Martin Feaver is one of the coaches that we found and we did a little interview with him. He impressed us with his approach to coaching, instead of fixing “the issue” he helps you see that you were already good enough to begin with. Here is what he said.

Meet Life Coach Martin Feaver:

Name: Martin Feaver
Pillar: The Mind
Who is this coach for: Men who want to be free of limiting labels and live life on their terms.
How they can help: Through a mix of talking therapy and physical theory.

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these Pandemic times?

Like others, the pandemic has been a mixed experience.

It has given me the opportunity to pause and reflect on how I was spending my time and where my focus was in my professional and personal life and how I want to take my life and business forwards.

I’m emerging with an awareness that what I offer is needed more now than ever.

How does the coronavirus pandemic affect your clients? Did it affect you at all?

Prior to the pandemic all my work was physically face to face. This meant I didn’t have any clients initially and claimed government support.

I felt I wanted to do something to help both my clients and people generally feel supported during our strict first lockdown and ran a free daily online 20 minute community coaching group. It was for 14 weeks and each day of the week had a specific theme.

The theme mattered; the connection more so. As I became more comfortable using virtual meetings I developed virtual catch up sessions with my clients to give them the opportunity talk with someone beyond their household.

If they lived alone this was even more important. These were not client coaching sessions since one of the conditions of the government support was to receive not I was not allowed to do my regular paid work.

I now offer online coaching sessions.

What are the biggest lessons that you learned in this pandemic?

That life is finite and life happens when you are planning for it.

Plans are possible outcomes and that when they don’t happen be flexible and go with the flow rather than push water uphill with a fork!

The Origin:

Tell us about you, your career, how you started with your coaching career?

When I started coaching it didn’t actually exist as it does now. There were no ‘coaching qualifications’ and my pathway to becoming a mind and body coach evolved.

I was a physical education teacher with a masters in Human Movement, had completed a dissertation in Physical Activity and Mental Well Being and was passionate about the physical AND mental benefits of moving the body.

I left the profession and set up my own business as a personal trainer, before there were personal trainers! I noticed there were gaps in my learning and skills to help my clients achieve their goals and set about broadening and deepening my knowledge.

Over the years my interest and knowledge and experience in the power of the mind and body connection is offered to my clients today through MASC, Men and Somatic Connection.

What was your biggest obstacle that you had to overcome in your life that made you who you are today?

Trusting myself.

The Coaching Style:

How do you innovate with coaching your clients?

Firstly I have a maximum of 10 clients on my books at a time. This means I can focus on them and not spread myself too thinly.

My clients also have to meet particular criteria to work with me. This saves them and me time, lets me know if they are ready to make changes and if they will benefit from working with me. These are the 5 fundamentals:

1. Change is Your Choice.

Regular coaching implies you are lacking and there is a mythical ‘better’ version of yourself that you ought to aim to be. This comparison is the thief of your joy. MASC Training challenges this and believes you are good enough now even if you don’t quite believe it. Every decision and choice you have ever made has got you to where you are today. That’s to be celebrated. You made it. You survived. Where you go from here is over to you.

2. Feeling Safe You Thrive.

Feeling safe to explore and discover you and your life is a fundamental element of every MASC Training experience.

You live your life according to how safe, or unsafe, you feel. Your brain is continually asking how safe am I now and how safe will I be in the future?

Your perception and prediction of your physical and mental safety rather than reality dictates your focus, choices, energy, habits, movement… absolutely everything in your life. It is determined by your experiences every day and throughout your life.

When you feel safe enough mentally, physically and emotionally your body and mind relaxes and you become aware of possibilities and opportunities instead of threats. You have the potential to thrive and perform at your best in every area of your life. Even the way you move improves!

3. The Mind and Body Connection.

Most people are stuck living in their head. They have a six lane motorway to their body and a cycle path back to their head.

You live and experience your life through your body and mind and you store those experiences and their impacts and outcomes in your body and mind. This interrelationship is the mind body connection.

Developing your awareness of the mind body connection with specific talking and physical interventions, MASC Training helps you release impacts and outcomes that no longer serve you and discover new mental and physical patterns that do.

You are mind AND body so train your mind and body!

4. Keeping the Chain Going.

Habits are our physical, mental and emotional patterns.

They keep the chain going and are the way we create, experience and negotiate our lives. Most we perform automatically, without thinking. Some we want. Others, well, we’d rather do without.

Repetition and consistency changes your mind and body’s wiring and brings results. Results keep you motivated and on track.

MASC Training contains practical tools and processes that empower you to ditch habits that no longer serve you and create and use habits to make changes happen in your life.

5. Put Your Own Oxygen Mask on First.

You are the most important person in your life.

That doesn’t mean no one else matters. Looking after yourself first is taking care of your own needs so you have the energy, kindness, love and focus to be there for others resentment free.

Recognizing it can be tough getting used to putting your own oxygen mask on first, MASC Training supports you to make sure it fits and works.

What’s unique about your coaching approach?

I use both talking therapy and physical theory.

Head down and body up! We hold issues in our tissues and our heads.

What benefits do your clients get after working with you?

They have faith and trust in themselves.

Do you use any specific tools to be efficient with your clients?

I employ people to do the tasks I am not trained in or don’t want to do.

The Impact:

If you had a super megaphone that, when you speak into, the whole world will hear your message, what would you say?

What other people think of you is none of your business. Be you.

What is the greatest lesson you have learned in your life?

I am good enough and always have been.

Your final thoughts?

There is no wrong or right way. I kept searching for THE answer. There isn’t one. There never was.

Where Can You Find Martin Feaver?

If you want to learn more about his philosophy and coaching you can visit the official website at https://www.martinfeaver.com/.

You can watch his video here and discover more about what he means when he says mind and body connection.

If you want to contact him you can do that via his contact form on his website or on his LinkedIn account here. It was an honor having this interview with him.