Yoga and Coaching: Lessons in Growth and Progress

When I tell people I practice yoga regularly, I often get a knowing smile—“Ah, a nice stretch, a bit of ‘me time’, an hour to relax.”

And when I say I’m a coach, I often get a similar reaction—“That must be lovely, just chatting and helping people feel better.”

But both yoga and coaching are often misunderstood.

They’re not just feel-good practices. They are disciplines—deep, sometimes uncomfortable, often challenging. They’re about progress, not perfection. They’re about growth, not escape.

What yoga has taught me about development and coaching:

Yoga has been one of my greatest teachers—not just for physical wellbeing, but for how I show up in my work, in coaching conversations, and in life.

It’s helped me to understand:

• Progress over perfection – Some days I notice my body moves easily, others I’m stiff and distracted. That doesn’t mean I’ve failed. It means I’m human. The same applies in coaching and our own development —growth is rarely linear and we bring different energy and capabilities at different times
• Your best one day might not be your best another – And that’s okay. What matters is showing up. In coaching, too, some sessions feel like breakthroughs, others feel like laying groundwork. Both are necessary.
• Listen to your body (and your instincts) – In yoga, ignoring signals leads to injury. In life and leadership, ignoring the signs of burnout or misalignment leads to damage too. Self-awareness is a skill we practice, not a switch we flick.
• Discomfort isn’t always a sign to stop – In yoga, the heat in a pose is part of the change. In coaching, the stretch in your thinking—the discomfort of a hard truth or a limiting belief surfacing—is where transformation begins.

It’s a practice, not a performance.

Yoga isn’t about how deep the stretch is or how it looks. Coaching isn’t about having all the answers. Both are about being in the moment, staying curious, and doing the work—even when it’s hard or humbling.

Like yoga, coaching can release things you weren’t expecting. Sometimes that brings clarity or energy. Other times it brings discomfort or emotion. But the real work isn’t in the one-hour session—it’s in what you take back into your day, your work, your relationships. It’s what you do with what you’ve learned.

Coaching and yoga have taught me the same truth: it’s not about the mat, or the session. It’s about life.

You don’t just show up, feel better, and move on. You stretch, reflect, get stronger, face challenge, and carry that awareness into everything else you do.

Whether it’s your yoga practice, leadership, your career, a hobby you are trying to master, or your personal growth—don’t underestimate the power of consistent practice. Not because it’s easy. But because it works.