Mindfulness Coaching: Helping others to live in the moment

We have only now, only this single eternal moment opening and unfolding before us, day and night. - Jack Kornfield

What Is Mindfulness Coaching?

It is tough to stay focused when there’s something or the other constantly happening. From endless deadlines to balancing our work and social life, it can be really hard to anchor yourself in the present moment and not fret about the future. This is where a mindfulness coach can help. 

A mindfulness coach helps us live our lives more mindfully. Studies have shown that practicing mindfulness is known to reduce stress and anxiety, and help people live healthier, fulfilling lives.

Mindfulness coaching is a coaching niche that focuses on helping clients regain control of their consciousness.

It helps them enjoy the present moment, and cope with the reality of the unknown future. Mindfulness coaching is all about helping a client find their balance in emotional, physical, and mental well-being so that they can lead fulfilling lives.

What Does A Mindfulness Coach Do?

Mindfulness coaches offer their clients different kinds of anchoring and grounding exercises. Clients learn to focus on their thoughts and emotions without reacting sharply. It's a way of making people aware of what's happening in their minds in different scenarios, while also teaching them not to get absorbed in all those thoughts and feelings. 

Mindfulness training is a type of attention training that focuses on the present and helps the client understand themselves better. Mindfulness coaches help clients not be overwhelmed by different stressors in their daily environment.

In a world where everyone is focused on hustling and constantly planning for the future, we often forget to live through those smaller moments that make up most of our happiest memories. It is all well and good to be ambitious and driven, but it should never be at the cost of enjoying our current life. Mindfulness coaching is essential, especially in a corporate culture-driven world, where everyone is competing with each other. 

Mindfulness is needed because:

• It helps us maintain a work-life balance.
• We learn how to keep track of our biggest priorities in life.
• It helps us remain grounded, even in the most tragic of moments.
• We are able to understand our emotions better.
• It helps us maintain better relationships with other people.
• It encourages self-love and care.
• Taking care of our mind and body becomes a priority.

What Kind of Results Can You Get From Mindfulness Coaching?

Mindfulness can be quite beneficial to clients who undergo training for the same.

A study conducted on the benefits of mindfulness meditation for individuals diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder showed a drastic reduction in their anxiety levels from consistent practice.

Mindfulness coaching can completely transform your life.

Here are a few typical results we see among people who undertake mindfulness coaching:

1. Increased self-awareness

Be it physical, mental, or emotional awareness, mindfulness coaching drastically improves people’s awareness of themselves. Having a better sense of ourselves and our capabilities helps us make sure that we make the right choices at the right times.

2. Higher levels of satisfaction and joy

“By breaking down our sense of self-importance, all we lose is a parasite that has long infected our minds. What we gain in return is freedom, the openness of mind, spontaneity, simplicity, altruism: all qualities inherent in happiness.” - Matthieu Ricard

Being mindful also helps people find satisfaction and happiness in each moment. It teaches them that life is too short to be spending all their time worrying about a future that has yet to happen.

By anchoring them to the present, mindfulness coaching can help clients find stability and joy in who they are, what they have and what they do in the present.

3. Increased emotional regulation

Another potential benefit of mindfulness coaching is that it helps identify and manage emotions.

Emotional regulation refers to the ability to control one's emotions. This means that emotions can be amplified and controlled according to circumstances and needs.

This ability can play an important role in psychological well-being. 

4. Relieving anxiety and stress

Chronic stress is a serious problem for many adults. It can cause a variety of health problems, including an increased risk of depression and anxiety. According to the American Psychological Association, mindfulness helps reduce feelings of anxiety and stress.

5. Boosting your memory power

Mindfulness can also improve your memory. In a 2019 survey, participants received either a four-week mindfulness training session or a creative writing class. Memory tests showed that those trained in attention practice showed the greatest reduction in active intervention, leading to improved short-term memory.

However, participants did not just show improved memory. They also showed changes in their brain. Brain imaging showed that participants in mindfulness training experienced changes in the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with memory.

6. Strengthening cognitive function

Research shows that mindfulness can not only help you focus on your thoughts and remember things more easily but can actually play a role in your ability to think flexibly and clearly. It improves the ability to focus attention for a period of time (sustainable attention), the ability to direct thoughts and attention despite distractions (cognitive flexibility) and suppress other thoughts.

These cognitive skills are important for a variety of daily tasks. They allow us to think quickly and adapt to changing information. These skills also help us easily move from one task to another, making it easier to focus on the task and solve the problem more efficiently.

