Exercise:
Simple Breathing
• Sit upright in a chair or stand
up, keeping feet hip-width
apart and placing your hands
in your lap or letting them
hang freely.
• Relax your shoulders.
When you focus inward on your breath,
you will notice that your breaths
become deeper and slower, thereby
calming your nervous system. If you
practice abdominal breathing for a few
minutes before each coaching session,
you will notice that you are calmer
and better able to focus. During the
meeting, you will be more in touch with
yourself and your client as well as more
effective and resourceful.
• Close your eyes.
• Notice your breath going in
and out. Pay attention to this
for a few minutes.
• When your mind wanders,
simply bring your attention
back to your breath.
CLICK TO TWEET:
“The coach’s
best allies are
calmness and
focus.”
Centering Yourself
Many new coaches find themselves
flustered or drawing a blank when
they first begin working with clients.
Sometimes, this is because they have
not taken the time to let go of what
they were previously concentrating on
and, consequently, are not present to
the coaching experience. Sometimes
they are nervous and have trouble
calming down. In either case, when this
happens, they find that their thoughts
just do not seem to flow easily.
Your best allies are calmness and focus.
When you achieve these, the questions
flow naturally. Conversely, when you
over-think your questions or anticipate
where the conversation will go, it feels
much harder and you end up doing
more work than the coachee. If you find
yourself in this state, slow down the
process and re-center yourself.
One of the simplest ways to calm and
focus yourself before a coaching session
is to practice abdominal breathing; this is
as simple as sitting down and spending
a few minutes focusing inwards on your
breath. Abdominal breathing helps you
get more oxygen into your lungs, gives
you something to focus your mind on,
and slows your heart and breathing
rates. This in turn helps you to be calmer
and more focused during your coaching
meeting. Although it takes a bit of
practice in the beginning, it will soon feel
natural and effortless.
10 Coaching World
Exercise:
Abdominal Breathing
• Sit up tall with one hand on
your navel.
• Relax your belly, close your
eyes, and inhale deeply
through your nose so that
the hand over your navel is
pushed outward (your belly
should swell like a balloon).
• Exhale deeply through your
nose and notice how your
navel comes back in towards
your spine.
• Relax your belly even more
and breathe deeply without
forcing the breath.
• Continue for a couple of
minutes, breathing deeply
and slowly.
It is not possible to connect with your
client if you are not first connected with
yourself. Your best allies in creating
a strong connection are calmness
and focus. For best results, take a few
moments to center yourself before,
during or after your coach meeting.