with each other, the information in the ‘Results’ section has been structured by first identifying the similarities and differences between both disciplines, and subsequently describing the possible benefits of said implementation for the coach, the coachee, and the relationship between them.
Mindfulness
After analyzing the results, we can say that the ‘Mindful revolution’ has also reached the context of Coaching. Several studies show that the implementation of Mindfulness in the context of Coaching is effective for enhancing the coach’s efficiency to promote change (Spence, Cavanagh & Grant, 2008), authentic leadership (Kinsler, 2014) or physical and mental health (Robins, Holt & McCain, 2014). In order for the reader to understand how both disciplines can interrelate with each other, the information in the ‘Results’ section has been structured by first identifying the similarities and differences between both disciplines, and subsequently describing the possible benefits of said implementation for the coach, the coachee, and the relationship between them.
Mindfulness is also conceptualized as a mental training that, through the activation of “mindful” states, enables us to develop this mental trait. Research shows that during this training, the practice of Mindfulness states leads practitioners to develop a series of “mindful” capabilities or traits (Kiken, Garland, Bluth, Palsson and Gaylord, 2015).
As a practice, Mindfulness has its origin in ancestral traditions that cultivate the observation and training of the mind. It is currently considered one more in the great family of the so-called contemplative practices, which constitute a heterogeneous group of practices, that have been defined as “a type of mental training aimed at enacting a psychological transformation that leads to a state of lasting well-being” (Davidson and Dahl, 2017). Within the wide range of contemplative practices, the most studied by scientific research has been Mindfulness Based Interventions, MBI. As Figure 1 shows, the number of scientific publications on Mindfulness continues to grow exponentially and now exceeds 3,000 publications.
Figure 1.Number of scientific publications using the Mindfulness term as their heading for a given year; data obtained from the ISI Web of Science. Figure used with permission from the American Mindfulness Research Association (www.goAMRA.com).
Coaching
Based on the ICF definition, Coaching is “a reflective and creative accompaniment process with clients, which inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential”. As such, we can define Coaching as “a learning and development process, framed within the respect for ethics and values, during which the client (known as coachee) becomes aware and changes their way of being, feeling and acting based on their objectives and goals”. If as a consequence of this process, changes come about in some of the aspects that constitute a person participating in a process, the possibility of carrying out new processes increases, and as such, of creating new results that carry greater personal and professional well-being.
In any case, to carry out this change, Coaching emphasizes the client’s responsibility, who is the actual author of it. Coaching is not about teaching but creating a favorable environment for the client to learn, grow and develop.
Nowadays, we are witnessing an exponential growth in Coaching parallel to the “Mindful revolution”. Unfortunately, behind everything called as such, a responsible and professional practice isn’t always carried out. As such, current efforts are on defining the professional standards of what quality Coaching represents. But the Coaching profession is not currently fully regulated. Therefore, international federations and national and international associations seek to regulate the profession by establishing certain quality standards, defining professional competences and setting a well-established deontological code. In fact, one of the most internationally recognized authors and founder of Performance Consultants International, Sir John Whitmore, warns that “the bad practices in Coaching carry with them the danger of being misinterpreted and mistakenly perceived and rejected as something neither so different nor so new that, moreover, has not kept its promises.” And that is why he defines this discipline as ¨a way of managing, a way of treating people, a way of thinking, a way of being¨ (Whitmore, 2011). This reflective accompaniment, based on a transforming conversation that propitiates action and changes in a person, can have its origins in classical Greece,specifically in Maieutics, the method of questions that Socrates put into practice with his disciples. More recently, in his book “The Inner Game of Tennis”, Timothy Gallwey –a tennis coach– was the first to discover and reflect that there was a struggle between technique and mind within each player. That “inner game” was key to releasing their potential and improving results.
Whether from classical Greece philosophy or from Gallwey's work, it is really the 80's that catapults Coaching and turns it into a methodology with its own identity as we know it today. A methodology that, according to authors and schools, is influenced by Humanist Psychology, Systemic Thinking, Neuro-linguistic Programming, Emotional Intelligence, Neuroscience and, of course, Mindfulness.
