Expand your Reflective Practice

Reflection is not a natural preference for many and even if it is a preference, it can still be a challenging process.? There will be times when we slip into avoidance, storytelling and self-deception.? Or we start ruminating, where we move towards being critical, negative and anxious, rather than reflecting.? Therefore, with this in mind why should we and how can we expand our reflective practice?? We offer a few thoughts based on our research below.? Our research focussed on a) self-awareness and the role it plays in coach development and b) how breathwork and journalling can result in embodied leadership.

?Firstly, with regards why bother?? The most impactful and successful way to deepen our self-awareness is through reflective practice, particularly when this is an embodied practice.? The process of pausing, creating space and stepping back enables us to capture glimpses of the unconscious, gain wider perspectives and new insights.? As a coach our own self-awareness is critical to effective practice as after all we are the main instrument for coaching.? In addition, we can only take our coachees as deep as we have taken ourselves.

?We recommend an embodied practice because in the West, our society is characterized by an approach to life dominated by linear and rational thinking; what we can see and measure is what we believe. And our mind loves this approach – it is how the world seems possible to put into boxes, from which we then operate our life. Though this has undisputedly led to great advances, it means that we cut off the infinite wisdom of the body. We then only see the relatively limited spectrum that the rational mind can comprehend. Yet when we tap into embodied reflection, we unlock a treasure trove of capacity for sensing, understanding, and navigating the world. This enables better choices – and thus better results – furthermore, it unlocks an extra bonus: we feel better and more alive. And when we, as a coaches, tap into this enhanced spectrum, we can take our clients to new depths in their inner worlds, and from there expand their external reality.

We invite you to join us to explore the why and how of embodied reflection to expand your reflective practice and deepen your self-awareness.