What Makes A Good Mindfulness Coach?

1. A good mindfulness coach is well-prepared
   
   How well does the coach prepare and cover the content in the session? Can they balance the needs of individuals, groups, and the demands of teaching a course? A good mindfulness coach has to be ready to handle any kind of situation.

2. A good mindfulness coach connects well with their clients
   
   Good mindfulness coaches must be likeable as people. Some important traits to have include empathy, credibility, compassion, warmth, curiosity, and respect.

3. A good mindfulness coach practices mindfulness in their own life
   
   If you don’t practice what you preach, then no one will want to listen. Therefore, a good mindfulness coach must embody the principles of mindful living in their own lives. You must lead and inspire by example.

4. A good mindfulness coach guides each exercise well and pays individual attention to each client
   
   To what extent does the coach explain different teachings, including all the necessary elements for the exercise? How well do they observe or check in on their clients?  Coaches need to be aware of when students have wandered and help them regain their attention. The coach's language should be clear, concise, accurate, and accessible.

5. A good mindfulness coach encourages questions and curiosity
   
   Does the coach interactively convey the lessons to participants using different teaching methods?Do they encourage questions, to make the lesson clear for their clients?
   
   Clients must understand each step of the process as they begin to inculcate mindfulness into their lives. Therefore, as a good mindfulness coach, you must also encourage them to question and understand different concepts clearly.
    
6. A good mindfulness coach knows how to take charge of a group
   
   Competent coaches with good control over group dynamics "lead" groups and create a supportive environment in which learning takes place. Coaches need to be able to “adjust”, connect, and respond appropriately to shifts and changes in the mood and characteristics of the group.

The Best Mindfulness Coaching Techniques and Tools

There are many ways that mindfulness can be a powerful tool for healing. Mindfulness helps relieve people of anxiety by helping them stay in the present rather than staying in the past or worrying about the future.

Here are a few common therapy tools and techniques used in mindfulness coaching.

1. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
   
   Built around mindfulness practices, MBSR focuses on uplifting a client by focusing on their mental, physical and emotional well-being. It has paved the way for many modern-day behavioral techniques.
   
   MBSR therapy has shown promising results, including:
   - Reductions in physical and psychological symptoms
   - Higher tolerance, especially in the case of chronic pain
   - Higher energy and motivation levels
   - Better reactions to stressful situations

2. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
   
   A type of psychotherapy that combines cognitive therapy, meditation, and mindfulness-based development. Studies show that MBCT may be effective in helping people who have experienced multiple episodes of depression.
   
   Originally developed to treat depression, it has also proven to be effective in other uses, including:
   - Anxiety disorders
   - Bipolar disorder
   - Depression associated with medical illnesses
   - Low mood
   - Unhappiness
   - Depression-relapse prevention
   - Treatment-resistant depression

3. Mindfulness-Based Recurrence Prevention (MBRP)
   
   Developed to combat addiction, MBRP applies the concept of mindfulness to the management of impulses and the maintenance of moderation that can interfere with addiction. Through MBRP, individuals learn to take a step back and witness the moment, recognizing that there are multiple possible consequences for situations where they have some control.
   
   The main technique used in MBRP is called "urge surfing". It refers to using a mindfulness strategy to ride a wave of impulses rather than succumb to them.
   
   Instead of falling into an automatic emotional response to the trigger, you can take a moment to react intentionally. By developing this ability, you will experience fewer negative emotions because you are not exacerbating difficult situations through your own actions.

How To Become A Mindfulness Coach

You can become a Mindfulness Coach by following the steps below:

1. Assess if Mindfulness Coaching is right for you
   Do you enjoy the benefits of mindfulness yourself?
   Do you think mindfulness will be a game-changer for your customers?
   
   First, you need to make sure this is your type of coaching. If helping people find balance in their lives, and guiding them through stressful scenarios is a challenge that you’d enjoy, then mindfulness coaching is the niche for you.

2. Complete a certification
   Next, you need to learn mindfulness coaching from a reputable training institution. The central management and accreditation body for coaches worldwide is the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Therefore, it is best to find a training program accredited by the ICF, such as the ones we offer at Evercoach.

3. Practice
   Find some early clients and hone your mindfulness coaching skills before expanding your business and finding a larger client base.

4. Expand your services
   Once you become accustomed to your coaching skills and expertise, you can expand your service offering by holding webinars and creating online mindfulness courses for different age groups.

We hope this helps you get started on your mindfulness coaching journey!