Tat Tvam Asi: Explorative journey into the coaching journey from within

In Sanskrit ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ translates to ‘Though Art That’ or ‘You Are that’.

The Amazing history of India can seldom be completed without the rich cultural nuances that she has embodied past centuries. Languages, religion, food, stories, have all contributed to this history and it has given birth to multiple great civilisations, the oldest one being the Harrapan civilisation while the last one being the Mughal Dynasty. In this vastness of culture great importance have been levied on art and literature. Much of India’s rich literature touches upon the inward journey inoculated within its literary and academic accomplishments. That journey of the mind to seek answers to questions is ever prevalent.
Tat Tvam Asi, originally written in Sanskrit was first referenced in the Chandogya Upanishad. This is one of the founding books of Hinduism. It draws on the fact that the creator and the soul are one. Our topic is on the journey of coaching. The journey that starts with defining the Topic or the goal that one needs to find the answer to… that Topic is our objective.
What does Tat Tvam Asi, a Sanskrit note have to do with coaching one may ask?

The Coaching journey is referred to as – a deep journey that starts from within. Coaches, being seeker themselves, ask relevant questions to the coachee through a process, leading towards better defining the topic and isolate the process to move forward towards one’s goal in each session. Each journey and each session takes one step closer to finding a deeper meaning to our goals and how to achieve them. The answers to these topics and the means to achieve them actually lie within the coachee. Enabling that intense dialog with oneself is the ‘core’ of the coaching conversation.

Coaching transcends into multiple levels of intellect, from being aware of a situation to its solution while understanding how one feels about them, for e.g. coping with change, to loss of productivity led by multiple devices, to dealing with grief. Coaching is a powerful process as it touches upon the core values and systems of our intellect. It is this process that drives the journey just as much as the text ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ does.

‘The process to understand the self through the process of questioning’!

Tat Tvam Asi – Thou Art That, is an inward journey. A more literal translation would be,’ you are who/what you Believe You Are’. The dilemmas and their solutions in life lie within us. The remarkable aspect of coaching and that of a Sanskrit inscription is – the process of powerful questioning. The Coach, Listens Actively, creates an open environment and allows the individual to define what the objectives are, why they are important, how to reach it and how to determine the end result of seeking the answer. This powerful questioning process enables the coachee to understand the true meaning of who they are, how to define the right goals for themselves and how to meet them.

Name : Mithun Kannan
Topic: TAT TVAM ASI – Explorative journey into the coaching journey from within oneself. About the Author: Mithun has a rich background in the media and entertainment space, specifically in the confluence of technology and entertainment. He also writes on reflective topics on deeper meaning to everyday goals.
Program Attended: ICF Coach Certification Program Level 1.
Reason for taking the program: A deep desire to enable change in people’s life.
What worked for you: A powerful space was provided for learning and growing as an individual.

What benefits you achieved: Knowledge, and a true sense of what really matters in the myriad world that we live in. A process to seek out our goals and to introspect to the core reason for those objectives.