Become a Mindfulness Coach [Must Read]

Do you like to help people to increase their happiness and well-being?

Are you good at stress-management?

Yes?

Great! It’s time to think about becoming a mindfulness coach.

Mindfulness coaching is one of the most rewarding life coaching niches.

Our mind runs a million miles in a minute. Today, so many of us are fighting with anxiety and depression.

People are less aware of their present surroundings. They often remain distracted. In the quest to live a great future, they are neglecting their present.

This affects their body and soul. This creates a need for a mentor to guide them on the right path.

This is where a mindfulness coach’s role comes into play.

So, what exactly is mindfulness? What does the mindfulness coach do? How can you become one? etc.

By the end of this article, you will get the answers of all your queries.

What is Mindfulness?

In simple words:

Mindfulness is the ability of one’s mind to pay attention to the present surroundings. To become aware of the present moment. This must happen out of curiosity and not judgment.

We run into busy days. Sometimes into sleepless nights. This can happen for varied reasons. We may find it difficult to find the right balance in our lives.

Many people spend the majority of their day in stress and overwhelmed thoughts.

They may find it difficult to focus. It may seem that they aren’t present in their own lives!

Mindfulness acts as a powerful tool. It helps in cultivating skills that are essential for human living. This way we learn to pay attention, calm down and nurture joy.

Mindfulness increases tenderness and kindness towards ourselves. It restores the dimensions of our being. It isn’t that they were missing but we miss noticing them. When your mind clarifies and opens, your heart does the same.

It releases ‘happy chemicals’ in the brain. This helps in fighting with health issues. This may include- digestive issues, lowering blood pressure, relaxing tension, etc.

Your subconscious mind receives positive vibes. This is turn fills your soul with great positive energy. People around you can resonate with the same. They enjoy your company and thus you become the centre of attraction for all.

With mindfulness, we can live our lives with the right balance and greater joy.

There are various benefits of practicing mindfulness in daily routine.

• Greater focus and concentration
• Less stress, anxiety, and depression
• Better sleep and improved chronic functioning
• Better immune system
• Increased happiness and well-being

In today’s world of hustle and bustle, mindfulness holds great significance. A mindfulness coach can best guide to inculcate this wonderful practice.

The Difference Between Mindfulness and Meditation?

You might be thinking that mindfulness sounds the same as meditation right?

So, what’s the difference?

Mindfulness is the awareness of SOMETHING. Meditation is the awareness of NOTHING.

Both are like mirror images of each other. Mindfulness supports and enriches meditation. Meditation nurture and expands mindfulness.

You can practice mindfulness in any part of the day. Meditation though lasts for some period.

There can be different types of meditation. Some involve yoga others involve chanting sounds.

Mindfulness involves having a pragmatic approach.

At some part of the day, you may feel dull. You feel engrossed in your thoughts. Negativity may overwhelm you due to some past reason.

At that point, you can direct your mind to stay calm. To avoid fighting with your emotions but accept them. Relax and cherish the beautiful life you have.

Meditation complements mindfulness and vice versa. If you start practicing both, you can lead a happy and satisfying life.

What is Mindfulness Coaching?

So, now you have enough understanding of mindfulness. Let’s jump to what is mindfulness coaching. As a mindfulness coach, you must know this.

Don’t you wonder on the below fact:

What is the need for a mindfulness coach? Can’t people become conscious of their surroundings on their own?

Yes, of course, but not everyone.

Inculcating and practicing a new thing is difficult sometimes. People may try hard but they might not be able to shut their minds.

They may want to concentrate on the present, but their thoughts might not leave them.

Their thoughts can cage them reducing their efficiency.

In that case, mindfulness coaching can guide them in the right way. It can provide the necessary support and hold them accountable.

Mentoring of a mindfulness coach can render them positive vibes. It may provide them with a different perspective on their lives and themselves. This way they can get out of their narrow cacoon.

Sometimes it is a self-created fear that grips us. It halts us from progressing. Mindfulness coaching can render people much-needed relaxation and peace. This way they can concentrate with a fresh mind.

This can increase the chances of resolving issues.

Mindfulness coaching clears the path for leading a healthy and joyful life. It is one of the top life coaching niches that can make you successful in 2021.

What are the benefits of mindfulness coaching?

There are various ways in which mindfulness coaching helps:

Moving beyond issues

Mindfulness coaching helps one to think about what is now, then what was. This can help in overcoming bad memories. One might have some negative experiences in the past life. These might be harming the joy in the present.

Mindfulness allows the realization that everyone has a past. What’s gone is gone. It’s time to cherish the present moments.

