Coaching in nature – the benefits to leaders
The term biophilia hypothesis was coined by biologist E.O. Wilson in the 1980s. Wilson argued that humans have an innate tendency and urge to connect with nature and other life forms because we come from nature, we are part of it. However, modern living has alienated many of us from the natural world, from community, from that which is bigger than ourselves. An implicit understanding that we are part of nature is no longer a default position.
Often leaders come to coaching feeling disconnected from self and others. They might feel lost or uncertain of who they are, what matters to them (values) and what their purpose is in life. This can present as a sense of hopelessness, anxiety, feeling not good enough and generally dissatisfied.
Being in nature creates a coaching space that invites experiences that go beyond the immediate and ordinary. When we start paying close attention to the natural world around us, we begin to sense we are not separate but connected to all forms of life.
As we walk and talk in nature, we reacquaint ourselves with our senses, naturally decelerating and transitioning away from the overactive mental state of constant analysis and problem-solving. Instead, we immerse ourselves in immediate experience, igniting a profound connection between body, mind, heart and spirit leading to the discovery of deeper levels of understanding and knowing. This shift unveils novel ideas, insights and possibilities that previously lay dormant.
In this process we come into closer connection with nature. Intuitively we know there is something bigger than ourselves, that transcends the personal and that can’t be fathomed with reason and logic. When we encounter nature and open up to it, we breathe with the trees, with all life around us. Nature profoundly affects us – our pulse, blood pressure – it can make the hair on our skin stand up and bring tears to our eyes.
Coaching outdoors offers a three-dimensional coaching space: the intrapersonal – the inner world of the client (and coach), the interpersonal dimension – the relationship between the coach and the client – and the interconnected, or transpersonal dimension – the relationship between the coach, client, and nature.
My deep belief in, and approach to working with my coaching clients outdoors, comes from my own experience of spending time in nature. From a young age I would spend as much time as possible outdoors roaming around in the woods or playing in the fields. Since childhood I have experienced how different I feel when I come home from being outside. Throughout my life having a close connection with nature has had a hugely positive impact on how I feel in myself and in my relationships with others.
Our intuitive, emotional, somatic and spiritual intelligences are vital as they expand our outlook, offering new perspectives and possibilities. However, in many Western, educated, industrialised, rich, and developed (WEIRD) contexts the rational mind has privilege over other ways of knowing and meaning-making. We seem to distance ourselves, conceptually and practically, from our surroundings, from our fellow humans, and especially from our own selves (cognicentrism).
Iain McGilchrist, a widely respected thinker of our era, has carried out extensive research into the divided brain which is worth mentioning here. He has shown that the left and right brain hemisphere pay attention in fundamentally different ways. The left brain hemisphere pays attention to logic, detail, parts whereas the right brain hemisphere pays attention to the whole. The left brain hemisphere is interested in controlling, linear thinking and in executing things quickly. It doesn’t understand relationships and the larger context. The right brain hemisphere is interested in intuition, emotion and purpose. It understands how we relate to self and others and is able to perceive and experience an interconnected whole.
Nature beckons us to pay attention, to wake up, to listen carefully. It encourages us to look at the world from the right brain hemisphere. When we do, it’s almost impossible not to relax into this wider coaching space, to let ourselves be touched by the natural colours, shapes and forms, and appreciate its beauty with awe and wonder.
Leaders often suffer from a lack of time and space, feeling under pressure and merely reacting to the demands of their responsibilities, the heavy workload and the complexity of organisational life. And time and space is precisely what leaders long for: the experiences that re-connect them with a sense of spaciousness, perspective and possibility. To gain confidence in themselves, in their relationship with others and in their place in the wider fabric of life.
The Attention Restoration Theory (ART) underpins this and offers further understanding on how nature instinctively and effortlessly captivates our attention, acting as a ‘restorative environment’, which the coach and their client can ease into together, open up to and intuitively trust. The coaching process is then held by nature.
According to ART, natural environments can help the brain to focus more efficiently, make decisions, think creatively and process information effectively by restoring directed attention and cognitive capacity – all of which are aspects of high-quality coaching conversations.
Over the years, leaders have told me that coaching in nature allows them to feel more grounded, connected, present, energised, open and curious. The open green space helps them to feel mentally more stimulated by freeing up the mind for new ways of thinking. This is because walking, moving the body, takes us from conceptual into direct sensory awareness – out of the head and into the body. It happens instantly and engages the whole person.
Thanks to the embodied, holistic and interconnected approach of coaching outdoors, I have observed time and time again that leaders experience breakthroughs and ‘aha’ moments much sooner than when being coached indoors or online. In addition, they have experienced increased creativity and come away with novel vs recycled ideas. This is because creativity and the imagination (both crucial for innovation) do not come from the conscious egoic self but from the deeper intelligences of heart, intuition, connectedness and spirit that I mentioned above; from a deeper sense of embodied wisdom and knowing.
“I really enjoyed the outdoor coaching experience and the relaxed dynamic of walking side-by-side, as opposed to facing each other. I’ve been struck by the impact that huge open spaces, compared to small contained ones, has had on my ability to focus and think creatively,” said Anita H, a coaching client.
When coaching in nature with leaders – a park, public gardens, or open countryside – we initially spend some time easing into our connection with nature through our senses. This needs a certain level of awareness and slowing down. We need to pay attention to what’s happening around us, to pause and reflect: what do we see, hear, feel, and smell?
Walking and moving the body, provides freedom and space. Moving is our natural mode.
However, the modern lifestyle has made us unnaturally sedentary impacting negatively on our mental and physical health.
“I find that walking allows me to process the coaching differently than I would if the session was seated indoors. Being in an open space feels both freeing and comforting,” said Sonja K, a coaching client.
Coaching is about change. Many leaders struggle to believe that change is possible because of their conditioned patterns, tendencies and limiting self-views, yet intuitively they know that they want to thrive, grow and develop. Walking in nature throughout the seasons connects us to the changing nature of all things, teaching us that nothing in life is static, fixed or solid. It can be an impactful way of helping leaders to loosen their disbelief in change and to strengthen their confidence in themselves and life.
Perfectionism and imposter syndrome is another issue many leaders struggle with and being in nature and experiencing the imperfect shapes and forms that are inherent in all life can be liberating and also reassuring.
Nature gives the coach and leader a more embodied coaching experience, one that goes beyond the mundane and draws on deeper layers of wisdom and knowing. Emotions, deeper currents of experience, as well as bigger questions about meaning and purpose can be held within a larger coaching field where the coach and leader can walk with the questions and let nature do the coaching.
