1. Awake:

The Awakening lets us see that the choices we make in each moment of our lives have consequences. We are not strangers in a strange land. We have formed and are continuing to form the world we experience. The fact that we are empowered also means that we are responsible for our experiences. This helps us to face the events we encounter in life with greater equanimity, for we know that we had a hand in creating them, and yet at the same time we can avoid any debilitating sense of guilt because with each new choice we can always make a fresh start. The Awakening also tells us that good and bad are not mere social conventions, but are built into the mechanics of how the world is constructed. We may be free to design our lives, but we are not free to change the underlying rules that determine what good and bad actions are. Even for those who are not ready to make that kind of investment, the Awakening assures us that happiness comes from developing qualities within ourselves that we can be proud of, such as kindness, sensitivity, equanimity, mindfulness, conviction, determination, and discernment.

A client needs to be awakened on many fronts before the actual coaching starts. The aspects are:

Mind:

The mind plays all kinds of tricks with a person. If the mind is not under control it shall not allow the person to focus on the actual aspect of change. The mind also wanders and hence in a coaching session mind needs to be stilled through some process like meditation and deep breathing.

The mind seeks and invents all kinds of theories. It works with concepts and words. It discusses and analyzes everything and is restricted to its own content. To every answer there is another question. Thoughts are endless and any theory is only a mental invention invented by the mind.

What are called facts are also in the realm of the mind. The mind can find reasons and excuses for everything. Whether you like it or not, whether you accept it or not, the mind rules your life and is your master. You see, interpret and react to life through its filters, habits and tendencies. Mind controls the energy flow into our body. If the mind is awake then we are energized towards our goal.

For a short time, due to his desire, expectations and the influence of his inner self a person can experience a different kind of consciousness. It has not yet become permanent. The memory of the experience will persist, making him eager to repeat it. Yet, the habits of the mind cannot change overnight. He would had a glimpse. The veil over the vast ever-present Consciousness would be lifted momentarily, because the mind has become silent for some time, letting him experience this inner state.

Body:

The body is a reflection of person state of mind. Body postures tell us what is the person state of openness and desire to change. Here the coach needs to make the client relax and release the body of tension before proceeding ahead. The concept of mirroring can be used here to get the client to open up and feel comfortable. There are other ways to break the defensive posture of client by making him conscious about it. All these measures help in making a client physically ready for coaching.

Soul:

This I would say is the true intent of coaching ie the inner desire. If the true intent is not of change and transformation nothing can happen. The coach needs to figure the intent before the journey to know how successful it shall be. The level of intent to bring about the change is also important. In a sponsored coaching scenario the client may be pushed into coaching and he is doing as compliance, then it’s of no use.

I see the following shades of intent stage

Very strong intent to transform life and change the direction.
Good intent to change few aspects of life and keep others as it is
Weak intent to change and looking at quick fix solutions
No intent of change and is just exploring coaching or has been pushed into it.

There are many instances of coaches in executive coaching not showing strong commitment to change as they are in state-3 or 4.

How does one move form state 4/3 to 2 to 1? This is through awakening and making himaware of his present situation and likely impact on the future. After that the client may still decide not to move ahead which is his conscious call defeating his subconscious calling and may not benefit him in the long run.

The process of awakening shall release the client to a resourceful state as he shall be aware of his values, beliefs and underlying assumptions. This itself is a major breakthrough in the coaching process. This also takes the maximum amount of time. When a person is enlightened he has realized his true self. This can be related to “ Who am I” is the first step towards being an empowered person

Coaching application: Questions to bring about awareness:

What is happening now? How is the affecting you? What is of significance to you? What do you value most?
Tools: Visualization, Perceptual Positioning, Reframing

The Four States of Consciousness

There are four states or levels of consciousnesstwo lower and two higher. Each state is distinct, and there is a huge difference in the amount of awareness and consciousness associated with each one. Man spends most of his life in the two lower levels. The two higher levels are mystical by their very nature and have been written about for thousands of years by saints, prophets, spiritual teachers, and other enlightened men and women.

The lower of the two higher states is where you Awaken. At the highest level of consciousness you become truly Enlightenedyou gain all the knowledge and understanding of the Universe, and you know without a shred of doubt that you are energy, light, infinite, love in its highest, most pure form, Divine. The higher states, Awakening and Enlightenment, are mentioned in all major religions

The First State of Consciousness

The lowest level of consciousness is sleep, which is the state you enter at night when you doze off. In sleep, you are unconscious. Your body will respond to the stimuli of your dreams, but you are still in a passive state of existence. In fact, you are so passive that you often don’t even remember your dreams.

The Second State of Consciousness

Upon waking from sleep, you enter into a slightly higher level of consciousness called waking sleep. This is still a form of sleep because even though you are physically awake, you are not present. When you are not present you are literally sleep walking through life because you can go through the motions of day to day living without engaging your soul, without being present, without being conscious of yourself. Hence, you are living on autopilot. People sometimes have a problem with me telling them they are on autopilot or sleep walking through life. However, it is easy to prove.

Have you ever driven somewhere only to arrive and wonder how you got there because you weren’t really paying attention to your driving? Do you have to think about how to tie your shoes? Or how to put on your clothes? Or ride a bike? All of these acts become automatic once you learn them and do them repetitively. As a result, you can perform them and be totally somewhere else in your mind. This is how you typically live most of your days. You go through the motions, but your mind, your ego, is occupied with other things. Hence, you are in waking sleep.

Just because you are alive and have the ability to perform functions throughout your day doesn’t mean you are conscious. You are only truly conscious when you are in the Present.

The Third State of Consciousness

The next level of consciousness is a higher form of consciousness that occurs when you make the effort to be in the Present, the Eternal Now. This level is referred to as selfconsciousness because you actually observe yourself. You become conscious of your Soul, your Being.