Coaching = Refuge + Safety

As both a career coach and yoga teacher, I’m often amazed at how insights from one practice will inform and enrich the other. 

In career coaching and yoga, we enter a transformational space. This concept is beautifully illustrated in Stephen Cope’s book, “Yoga and the Quest for the True Self.” Cope describes “transformational spaces” as environments we seek out during pivotal times in our lives when we feel a deep internal urge to grow and change. 

According to Cope, transformational spaces include: 

A Quality of Refuge: It’s OK to be a beginner and not have all the answers. In these spaces, vulnerabilities are often exposed, and you are accepted just as you are. 

Safety Through Constancy: A coach or teacher provides a reliable, constant presence, offering consistent support and guidance. They will not abandon you. 

As a coachee and yoga student myself, I benefit from these transformational spaces regularly. I deeply appreciate those who create a safe container for my process, which can feel incredibly vulnerable at times. 

And as a career coach and yoga teacher, I consider it an honor and privilege to hold space for others in a similar way. 

Where else do you encounter transformational spaces in your life?