The impact of Coaching has exponentially grown in the organizational field, with the invaluable contribution of Whitmore in Leadership, in the sports field through Gallwey, and in the personal development field, in what is called Life Coaching, with the work of Thomas Leonard in the United States (2009).
Scientific research in Coaching may be considered incipient, especially when compared to research in Mindfulness. A review of the scientific studies that have been carried out to verify the effectiveness of coaching as an intervention show us that it is effective in promoting well-being and performance, both at an organizational and personal level (Grant, Passmore, Cavanagh & Parker, 2010). Although these evidences are promising, the scientific study in Coaching is still in developing stages. The existence of different schools and movements is one of the main obstacles in this area, it limits the possibilities of standardizing the procedure. In any case, and despite its areas in need of improvement, Coaching still has a lot of potential that can be applied and developed. To quote Whitmore: “In order to obtain the best of someone, we must first believe that perfection exists” (Whitmore, 2011).
Link between Mindfulness and Coaching
It is, to an extent, natural to apply Mindfulness to the field of Coaching. More and more coaches are becoming aware of the close relationship between Mindfulness and Coaching. According to Aboodi Shabi, an international expert in Coaching and Leadership, Mindfulness contributes to well-being and satisfaction since it teaches us to appreciate our life differently, to live it meaningfully, and to know who we are and what we do. For this author, there are several strings that connect both disciplines, such as curiosity, acceptance, values or taking perspective (Hall, 2013). This is because the two approaches share common characteristics that vouch for their complementarity. For example, both Mindfulness and Coaching:
- Address the growth and development of human potential.
- Promote personal development and change through customer awareness and responsibility.
- Conceive the human being as an integral whole composed by the interaction of all their dimensions.
- Consider respecting quality and ethical standards as essential.
- Require having been previously experienced on a personal level in order to be properly implemented in other people.
- Lastly, both disciplines recognize open-mindedness, acceptance, curiosity, mental clarity, presence or authenticity as essential skills.
On the other hand, Mindfulness and Coaching differ in some fundamental aspects that need to be pointed out (Hall, 2013). Understanding these differentiating characteristics can contribute to the comprehension of the complementarity of both approaches. As seen in Table 1, the main difference lies in that Coaching emphasizes the promotion of change as a long-term approach, whereas Mindfulness promotes the unconditional acceptance of the present moment.
These connotations can be grouped around two central concepts in Mindfulness: ¨doing mode¨ and¨being mode¨ (Segal, Williams and Teasdale, 2002). The first one would be characteristic of Coaching, while the second is more of a reflection of Mindfulness. Both are described below:
The “doing mode” is characterized by:
- Being oriented to the attainment of a certain result or objective.
- • Generating a continuous state of judgment, since it is in the mind where analyzing the discrepancies between the current state and the desired state is centered, between how things are and how we would like them to be.
- Promoting a state of mind characterized by attention to the past and/or future, by which the ability to perceive the present is reduced.
On the other hand, “being mode” is characterized by:
- Oriented to being or to living in close contact with the present moment, with presence and consciousness. Without having to do anything, or achieving anything, or getting rid of anything in order to be at peace here and now.
- Generating a state of compassionate and calm acceptance, in which it is not necessary to judge continuously.
- Promoting a state of mind characterized by open-mindedness in the present.
Activating an operating mode characterized by Mindfulness, in which we can respond to the situation in an adaptive and appropriate way, without having to react based on our stereotyped automatic patterns.
