Meditation Practiced Over Time will Sustain You at Work and Help You Thrive in Life

Clients and friends ask me about my meditation practice on a regular basis. Sometimes they ask me to help them meditate so they function better at work. I have committed my work to helping people create a life in which they are happy, content, joyful, successful, and filled with love.?However, I have been reluctant to share too much about meditation even though I’ve meditated for over 20 years and believe it to be a foundational life tool. To be honest, my own practice has had many ups and downs and it has been a deeply personal learning journey never mind the fact that I am not formally trained to teach people how to meditate so I wasn't sure I had much to share that would be helpful.

After reading an article written by Jaime Ledesma called Here’s How You Can Share Your Mindfulness Practice (Without Teaching It), I was inspired to write this piece. One particular line in the article stood out to me:?“It’s a small yet monumental call to take something deeply personal and?offer it back to the world.” I felt the truth in this quote, and it gave me the courage to write this article. Below I write about some of the benefits of meditation. I then share tips I have learned along the way to help me deepen and stay committed to my meditation practice. My meditation has supported me through very challenging work and life situations over the years.?I hope these tips are helpful and that they spark your own ideas to develop and sustain a disciplined meditation practice to support you at work and in life. ?? ??

WHAT IS MEDITATION AND WHY DO IT

Meditation is a tool that helps us be more mindful or aware of what is happening on the outside and inside of us in each moment. Meditation leaders including Thich Nhat Hanh, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Tara Brach, Ellen Langer, Rhonda McGee and many others define and talk about mindfulness in slightly different ways but moment to moment awareness is at the heart of it.

Meditation teaches us to be present – for ourselves and others. It helps us experience our true nature. It helps us to engage more genuinely with others. It creates an internal silence and stillness that is needed for us to hear the quiet call of life trying to speak through us inviting us to be an instrument of change for the greater good.

When we meditate, we practice letting go of thoughts, feelings, sensations – about the past and future, self and others, or anything else our minds erroneously conjure up to make us feel separate, like we don’t belong, that we are not enough, or that we are too much. In the present moment, we find ourselves, infinite possibilities, and unlimited creativity. Here, we also, and most importantly, experience joy and love from the inside out. A joy and love like no other. I find it to be both vulnerable and powerful to live from this place.

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

Meditation offers significant health benefits (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual). For additional information take a look at the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction work of Jon Kabat Zinn and the research of professor Richard Davidson.

Meditation, done consistently and over time, makes us better leaders.?It builds emotional intelligence; emotionally intelligent individuals are more successful at work than their equally skilled but less emotionally intelligent counterparts.?It helps us effectively manage the build-up of chronic daily stress allowing us to be more in tune with ourselves and others. This resonance, in turn, helps us to be more effective leaders. It also helps us to feel renewed and rejuvenated. For additional information please read the work of Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee.

In his book, The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle writes that meditation slows the aging process. He indicates that as we become more present, our bodies become “lighter, clearer, more alive” (pg, 123). Meditation changes the molecular structure of the body making it less dense. A less dense body has enhanced capacity to renew itself; this results in a slowing down of the aging process.?In his gentle yet direct style, Tolle encourages us to test this out for ourselves. I see it at work in those who are disciplined meditators. ????????

Given these benefits, a meditation practice is a worthy endeavor. Below I share my tips for developing a meditation practice.?These tips are based on what I have learned from my teachers and my own personal experience over 20 years.

MEDITATION TIPS

1.?????Make Meditation Part of Your Daily Routine. ?Determine that you will make meditation part of your daily routine. It is good to meditate in the early morning while the world is quiet, silent, and still.?This helps to facilitate an easier meditation. Put it on your calendar as a recurring appointment. If morning doesn’t work for you, choose a different time.?Make decisions about your practice based on what works best for you, your lifestyle, and your level of experience.

2.?????Start Small. Determine the amount of time you will meditate.?If you are new to meditation, 2-5 minutes is sufficient. A short practice will still provide benefits.?If you have more experience, you may want to meditate more time – 10-20 minutes or as much as 50 minutes is good. Please note, though, that the actual meditation time is best when it is an element of a larger practice.?See tips four and eight below.?

3.?????Have a dedicated Space to Practice. If possible, meditate in the same place every day. Over time, your body remembers this place; this body memory helps you meditate more easily.?

4.?????Prep Before You Meditate. Determine what you will do before you meditate.?You might want to prepare a cup of tea or coffee, read an excerpt from a favorite inspirational book, do a few yoga poses, write down what you are grateful for, etc. This prep work helps you settle into meditation. Try not to engage in activities that activate your mind.?Meditation is intended to quiet your mind. Five to 10 minutes of prep is sufficient, but you decide what works best for you.

