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Before the Coacharya logo became the symbol you see today, it was an idea in the mind of an artist. In 2011, our dear friend and artist extraordinaire Prashant Miranda took on a visionary challenge for Coacharya. Here’s the behind-the-scenes story of his creative process:
During our conversations, an image came to me to help me understand a bit more about the concept of Coacharya. Some of the words that came up while talking to you two were Transformative, Zen, Now, Eternity, Future, CEO, East and West, and Coaching.
There was a definite Zen angle to the whole thing and 2 symbols came to mind.
The circle and infinity.
The Japanese Ensō circle defines enlightenment, elegance, and strength. It is an “expression of the moment”.
The ensō is a circular symbol often referred to as “The Zen Circle“. The word itself simply translates to “circle” in Japanese; however, it embodies one of the defining aspects of Zen Buddhism, no-mind. A state of no mind is where a person is free from thoughts and emotions while being completely present in the now.
The infinity symbol represents eternity.
So I decided to put the 2 elements together…and this is what happened…a rather symbolic figure of a person sitting cross-legged.
The final outcome: Coach + Acharya
Coach noun /kōCH/
Co-creates powerful insights to resolve mind map conflicts of current reality to a powerful future vision
A·cha·ry·a noun /ˌəˈCHärēə/
Walks by the side reflecting spiritual wisdom, communing, mostly in silence, in mindfree awareness
The word ‘Coacharya’ combines the best characteristics of a Coach, one who inspires a client to maximize potential holistically, with that of the Acharya, a Sanskrit word for a guide who walks with the client without judgment.
Coacharya’s vision transcends cultures. We envision the enhancement of executive leadership potential through a transformational coaching process.
Coacharya’s vision blends the inspiring skill of the master coach with the artistry of the non-judgmental guide, Acharya, who walks alongside.
In 2017, Coacharya’s visual brand adopted a corporate tone and the logo was updated in the process to its current version.
The philosophy behind the Coacharya Brand
Coacharya is committed to those willing to discover their best self. Coaching is a transformational journey for all who undertake it. We believe that coaches must be:
- Client and stakeholder-centric, using Carl Rogers’ framework (Unconditional Positive Regard, empathy & congruence)
- Self-aware, emotionally intelligent, respectful of clients of all cultures and backgrounds, respectful of client confidentiality, and non-judgmental.
- Anchored in the ethics of coaching and the mindset of coaches individually and collectively, with an ecosystemic perspective.
Value Systems Driving the Coacharya Brand
- Live Ubuntu: I am because we are. We go further together than we do alone. Collaboration and working towards common goals with accountability to each other is how we achieve our potential.
- We’re All Human First: Before someone is a trainer, a customer, or an employee, they’re all human first. We respect the intrinsic dignity of all people regardless of their background.
- Take Ownership: We take the initiative instead of waiting around, and we go above and beyond to bring our best to the table. We’re honest with each other about the good, the bad, and the ugly.
- Anyone can be a Leader, a Coach, and a Healer: Leadership is a versatile skill set with many applications – from a team leader to a mother to self-leadership – and anybody can be a coach. We welcome people from all walks of life and believe in their potential.
- Think Systemically. Our actions rarely have an isolated impact only on ourselves – they affect all the systems within which we operate, such as our colleagues, peers, family, and society. The best decisions are made when we take into consideration the people around us and the broader implications.
Beliefs that Sustain the Coachrya Brand:
- Spiritual: It is about the other for the other.
- Future-Oriented: Visualizing in the present, to overcome the limitations of the past.
- Learning: Training need not be in steps and can be expanded into the zone of discomforting learning by starting with master-level inputs.
- Ethics: For more than just legal and professional requirements and based on personal integrity at the core
- Transformative: Creates and sustains social transformation through individuals
We see coaching as a creative journey of energetic interaction between coach and client, supported by trust, respect, and equality while being client-centered and client-congruent.
Awareness plays a central role in a coaching journey. Awareness occurs at various levels: physical, emotional, and cognitive. Deepest awareness, however, occurs, beyond these at an energy level, where emotions, thoughts, and sensations disengage. Witnessing without judgment occurs. We call this state a mindless state. True coaching, and as a result transformation, happens at this level.
At Coacharya mindlessness goes beyond the physical, emotional, and cognitive levels. We practice and teach energy-level mindlessness in coaching, by training practitioners at each of the previous levels. We seek mastery.
The unconscious mind no longer has the Freudian negative connotation. The Collective Unconscious of Jung resonates with the concept of Cosmic Consciousness from the East. In the coaching process, master coaches refer to this energy beyond mind-body consciousness in several ways: awareness, insights, presence, transformation, and release from limiting beliefs. Coaching happens when the coach and client commune in consciousness, beyond communication. Coaching works when it transcends into a dance of energy, beyond dialogue when it turns mindless.
Inherently coaching cannot be scaled and sold in boxes. To overcome our scalability limitations, we work with like-minded partners, who we train in our approach, process, model, and methodology.
Want to embody Coacharya’s philosophy? Our coach training programs are designed to empower you. Enroll between December 1st-15th January to avail a 25% discount. For more information or free consultation with a team member, reach out to us at support@coacharya.com.
(This post is a revised and expanded version of our earlier article, Coacharya Logo Creative Process.)
