This post is also prompted by the recent AC conference, this time inspired by a great session on mindfulness from Dr Michael Chaskalson. The more I find out about (and experience / practice) mindfulness meditation the more I understand why its popularity is growing so fast, and the more I see its value to us as coaches (as much as to our clients). Here are a few key take-aways from Michael's session.
I loved his de-bunking of the idea that mindfulness involves complicated techiniques or secret processes. Explaining the basic principles, he said "the main thing is just to be here" - by which he explained that he meant here in this moment, as opposed to "on autopilot" whilst we are thinking about some other moment in the past or the future. It's so simple - though it's not always easy. And, for me, it's so much what we need to do in coaching. When you can be fully present with your client, you find amazing things can happen very quickly (see an earlier post about doing 10 minute coaching sessions on a stand at this year's HRD conference).
I liked his clarity about the purpose of meditation: "mindfulness practice leads to an emergent property of mindfulness in everyday life". This echoes Dr Dan Siegel's definitions of the mind and the healthy mind. Siegel's definitions would explain mindfulness practice as like an exercise to make the mind healthier, in the same way physical exercise makes the body healthier. Must be a good thing!
Lastly, I found Michael's personal style in leading a breathing focused mindfulness exercise was very helpful to me. I often find it difficult to focus on my breathing without then taking conscious control of it, ie starting to consciously decide how deeply and how fast or slow I "should be" breathing. This is exactly why breathing focused meditation is such a good exercise for me - I can practice being with something and giving it full attention without immediately doing something to it. And it's easy to follow his guidance on how to turn the 10 minute breathing exercise into a "one minute meditation" for busy executives. Just start as usual... and stop after one minute.