Table 1
Distinguishing Characteristics between Mindfulness and Coaching| MINFULNESS | COACHING | |
|---|---|---|
| MODE | BEING | Doing |
| MAIN ATTITUDE | ACCEPTANCE | Change |
| FOCUS | In the present | In the future |
It is possible that after reviewing the differences between these modes, and therefore between Mindfulness and Coaching, the combination of both techniques may be contradictory. Despite this, we observe in our professional practice that it is precisely because of these differences that Mindfulness can optimize the coaching process’s effectiveness. For example, it is possible that the orientation towards the attainment of results or objectives that take us from the current state to a desired future state, may constitute an impediment for the accompaniment process itself, since it may position both the coach and the coachee in a state of non-acceptance or struggle. Sticking to the results or fighting against the present reality can make the coach rush into action and overlook key information that can help facilitate change in the coachee. In contrast, the present focus of Mindfulness enables us to accept whatever is happening right now with equanimity. Although it may be paradoxical, it is only from this radical acceptance that real change can emerge. This phenomenon was described thousands of years ago in the following Buddhist proverb “what is resisted, what remains and what you accept is transformed” and was confirmed hundreds of years later by Western Psychology thanks to psychotherapists such as Carl Rogers (1951). In fact, it is the essential part of the current third-generation psychological therapiesI (Hayes, 2004). Acceptance enables deactivating the fighting and avoidance reactions which rise human suffering, and which are present in most of the psychopathological disorders. And it is precisely through acceptance that Mindfulness promotes change.
In fact, the “Being mode” is the necessary precondition for developing the presence state which characterizes a real Coaching session. And it is acceptance what opens us to a mental state characterized by the breadth of perspectives and lets us remain calm during difficulties. Other Coaching essential competences recognized by the ICF can be developed with Mindfulness. For example, the art of making suitable questions lies in the capacity for being able to remain silent while calm, to keeping our minds open, because it is where the ability of active listening lies. This capacity of remaining silent, keeping calm in the face of uncertainty and maintaining our resource state is one of the main benefits associated with practicing Mindfulness.
Usefulness in applying Mindfulness in Coaching
A review study about the contributions of Mindfulness to Coaching carried out by Passmore and Marianetti (2013) concludes that Mindfulness training can help coaches in 4 key areas:
- Being prepared for the Coaching session: practicing Mindfulness helps to manage stress properly and mentally prepare us to give our best in the session with the client.
- Keeping focus on the session: this training helps us to focus on the session and to keep the necessary concentration to perform the session optimally.
- Effectively managing emotions: practicing Mindfulness strengthens the capacity of becoming aware of our emotions, both the ones that emerge during the session and outside it and managing them effectively, without identifying ourselves with them.
- Transmitting Mindfulness to coaches: both explicitly, through teaching Mindfulness skills and exercises, and implicitly through our actions.
In addition to these areas, Michael Chaskalson, coach and Mindfulness instructor and author of the book “The Mindful Workplace” (2011), highlights that Mindfulness specifically prepares us for creating the environment and developing the necessary empathy for providing the transformation and change in our clients. And this type of training allows us to recognize and value who we are and, from there, appreciate other people in an authentic way. In his research, he has shown that Mindfulness is an effective training for developing leadership skills (Reitz, Chaskalson and Waller 2016).
Moreover, Liz Hall thinks that Coaching gives people the possibility of discovering new opportunities, with Mindfulness being the way to achieving these opportunities (Hall, 2013).
From our point of view, the application of Mindfulness in the field of Coaching can be classified by taking as reference Christopher Germer’s (2013) model that initially proposed for the application of Mindfulness in the field of psychotherapy. This author claims that the application of Mindfulness can be carried out in, at least, three different ways in a continuum ranging from the most implicit to the most explicit level (figure 2).
Figure 2.Possible levels of implementation of Mindfulness to Coaching
Level 1: the level at which Mindfulness is applied in the most implicit way. In this level, this training is used as a personal practice for the coach, with the aim of increasing the coach's abilities to be present during the session, in tune with himself and with the client, as well as to develop his or her abilities of attention, openness, self-awareness, self-regulation and self-care.
Level 2: Mindfulness is used here in addition with the Coaching process itself, although the client is not taught explicitly, but implicitly to promote the coach-coachee relationship. Mindfulness attitudes are applied, such as acceptance, equanimity or compassion to guide the work of accompaniment during the session.
