Being before doing: Mehrnoush Roudaki's ontological approach

Mehrnoush Roudaki is often described as a physiotherapist, a health coach or a course leader. All three are true. But the thread that runs through her work is a single idea: change who you are being, and what you do changes with it. That is what an ontological approach means. This article explains where it comes from in her own studies, what the word actually means, how it works in a consultation, and why it tends to last longer than a plan alone.

Her studies: two schools of training

Her work rests on two kinds of training.

1. The body: physiotherapy. Mehrnoush is a staatlich geprüfte Physiotherapeutin, a state-certified physiotherapist in Germany. That qualification takes years of full-time training in anatomy, physiology, pathology, movement therapy and manual techniques, and ends with a state examination. On top of it she added:

• a licence as a back-school instructor (Rückenschule), teaching people to protect and strengthen the spine in daily life
• a specialisation in health problems caused by office and computer work
• further training in foot reflexology, lymphatic drainage and sports medicine
• device-supported physiotherapy (KGG) and certification as a Power Plate trainer
• nutrition change and wellness coaching

From 2007 to 2015 she ran her own centre in Frankfurt am Main. Many of her clients were bankers and executives from the financial district: people whose backs, necks and nervous systems carried the weight of long days at a desk. Her approach there was simple: start with a thorough physiotherapy assessment, then build a programme for movement, fitness and nutrition around the person rather than a template.

2. The person: ontological education. In the same years, from 2007 to 2015, Mehrnoush took Landmark courses in several countries. Landmark's programmes are built on an ontological model of personal change. She went on to describe herself as trained in "ontological science", and in 2014 she co-founded the course Love, Money & Success (read more in our article on LMS).

The two halves fit. Physiotherapy taught her that the body keeps score of how we live. Ontological work taught her that the way we live follows from who we take ourselves to be.

What "ontological" actually means

Ontology comes from the Greek ontos (being) and logos (study, word). In philosophy it is the study of what it means to be.

In coaching, an ontological approach looks at the way of being behind your actions and does not stop at the actions themselves. The model is often drawn like this:

Being → Actions → Results

Most programmes work on the middle step: eat this, do these exercises, sleep at this time. When the results don't come, we try harder or try a different plan. An ontological approach goes one step back and asks: what kind of observer am I being, such that this plan feels impossible, boring or "not for me"?

Ontological coaching describes "being" in three connected domains:

• Language: the stories and judgements we live inside. "I'm just not sporty." "My back has always been bad." "People like me don't have time for themselves." These are not neutral descriptions. They decide in advance what is possible.
• Emotion and mood: the background mood we live in, such as resignation, anxiety, impatience or ambition. A mood quietly sets which actions even occur to us.
• Body: posture, breathing, tension and the way we move. A collapsed posture and a shallow breath go together with resignation. An open stance goes together with confidence. The body is not just a vehicle for the mind. It is part of who we are being.

These three domains are always linked. Change one and the others move too.

How it works in a consultation

A session with Mehrnoush follows a clear rhythm, whether online or in person.

1. Assessment, in the body and in the story. As in her Frankfurt practice, she starts with a careful look at the body: posture, mobility, tension patterns and habits. At the same time she listens to how you describe your situation. The words you use are data too.
2. Making the observer visible. Together you notice the background assertions ("I always fail at diets") and the mood ("what's the point?") behind the problem. Just seeing them often loosens their grip.
3. Working through the body. Because body, mood and language are connected, she often starts with the body: breath, alignment, a few precise exercises. Standing differently is a quick way to feel differently, and feeling differently makes new thoughts available.
4. New language, new commitments. Instead of vague intentions ("I should move more"), you make clear, small promises: what, when, and with whom. In ontological terms these are declarations and commitments, and they change what you will actually do tomorrow.
5. Presence in daily life. Small rituals keep you present: a morning check-in with your body, a glass of water before breakfast, a pause before reacting. Mehrnoush practises these herself every day.
6. Review and adjust. Each follow-up looks at results and at being: what shifted in your body, your mood and your story.

Why this approach works

No method works for everyone, and an honest coach says so. But there are good reasons why working on being tends to outlast working on doing alone:

• Habits follow identity. People keep doing what fits who they believe they are. A new routine that contradicts your self-image ("I'm lazy") wears out quickly. When the self-image shifts, the routine has somewhere to live.
• Body and mind are one system. Stress shows up as muscle tension, shallow breathing and pain, and pain feeds stress and low mood. A physiotherapist sees this loop every day. Working on posture and breath while working on mood and meaning breaks the loop from both sides.
• Language creates commitments. A clear promise made to another person is far more likely to be kept than a private intention. Ontological coaching uses language deliberately to turn wishes into commitments.
• It works on the cause, not just the symptom. A plan treats the symptom ("not enough exercise"). The ontological question looks at the cause ("why does exercise never fit into my life?").
• It is personal. Two people with the same back pain can be living in completely different stories and moods. An ontological approach meets each one where they really are, which is what the golden ratio means in this work: the proportion that is yours.

What it is, and what it isn't

This approach is coaching and physiotherapy-based guidance for health, movement and well-being. It does not replace a medical diagnosis or treatment. If you have acute symptoms or a medical condition, please see your doctor. Many clients find that the two work well together.

Where to begin

The first step is a conversation. In an online consultation you look together at where you stand today, in your body, your language and your mood, and find the next step that truly fits you.

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