Coaching Practiced

Section 9 Mindfulness Introduction

David Tee & Jonathan Passmore

In this section, we explore a series of papers based in the mindfulness tradition written by Jonathan Passmore. In this brief introduction, we will review the nature of mindfulness, its role in coaching and finally review the five papers in this section.

Let us start by exploring what we mean by the term ‘mindfulness’ (PP) and the development of ‘mindfulness coaching’ as a distinctive approach. The term ‘mindfulness’ is derived from a translation of the term “Sati”. Sati combines aspects of “awareness”, “attention” and “remembering”, which are conducted with non-judgement, acceptance, kindness and friendliness to oneself and others. The practice dates back over 2500 years, with a long tradition of debate and discussion about the approach. The popularisation of mindfulness in the West since the 1990s has seen a growth in the academic debate about the nature and boundaries of the practice. Bhikkhu (1998) suggests that, at its most simple, mindfulness can be considered to be “reflective awareness” (p. 47). Michael Chaskalson (2014), a writer and practitioner, suggests mindfulness is “the quality of awareness that comes from paying attention to yourself, others and the world around you” (p. 6). However, possibly the most widely accepted definition has been offered by Jon Kabat-Zinn (1991), who suggests it is a way of paying attention on purpose in the present moment and non-judgementally: “Mindfulness is simply a ...