The Four Powerful Synergies both Yoga and Coaching have in Common
I have been a yogi for over 25 years. I started by doing my mom’s Ali MacGraw’s VHS video of beginner’s yoga. It was taught by a yogi guru from LA called Eric Schiffman. And I’ll be totally honest: I sucked at doing yoga. I thought I was fit, but the video showed me otherwise. At best, I wobbled around and fell over. At worst, my body shook like a leaf as I sweated profusely, trying to hold poses which the folks on the video were doing with ease. To make matters worse, I was in my twenties and one of the yogis in the video was a woman well into her senior years. Everyone in the video was kicking my butt. I know now that yoga is not competitive, but at the time, it was super frustrating to be so bad at it.
What have you persisted with, which you first failed at?
At the same time, yoga also intrigued me. Every time I practiced, I became better than the time before. The wobbling subsided (mostly). I felt stronger and more flexible day after day. That was encouraging! After trying a few other yoga videos at home, I wanted to try to attend a live yoga class. This was at a time when Yoga just started to become popular in Vancouver. I ventured to my first yoga studio with some trepidation. There were going to be other people in the room. Another humbling experience! It was before Bikram yoga (a specific style with 16 key poses) became “a thing”, but it was based on this style which meant the room was hot. Very hot. Sweat out of every pore of your body – hot. Worse, there were mirrors everywhere. And the moves were hard. I felt like a beginner again.
Just because something is difficult, does not mean it is not worth pursuing.
I decided to stick with it. I learned more about different lineages of yoga, building on my practise as time went on. Later, I included yoga with my personal training clients. I even taught classes when I lived in Germany. Fast forward to this year: I finally decided to make it official and obtain my yoga certification. This is a long ways from the early days. There are many parallels between yoga and self-development practises, such a s coaching. My experience of “sucking at yoga” helps me in my work where I have other people try new things for the first time.
Being open to new experiences now, paves the way to what is possible in the future.
You never know where something can take you down the road.
Why become certified after all of this time? In part to further my own yoga practise. And also because yoga (which includes meditation and being present) is a natural complement to coaching. I have never had a coaching client who did not benefit tremendously from being more present. In my work as a coach, I usually have folks start by being more present with what is good in their life currently, as it is, before they go about changing anything. What is grand and juicy in your life right now? We then take it to the next level, by honing in on what their ideal life would specifically look like. The life my client really, really wants to live. Not just the one they think they can (otherwise know as “settling”). This lays the foundation of discovering exactly what they will do get there.
Want to live a big life? Sow the seeds now.
If you want more out of your life, coaching (either with a coach or through self-coaching) is unequivocally the absolute best way to do it.
Are you curious how harnessing your physical and mental balance can also help you achieve a better life? If you are currently doing yoga, want to know how it fits in to you living your best life? Check out the synergies of coaching and yoga below:
1.Keeping equanimity in difficult situations. Yes, you read correctly. Let that sink in. E q u a n i m i t y in difficult situations. Breathe. You may be asking whether this is possible. It is and both yoga and coaching teaches you how. In Yoga, you hold or flow through challenging poses, all the while keeping an even breath. In the process, you learn how to be with difficult situations, without loosing patience with yourself and giving up. You learn to stick through it. And afterwards, you can rejoice in the new confidence you found in yourself. Then, you take that confidence into other areas of your life – off the mat. Coaching does the same thing, but uses powerful conversations instead of yoga postures.
2.Believe in you. Life will throw your curve balls. People will tell you that you suck. And you will be shaken. You will be tried. You will fall out of a pose and doubt yourself. And through all of that, both yoga and coaching will have you believe, and fully know, that you are spectacular. You are capable of amazing things. You are unique. Exquisite. Faults and all. One of the first things yoga teachers are taught is that each person’s body has a unique structure which determines what that person’s optimal alignment is in any given pose. This means, no two people show up on the mat in the same way, but all can reap life changing benefits. The same applies for coaching. Each person is unique, but there are common practises (coaching skills) which release life changing insights for people.
3.Keep balanced It’s okay to sway, fall over, shake. It’s part of life’s course and doing yoga. What is important is that you stick to what you want – whether its tree pose or standing tall in your career, relationships or in your life as a whole. If you sway off course or fall, both yoga and coaching helps you learn from those experiences. And better yet, carry on stronger than before. With new, targeted knowledge and insights into what uniquely works for you (and what does not). Leaving you better equipped to handle difficult situations going forward. Better prepared to succeed in a challenging pose or life situation. Better equipped to live YOUR life.
4.Live your Dharma. In yogic tradition, your dharma is your life’s purpose. Each person has one but many people do not know what it is. If that is you, don’t beat yourself up please. It’s very common. Both yoga and coaching are rooted in the knowledge, that you are capable and designed for greatness. And that you owe it to yourself, your community and the world to live your unique skill and talent by fully showing up in the world. Coaching has you tap into this energy. First, it helps you discover what your dharma is. Then it shows you how to ensure you live it. And never, ever live small. Ever. Again. Period. Coaching (whether through self-coaching or by being coached) is one of the best ways to know how to live your best life. A life which is aligned with your values.
You deserve to live your best life and the world needs you to show up as such.
No half ways. No holding back. Both yoga and coaching support you to live the best version of you – unapologetically. Enough said. Okay, that was heavy. I get it. And it is. We are talking about your life! You know, the one we only get to live once? Well, that is one place where yoga and coaching may differ. The former believes you may come back reincarnated. The later won’t have you hold your breath for that.
Namaste,
Simone
I take on a select group of one-on-one coaching clients and also teach people how to coach themselves. Which method would work best for you? Check out the options on my website by CLICKING HERE. Or read about my 12 week Self Coach Approach Online Mastermind Group … pst, the description is below!
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