When my husband and I founded PsYoCo® Psychological Yoga Coaching in 2019, this field within yoga was still largely unknown, unlike today. This has since changed, certainly also because the coaching market itself has grown significantly. It’s important to note upfront that ‘coach,’ much like ‘yoga teacher,’ is not a protected term, so anyone can call themselves that, whether trained or not.
Yoga Meets Coaching
That’s the title of our joint book, published in 2020, and it wonderfully describes what it’s all about. Here’s how it unfolded at our home: My husband (a trained educator) began additional training in psychological counseling, coaching, and supervision almost 15 years ago. I can no longer count how many trainings he has completed. There was a time when that annoyed me a bit. More than once, I wondered when he would finally be ‘done’… However, today I understand his drive and deeply value his expertise, as there’s hardly anyone who possesses as many diverse tools and techniques in this field as he does. Meanwhile, I was deeply involved in my own various yoga trainings and continuing education. When we sat together and discussed our newly acquired knowledge, we quickly realized there were an incredible number of synergies. How similar our supposedly different fields were! Wouldn’t it make sense to combine them?
Why is the symbiosis of these two fields of work so rewarding?
Already during my studies to become a certified social pedagogue, I focused on psychology, counseling, and supporting people with and without mental illnesses. When I started teaching yoga almost 15 years later, this knowledge and my passion for it automatically flowed into my teaching and shaped my very individual style from the beginning. For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with rigid concepts, and it has always been clear in my work as both an educator and a yoga teacher that I cannot be confined to a single direction or style.
For most people, yoga is primarily a body-oriented practice, and of course, it’s often much easier to start by working through the body. Our body is a true marvel, and even after so many years of learning and exploring, it continues to fascinate me anew. But the same applies to our mind. And this knowledge is well-known in yoga. It is said that in yoga, we practice reuniting our body with our mind (and our breath). It therefore makes incredible sense to combine yoga with psychological tools and techniques from coaching, counseling, and pedagogy. Then it becomes a complete whole.
The Holistic Perspective
The word ‘holistic’ comes from Greek. The word hólos means comprehensive or whole, so today the term holism is translated as holistic. Therefore, if we want to view people as a whole and support them in their entirety, it makes perfect sense to have a few tools and techniques from psychology and coaching at hand, in addition to a solid yoga education. This way, we can be effective and helpful on a holistic level. In my experience, this also includes knowing what to do if someone becomes overwhelmed during a session. It’s not without reason that we speak of yoga as a ‘powerful instrument,’ and from my perspective, a great responsibility also arises from that.
For me, the combination of yoga and coaching makes sense on all levels and is beneficial, both for me as a teacher and for my students.
If you’d like to learn more or experience it for yourself, treat yourself to a Yoga Coaching session and discover how comprehensive it is.
Do you work with people and want to expand your knowledge as a yoga teacher or educator? Then take a look at our training programs: PsYoCo® – Psychological Yoga Coaching or Coach for Children, Teenagers, and Families (with and without yoga).
We look forward to exchanging ideas, exciting experiences, and many new things!
Stay curious and keep your beginner’s mind ?
Namaste