It makes people aware of the valuable gifts that they hold. Family, friends, possessions, etc. In this way, they can overcome issues.

Less stress

There is a case study. It involves showing a sad movie to two different groups. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, results are obtained.

The group which practiced mindfulness showed less emotional imbalance while watching. Also after the movie, it was quick to reduce stress and anxiety. This proves that mindfulness reduces stress.

Improved working memory

Sometimes people complain about not being attentive during work.

They work half-heartedly, welcoming issues.

Practicing mindfulness can increase their involvement in work.

It sharpens working memory. This way they can bring fruitful results and impress their managers 🙂

Greater focus

Mindfulness coaching is the best way to drown outside noise.

Seldom people find themselves lost amongst others. This may also reduce their performance.

One can quash the distraction information through mindfulness coaching.

Cognitive flexibility

Some people find it difficult to manage their personal and professional lives.

Sometimes their relations come in the middle of their work.

The guidance of a mindfulness coach can be the best!

It can help one to develop a sense of ‘ self-observation’ of a particular situation. This way one can analyze the situation in a more present state. This helps in overcoming limiting beliefs.

Thus one can achieve the perfect balance in his/her life.

Who is a mindfulness coach?

A mindfulness coach helps one to practice mindfulness in daily life.

This would involve both moments of challenges and joy.

Of course, there are various sources through which one can learn this art. Youtube videos, blogs, magazines, etc.

So, What isn’t available?

It is the knowledge of imbibing the basic steps.

A mindfulness coach helps in executing the basic techniques. The coach guides to build a satisfying practice of wisdom, perspective, kindness, and self-compassion.

A mindfulness coach provides certain techniques. When one does these daily new neural pathways find a way to evolve. The brain gains a new direction. One transforms his/her way of looking and observing surroundings.

A mindfulness coach can help to fade your negativity and past stress. This demands perseverance and patience.

Of course, one can go for a group program. Still, sometimes a personalized approach is the need of the hour.

By hiring a mindfulness coach one can get answers to specific problems. This ensures more flexibility and organic solutions. It can be a deeply personal experience.

What can a mindfulness coach provide and what not?

Mindfulness is a huge umbrella. Bringing a change in the working of mind and heart can involve many things.

If you are aspiring to become a mindfulness coach you should know your niche well.

You should know what it involves and what it doesn’t.

This way you can brand your program well.

Also, this will give your clients a clear idea of the value that you can add.

What can a mindfulness coach provide?

• Suggestions on using mindfulness in recovery
• Guidance on how to develop a mindful practice
• Guidance on how mindfulness helps in personal and professional problems
• Warning about potential pitfalls
• Encouragement and support

What a mindfulness coach cannot provide?

• Therapy
• Medical advice
• Social work
• how to use alcohol or drug
• psychoanalysis
• Counselling

As a mindfulness coach, if your client comes and asks for a solution to kill negativity in one line, it isn’t possible.

Then what is?

The PROCESS.

Yes, you can provide your client with the process. The process through which he/she can overcome the negativity.

Many clients will approach you in different situations.

For instance,

A rape victim may come to you. She is completely clueless about her life. She has no hopes to live and suicidal thoughts overwhelm her.

Can you revert the happenings?

Unfortunately, you cannot. But yes you can give her a different vision to see her life from.

You can fill her with positive vibes and pure thoughts. This can lower her pain. Thus you can prove to be a ray of hope in her life. Believe me, it feels amazing to be one!

What do you need to become a mindfulness coach?

Has your temptation to become a mindfulness coach increased?

Is this what you were looking for?

Amazing!

Now it’s time to figure out what are the essential qualities that you need.

There are great chances that you have some.

And if you don’t let’s discover and imbibe the same.

Mindfulness Presence

You should practice what you preach. If you are not physically aware, how would you coach the same?

You must be present with your client with the body and mind.

You should focus wholly on the client’s issue. Practice mindfulness techniques daily. You need to embody all that you would teach.

This is not to attract clients. When you practice, you get results. This is the best testimonial one can ever receive.

You get experience while practicing. Share the same with your clients. Let them know that yes, it works. Not in theory but in practice too.

Patience

You need to amplify your positivity such that it can kill various forms of negativity.

As a mindfulness coach, you will get clients who are disheartened. Some might have lost all hopes. Others might not even reply to you owing to their nervousness and pain.

You cannot think to get results straight away.

“Kill your depression in six months.”

It doesn’t sound realistic.

The process will gradually flow. Your clients might have faced trust issues. It may take time for them to trust you. This will demand patience.

Training

Advising your client to stop thinking about a negative event won’t work.

