Life Coaching and meditation

[Dave Robson]

Are there any coaches out there who teach their clients to meditate?

I have been experimenting with this a lot recently and have developed my own method which is so simple anyone can do it. What I have found with my clients is that meditation is probably the most powerful coaching tool I have ever come across, for the simple reason, if you want to formulate and achieve goals that are truly meaningful for you, that will transform your life and bring you lasting happiness and fulfilment and that allow you to express your passion to the full, you have to first know yourself inside out. And meditation is a powerful way to do that.

Lots of people have resistance to this, but another thing I have learned is that strong resistance in a client is a powerful indicator that you are on the right track, i.e. homing in on some issue, usually carefully avoided either consciously or unconsciously, that needs examining. So when I encounter a client's resistance, I take that as good news. It means something is shifting.

Anyone got any views on this?

[Mackula]

Do you mean like marriage coaches or like team coaches?
Because I completely think that meditation could work for marriage help but for a team coach (lets say hockey) I really dont think that could work.

[TheBooster]

I believe he is talking about neither. In this case and forum, life coaching is a type of technique where there is a person who would talk to you and help you with your life. Not literally a coach, but somewhat like a counselor.

[Dave Robson]

Hello there.

It doesn't really matter what the issue is, you still need to know deep inside what is right for you, what you really want deep in your heart, and meditation can help you find the answer. In the example of a marriage problem, you need to know do you still love this person, did you ever love this person, does this person really love you, are you compatible, do you really want to stay together or are trying to hold it together because you feel guilty, would you rather split up???

This type of thing is rarely cut and dried and deep self-examination and scrupulous honesty with yourself (and your spouse) are advisable before you decide on any goals or courses of action.

[horsesinger]

One of the 12 self-help steps is to take a complete moral inventory of oneself. What a scary prospect, especially when the next step is to share that inventory with another person. Clients are so fearful of these two steps. I suggest planning a "sacred" writing time each day--same time, same place, same process each day, for at least 15 minutes. From a coaching perspective, is this too directive? Second question: Is encouraging a client to meditate on their moral life from their first memory to the present more counter-therapeutic than therapeutic?

[Paddy Landau]