UNITY LEARNING
30th April-2nd May 2004
combining yoga with life-coaching
with Grace, Simon and Narayani.

Here is our group at Hourne Farm for the yoga and life coaching weekend. It was great to have some friends here as well as new faces from diverse and interesting backgrounds.. It was the first time Grace , Narayani and I had worked together and it was joy to see how well our subjects and styles weaved together.

Life coaching is a relatively new phenomena with it first appearing in the States ten years ago and in the last 5 years making an impact in the UK. The model was first drawn from coaching in sport especially tennis with the aim to bring out the full potential of the individual. It was exciting to combine together yoga, thousands of years old, with life coaching as both are designed to aid the evolution of the individual. The style of Grace's coaching training is non-directive, that means the coach is NOT there to tell the client what to do but to support the client in finding their answers from within themselves. This approach resonates with me as in yoga we are taught the individual is perfect and complete but needs to remove layers of dross to reveal it.

Each morning Narayani and I each took a group for yoga, it is always such a good experience to practice in the early morning before the brain and body have got too busy with the day's happenings. After breakfast the whole group would gather in the group room and Grace led us through the introduction to life coaching. She explained the mechanics of working with a life coach, when is it appropriate to be coached and some of the basic tools a life coach would use.

Sometimes we would discuss topics in groups or with a neighbour or write down our thoughts. Through this each person in the group would find a way of expressing themselves which was comfortable for them.
Everyone in the group were coming from such different places...
some were involved in counselling and saw coaching as another aspect of that work
some were at a crossroads in their life and were looking for clarity and a new direction
some had never heard about life coaching but were open to a new experience and loved coming to Hourne Farm.

Grace led us through the Wheel of Life, a simple exercise which helps us see how balanced we are in the different areas of our life. This is often the starting point in a coaching relationship and helps identify which area the client would like to look at first. Each segment of the circle is given a title, some are suggested here but can be tailored to the individual. A rating of 0 to 10 is given to each sector, which represents the level of satisfaction. 0 is disatisfied and at the centre of the wheel. 10 is highly satisfied and at the circumference. This is a simple clear way of looking at the WHOLE of our lives. Yoga means union, connecting our mind and body to bring balance in our lives. Work-life balance is becoming increasingly important to employers/employees and many are using life coaching as a solution.

A life coach uses their skills in listening and questioning to support their client in moving forward and we explored both these areas. I found the session on listening very powerful. No one teaches us how to listen, it is an art we are expected to pick up. In past generations when reading aloud, story telling and then the radio were the major forms of entertainment of course our listening skills were highly developed. Now in the age of the television and computer games it is our visual centres which are highly excited, our ability to listen, comprehend and empathise have been reduced which I believe is a reason behind the increasing levels of conflict in our families, schools and communities.
The section on asking questions was also fascinating as it determines the level of response, a simple yes or no or an opportunity to explore our heart and mind. Just understanding the processes of listening and questioning could make a real difference to our quality of communication with friends, family and work associates. In this way the group began to see how coaching is a natural part of everyones life whether it is about bringing up a family or helping others at work or being a good friend to someone in need.
In a short session of breath awareness we listened to our own and somebody else's breath and then spent the first 20 mins of lunch in silence which is always a powerful thing to do as we begin to hear our own chattering minds.
In the afternoon our personal values came under the spotlight which led to an interesting discussion. Often we become discontent in our life when one or all of our values not being honoured. Therefore identifying our core values is an essential part of the coaching process. It was clear that some members of the group found this exercise most illuminating.
Next was yoga nidra, a relaxation technique in which a resolution, designed to aid our spiritual growth, is planted deep inside our minds. This was a powerful session combining new understanding of our values with yoga nidra which bought the subconscious and conscious minds together in harmony.
After dinner Narayani led some partner massage whilst others listened to an amazing tape by the poet David Whyte.

On Sunday the sun was shining after more chanting and yoga we enjoyed breakfast.
Grace then showed what a session of life coach would actually be like. A chance to see the structure and understand how powerful listening and questioning can be at drawing out the answers from the individual. This was followed by another session on the breath. Life-coaching is about raising self awareness, within yoga using pranayama we raise awareness of the breath which leads to an increase in awareness of all aspects of ourselves.
After a delicious Sunday lunch cooked by Baz we went out for a walk to stretch the legs and get some fresh air.

the bluebell woods in full bloom.

After our walk Grace helped us create our action plan. At the end of each coaching session the client creates one of these action plans to identify some concrete steps to move forward to achieving their goals. Progress on these steps will be the base of the next session. So each of the group wrote down some definite actions they will carry out on their return.
Our weekend closed in the round meditation room of the oast house with chanting and a healing circle. As the last person closed the door it opened suddenly and it felt like Peter had entered the room as he always liked these sessions.

Our weekend finished with the traditional tea and cakes and a lovely drop of sunshine! Many thanks for all those involved in this weekend, people were open and so we all could learn from each other! HARI OM

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