Level 3: it is the most explicit level. In this level, the client is taught Mindfulness explicitly by the coach, using one more coaching tools, both in the session itself and outside it, as tasks to be assigned to the coachee between sessions.
The benefits associated with implementing Mindfulness at each of these levels are described below in detail.
Mindfulness for the coach
As shown in the introduction to the present work, several studies show that the practice of Mindfulness in the coach enhances the effectiveness of encouraging change in the coachee. Liz Hall, editor of the magazine “Coaching at Work”, was one of the first coaches to be interested in the contribution of Mindfulness to Coaching. In 2012, this author carried out the first international survey about the use of Mindfulness in Coaching. 153 coaches from countries such as Spain, United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, United States and India participated in the survey. The results showed that practicing Mindfulness helps coaches to increase their capacity for self-awareness, be more present, be more creative, as well as manage stress, be more able to maintain a systemic outlook, be more open to possibilities, be more in tune with our clients, judge less and be more compassionate (Hall, 2013).
Mindfulness for the coach-coachee relationship
In recent years, the importance of studying the underlying processes of Coaching has been recognized, such as the Coaching relationship (Correia, dos Santos & Passmore 2016). In fact, the quality of the relationship between the coach and the coachee is the factor that has been most consistently associated with the success of the coaching process (De Haan, 2008a & 2008b). These results are in line with those obtained in the field of psychotherapy. Several studies show that the final therapeutic outcome depends more on the quality of the relationship between the client and the therapist than on the specific techniques or therapies used (Duncan & Moynihan, 1994, Lambert & Ogles, 2004, Lambert & Simon, 2008, Norcross, 2002, 2011). In fact, the key ingredient for the therapeutic relationship is currently considered to be the therapeutic presence (Geller & Greenberg, 2012; Hayes & Vinca, 2011; Pos, Geller, & Oghene, 2011). Taking the work of these authors as reference, we can define the presence in the context of Coaching as “the ability of the coach to be fully present and attuned to their own body and with the coachee on a physical, emotional cognitive and spiritual level” (González-García, 2018). We must keep in mind that Coaching is not a form of therapy, but a companion, which is a fundamental difference between this discipline and psychotherapy; both disciplines have the common requirement for the professional to develop this type of presence so as to generate the necessary environment to promote change. On the other hand, as has already been suggested in the field of Mindfulness (González-García López, 2017), we propose here that this type of relationship between the coach and the coachee manifests from the coach’s embodiment. This concept refers to the coach’s capacity to embody the competences and ethics of coaching and transmit it through their actions, gestures and speech throughout the accompaniment process. This type of transmission can be achieved through the personal practice of Mindfulness. Within this same line, it has recently been suggested that the practice of Mindfulness empowers the coach’s ability to be present for his clients, so that they can feel fully seen and heard in a context in which their unique experience as individuals is accepted without judgement (Chaskalson, 2011, p.116). In this way, Mindfulness is considered to strengthen the alliance between the coach and coachee (Kemp, 2011).
Mindfulness for the coachee
As has been shown so far, Mindfulness practice in the coach directly contributes to the effectiveness of the coaching process. Besides that, if Mindfulness is explicitly used in a session to teach the technique to the coachee, the beneficial effects could be enhanced. In the aforementioned survey by Liz Hall, 83% of the coaches surveyed used Mindfulness with their clients. The main reasons for doing so included increasing self-awareness, managing stress and reactions, generating focus, clarity and well-being, promoting greater alignment with their values, and developing emotional intelligence (Hall, 2013).
To finalize this section, we want to emphasize that the fundamental prerequisite to be able to apply Mindfulness effectively to the coaching process resides in the coach's own personal practice (González-García, 2018). This is because unlike other techniques, as in Coaching, Mindfulness cannot be taught if it has not been previously experienced on a personal level. Otherwise, the ability to follow and guide others in their practice will be seriously limited. In addition to this, the Mindfulness technique will be distorted. And there are no shortcuts that help us avoid working with our own mind.