5.?????Sit Comfortably. It is best to sit in a comfortable position rather than lay down for meditation.?However, if a seated position causes you pain, you will meditate primarily on your pain.?Your mind will become agitated instead of quiet. I’d like to offer tips to avoid pain.

Sit with an long spine and a soft body. If seated in a chair, the tops of your legs should be parallel to the floor.?Depending on your height, you may need a blanket or other support under your feet (short) or seat (tall).?It is a good idea to have a blanket or pillow behind your heart.?A folding chair is perfect for meditation.?

If you are sitting on the floor, you should also be well supported.?Your thighs should be parallel to the floor and your knees should not be higher than your hips. If this is so, sit on one or more blankets or pillows with structure. You may need several blankets. Your knees should be in line with each other. It is helpful to have support under your knees but not so much support that it pushes your knees up.?When your knees are supported, your legs can soften even more.?Place a pillow or blanket under your tailbone (lean forward slightly and slide the support just under your tailbone). This support elongates your spine and allows your body to soften even more.?

6.?????Set a Timer. Once you are seated, set a timer for the length of time you want to meditate. This helps keep your mind from focusing on how long you are sitting and how much time is left. Sit quietly, in silence, and without moving until the timer goes off. If you need to move during your meditation, it is ok. Sitting still takes practice and is not always possible.?

7.?????Know That Thoughts Will Emerge.?When thoughts emerge during your meditation, imagine placing them in a cloud floating by. You may have to do this throughout the entire meditation.?It is ok and will improve over time. This is what you are learning to do during meditation – experience yourself as something more than your thoughts. If you use a mantra (a word or phrase that you repeat), please feel free to do that. A mantra gives your mind something to focus on so you can experience your true self. If you don’t have a mantra, consider repeating the mantra “I am.” Repeat “I” on the inhale and “am” on the exhale. Make up a mantra if that works for you.??

8.?????Journal About Your Meditation. Once the timer goes off, take time as you open your eyes to notice what, if anything, is different after your meditation. How do you see and experience yourself and your surroundings? Is this different than prior to your meditation. Take a few notes to document your meditation experience. Over time, you may see patterns and have insights about your meditation or life in general.?

9.?????Practice Self-Compassion. Be kind to yourself. Meditation is not easy for most people. The quality of the meditation is less important than your commitment to the meditation practice. Your practice is uniquely yours; it will change over time. No two meditation practices look alike. Be curious about your practice. Embrace your practice. Let it be your teacher. ?

10.?Begin Again. Tomorrow. Approach your practice with a beginner’s mind.?Tomorrow is another day and an opportunity to “Begin Again.”?It is best if you don’t expect perfection. You will likely experience ups and downs with your practice.?With this perspective, you may be less disappointed or hard on yourself. Don’t expect today’s practice to be like yesterday or hope that it will be better tomorrow. Your practice will be different from day to day. Tell yourself to “begin again” if it helps.???

11.?Seek Meditation Support. If you feel like your practice is stuck, reach out for support from a meditation teacher or a friend who meditates. When I have been stuck with my practice (e.g., I can’t sit still, I can’t quiet my mind), I reach out to a teacher to help me troubleshoot. My teachers help me see what is getting in my way and they help me identify strategies to renew my practice. ?

12.?Assess Your Progress.?At regular intervals, review your journal notes and reflect on successes and challenges.?How can you build on your successes? Given your challenges, what can you do to support your practice? ?Over time, you will build a strong foundation for meditation and your work and life will unfold in ways that are aligned with your highest, best self.?You will experience more happiness, joy, synchronicities, and peace. Meditation is a lifestyle; it has the potential to show you the unfolding of your unique life if you allow it??.???

CONCLUSION

Meditation helps us be aware and present in the moment. It helps improve our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. It helps us manage chronic daily stress, it enhances our creativity, it helps us be better leaders at work, and it helps us thrive in a world that can feel overwhelming and worrisome.?With these benefits and more, it makes sense to prioritize meditation. There are many easy strategies you can try to help you have the best meditation practice possible. Try one or more of them, try them all, or create your own. You will learn as you go what works best for you.

CAN YOU HELP OTHERS

What have you learned about meditation from your practice? How has it improved your work and life? What are your meditation tips??Please comment below.?If you prefer to reach out directly, you can email me at?[email protected].?

Kris Risley | https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/krisrisley/ | www.krisrisley.com