September 23, 2009 – Dallas Observer – USA

I’d heard about life coaching in recent years, but I’d always wondered what exactly qualifies people to “coach” others on the way they live their lives. Prakash, a man who as a teen worked as a community organizer for Gandhi’s Freedom Movement and did prison time for it, has been married for 45 years and spent decades and multiple graduate degrees developing a unique approach to therapy and coaching that blends Eastern and Western philosophies, struck me as the sort of person who might actually qualify for a title as grandiose as “Life Coach.”

Since getting trained and certified through a company called MentorCoach in 2004, most of Prakash’s clients have been successful professionals interested in improving their work-life balance or advancing to the next level of experience or pay. He’s helped a graphic designer double his income and an insurance agent leave his company to start his own business and taught an investments director how to meditate and relax in order to keep anxiety in check. He teaches all of his patients and clients meditation as part of what he calls the vital “stabilization” phase before delving into emotional issues or ambitious new projects. As a temporary client, I’ve selected meditation and a reasonable sleep schedule as my focus.

As I sink into the leather chair next to his desk, the stress of my morning rush begins to dissipate. Prakash sits down and folds his hands neatly in his lap. “Activity all the time has a price. The mind becomes so strained it doesn’t function well and sleep doesn’t provide the rest it needs,” he tells me in a soothing, accented voice. “Meditation will help you. It relaxes the mind and body and allows you to respond instead of react, to be at the top of your game.” Read story.