Our aim in this article is to review the possible benefits of implementing Mindfulness within the context of Coaching. To this end, a review of the existing literature on the subject has been carried out and structured presenting the usefulness that this application can have for the Coach, for the Coaching relationship, and for the Coachee. In short, the adaptation of Mindfulness to this field could provide the necessary training for the coach to be able to develop and transmit, in a practical way, the competences of presence and consciousness that enable him or her to do real Coaching. This will generate the kind of relationship with the coachee in which they can feel meaningful and learn to connect with themselves in a more constructive way, trusting in their own strengths, connecting with their own resources and generating the changes that enable them to develop their potential. This type of transmission can be achieved through adequate Mindfulness training, which enables the coach to develop his or her own consciousness and transmit this full presence at a level beyond the conceptualized, in an embodied, active and vivid way while interacting with the coachee. Therefore, through Mindfulness, to train the consciousness in the current moment is not only done so to intentionally create a state, but to develop an enduring feature in our lives (Siegel, 2010).
As we have elaborated in this work, one of the main aspects in common between Mindfulness and Coaching is that both disciplines promote change through the client’s awareness and own responsibility. Likewise, both require having previously experienced it on a personal level in order to properly implement it in other people. Any person who applies coaching from a professional point of view needs to first apply coaching in their life, carrying out a process of introspection, learning and openness towards new ways of being, doing and thinking. In addition to an ethical and deontological commitment, one of the key competences of any coach is to work on one's own personal development in order to be able to accompany other people in the pursuit of their own objectives and the development of their own potential. In this way, when we talk about Mindfulness and its benefits, we should also first see in ourselves the effects of being aware in the current moment. On the other hand, the fundamental difference between Coaching and Mindfulness is that the former strengthens the way of doing, and the latter the way of being. According to our experience, when it comes to creating awareness and presence in a Coaching session, we work within the context of way of being. As defined by Ya Whitmore (2010): "a way of managing, of treating people, of thinking, of being". In other words, he already anticipated the fact that there is a part of the coach that already is, and so develops his or herself in the way of being. Only then can presence emerge.
Presence in Coaching has been taken up by the ICF as Competence 4 and defined as: "The ability to have full awareness and to create spontaneous Coaching relationships with the client, using an open and flexible style that demonstrates security and trust". Based on our experience, and unlike what happens with other skills, this can only be acquired from training in the way of being, and not only from a cognitive perspective. On the other hand, one of the main deficiencies in many Coaching trainings is the absence of practical strategies to develop essential competences recognized by the ICF, such as being in the moment or creating awareness. The adaptation of Mindfulness to this field can indeed generate the necessary training for the coach to be able to properly develop the skills that enable him or her to do authentic Coaching.
In line with the definition of Mindfulness provided by Silsbee (2010), which concludes that Mindfulness is a path towards Presence in our experience, the practice of Mindfulness leads us to develop that state of presence, where we renounce the ego and judgments, and focus on the present moment, “dancing” with the client and being available to them during the session. Being present requires tolerating the uncertainty of not knowing what will happen in the session, opening ourselves to ambiguity, vulnerability and assuming that the client is the only one who knows, and that our role as companions requires us to be open to any possibility, abandoning the security we seek in many aspects of our personal and professional lives.
Through the practice of Mindfulness, we obtain direct knowledge of how our mind works, and how to learn to manage it. This learning allows us to learn to take greater responsibility in our lives and can be an invaluable tool to our well-being as coaches learning to manage the difficulties that arise in the coaching process.
In short, and in our experience, the practice of Mindfulness during the coaching session puts an end to the dualism between the way of being and the way of doing, because it complements and improves the way of doing coaching, with the way of being of Mindfulness. We must not forget that, contrary to what many think, Mindfulness does not only move within the way of being, but improves decision making and the step to the action from a state of greater clarity and well-being. In conclusion, the implementation of Mindfulness in the field of coaching can contribute in creating the necessary awareness to build a scenario in which we all gain in well-being: the coach, the coachee and society as a whole.
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