You should know ways through which you can bring this transformation.

So, you follow a process. Keep the client working and engrossed in it. In the end, your client will achieve the goals. Your client may not even realize it. The process must be so organic.

This can only come when you have proper training.

There are various mindfulness training programs.

– Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program (www.umassmed.edu/cfm/‎)

– Google’s Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI.com)

– UCLA’s Center for Mindfulness (marc.UCLA).

You may ask whether training programs are a must?

No, they aren’t.

It completely depends on your choice.

Ther are other resources too. This may include learning from videos, books, practitioners, seminars, etc.

Focus on imbibing knowledge. Not much about the source. Choose what fits you best. You may come up with your own pool of knowledge. Your real-life experiences may be enough. You can build your training foundation from that.

Ability to teach

It’s easy to think that you can bring someone’s attention to breathe in and out. In reality, this is hard to practice.

You cannot tell your clients:

“Close your eyes and listen consciously to the chirping birds.”

You never know what’s going on in the minds of your clients.

Teaching mindfulness is different than practicing it.

You must have a good command on body language. You must have the ability to hear the unheard. You must be able to recognize when your client is losing track.

This can only happen when you have enough experience and ability to teach.

Many regard mindfulness coaching as the most challenging yet rewarding.

After all who doesn’t want to go to bed peacefully 🙂

How is a Mindfulness Coaching session?

This completely depends on you. You can build your coaching sessions the way you want.

You need to focus on how to get most out of your coaching sessions.

Ask yourself:

Will you prefer a private session or a group session?

What time will it last?

What coaching tools and technologies would you use for holding a brilliant end-to-end session?

It is your coaching session through which you can leave an indelible mark. You have enough knowledge and training. Now you need a plan to deliver the same.

Below is a brief overview of a mindfulness coaching session. Gather some insights and complement the same in your way.

Check-In

Here you ask clients what’s going on in their life. You ponder on details to check what is your client struggling with.

Questions

Now you need to ask questions. This must be client-oriented. There are many powerful coaching questions.

These can help you to get a hold of the situation.

Keep yourself alert. Jot down the minute details. Try to understand the probability of your client. Focus on figuring out his/her strengths and weakness. This will help you to make the perfect process to guide.

Instruction and Coaching

Here you provide resources to teach your client mindfulness techniques. This could be though conversation, case studies, material, demos, real-life engagements, etc.

The techniques can involve different things. Self -care, stress management, self-compassion, anger management- for instance.

You guide your clients on how to deal with difficult emotions.

Guided meditation

You may or may not include this in your session. I recommend the same at the start and end. As we discussed above, meditation and mindfulness complement each other. It may help your clients to get ready and get cracking.

Reflection

Now it’s time to ask your clients to reflect. Ask them what difference do they feel. Does mindfulness coaching help them? If yes, then in what ways. This is another point when you are indeed practicing mindfulness 😀

Moving forward

You create a plan for an ideal routine. Then you declare the process you guys will follow as part of the collaboration. This would include accountability norms.

The plan must help the clients to integrate and put in place the learnings.

How to price and package your mindfulness coaching sessions

You must remember that you are running a business and not a service.

You have to earn!

Thus it becomes important to wisely price and package your sessions.

Now, How should you price and package your coaching sessions?

Depending on your offerings you can create multiple packages.

This way you give your audience varied options to choose from.

For instance, there can be three different packages.

The lower-end one

This may include one coaching session and personal support. It may include recording for future reference. Email followup can be another offering in the same.

The medium-end one

This may include 8-monthly sessions. It can also have valuable  reading material to augment understanding. Email-support between sessions with calls can be another offer.

The higher-end one

This may include 15 monthly sessions. Additional resources in the form of articles, audios, and videos. Consistent follow-ups via emails and calls. Emergency mentoring and so on.

Packaging your sessions provides flexibility to your clients. Depending on their comfortability they can choose what suits them most.

How much does a mindfulness coach earn?

Ahh.. you were curious about this right?

According to SimplyHired, mindfulness coaches earn $83k avg per year.

This may vary depending on your location and target audience.

You may target adults to deal with their life problems.

Or, you may go for youngsters who want to deal with their college and relationship problems.

Maybe coaching mindfulness to entrepreneurs is your choice.

Now a young guy might not be able to afford like an adult.

Thus you need to find the best combination. This way you can follow your passion and earn a living from it as well.

Next steps

I hope you have liked this in-depth article about mindfulness coaching

It’s time for action now.

Get ready to give wings to your passion. Many out there are waiting for someone like you. Fill there lives with joy by becoming a mindfulness coach.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)