This Way Up harnesses the value of life coaching and mindfulness practices.
These different but complementary approaches can make a real change in your awareness of and ability to achieve your aims.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a way of paying attention in the present moment, without judgement and with kindness.
Most of the time we’re on autopilot. Our attention isn't where we intend it to be; it's caught up in our thoughts and emotions, our worries for the future, and our regrets and memories of the past.
Mindfulness is like training for your brain. It helps you be aware of what’s going on inside your mind and body, and what’s going on in the outside world. Studies have found that mindfulness increases positive emotions while reducing negative emotions and stress.
“People opened up and after the third session, I started to open up. I’ve helped others and they’ve helped me.”
This Way Up PArticipant
The ABC of mindfulness – This Way Up’s approach
You’ll start by developing “awareness” of what is happening in your experience, with kindness and patience. You do this through meditation and learning to be mindful throughout the day.
Next, you’ll learn to “be” with your experience. You’ll do this by watching your thoughts more carefully. You learn to cultivate an attitude of acceptance towards difficult experiences, instead of pushing them away.
Finally, you can “choose” wise responses to your experience. Giving your mind and body more time and space, allowing the most helpful decisions and choices to emerge. The key is responding wisely instead of reacting automatically.
What is life coaching?
Life coaching involves talking confidentially to someone who is trained to help you work out what you want in life and how you can achieve it. A life coach listens carefully, and asks questions to find out more. Through the sessions you discuss where you are now, and how you can get to where you want to be.
Life coaching is not counselling or therapy, which helps people to resolve deep-seated issues from the past. Nor is it advice, which provides a prescription for what you should do. Instead, you take the driving seat, set the agenda, and make a start on what comes next in your life.