If you’re like me, you’ve heard people say things like, “For me, swimming laps is my meditation.” Or, “Making art is meditation for me.” Or, “Going for walks is my meditation time.”
I get it. When I used to act or perform comedy, I felt the same way. Going skiing, shooting a bow and arrow at a target, working out, and rock climbing. They all were times when I cleared my head and I was totally in the present moment.
But all of these experiences are meditative, not meditation. They force the mind to be present, but they do not train it to be present after the activity is over. They do not train the mind to see the world as it truly is. Nor does it teach us to live more presently, consciously, intentionally, and peacefully.
Jumping out of an airplane will definitely propel your mind into the present moment. But, this can lead to adrenaline addiction.
Going for a walk may help clear the mind. But, most of your mental activity is actually focusing on balance and not getting hit by car.
True Corporate Mindfulness Programs Teach Mind Training
All of these meditative activities can be beautiful, profound ways to spend our time. They are important and they make life worth living.
But sitting still with eyes closed, focusing on either your breath or a mantra, is the only true form of meditation. This is the mind training that helps us see the world differently long after the meditation is over.
In this meditation, we learn focus and patience. We gain a heightened awareness of our thoughts and our surroundings, calm and peace. We reconnect to the present moment with no desired outcome or achievement. Our still body helps us achieve a still mind.
After learning sitting meditation, there are ways to turn activities such as eating and walking into a meditation. But walking meditation is much different than just going for a normal walk.
Understanding Corporate Mindfulness Programs
Some people think mindfulness is clearing our mind. This is not mindfulness. This is mindlessness.
Mindfulness is becoming fully aware, or mindful, of everything that is happening within us and around us. When we are lost in thought, we have lost our awareness of where we are. When we are present, we are seeing what is happening as it truly is.
Mindfulness is the byproduct of our meditation practice. Continually focus on the present moment, like on your breath or mantra, and you will train our mind to be present.
When we are fully captivated by a movie or exciting activity, we experience presence. But, we have lost awareness of ourselves because the activity is so hyperstimulating.
Corporate Mindfulness Programs Raise Our Awareness
By learning to focus on breathing or mantras with the same level of attention as a movie, our awareness rises. We become aware of our subconscious and unconscious thought patterns and behaviors. We can break free from bad habits. And we can observe negative emotions with equanimity.
As we become more aware of thoughts and feelings, we no longer identify with them. Rather, we can simply observe them come and go. With mindfulness, we understand deeply the impermanent nature of all phenomena and do not get attached to them.
Mindfulness can best be described using the ocean. Our thoughts are like the waves on the surface. Sometimes they can be dark, chaotic, noisy and large. As much as we try, we can’t force the waves to stop or simply ignore them. But, we can expand our awareness to the deep, vast, still, and peaceful quiet underneath the surface. When we do this, the waves on the top don’t seem so large or important. This is mindfulness.
What to Expect in a Corporate Meditation / Mindfulness Program
Corporate meditation programs are any type of meditation instruction for employees and executives. They may be an hour, a half-day, full day, or weekend retreat. It can be daily, weekly, monthly or annually.
During the course of the program, there will be some time for instruction, some time for practice and some time for questions.
The type of meditation will be based on the skill level of the students. Regularly occurring programs may divide workers into skill levels. The teaching can be customized as well based on how advanced workers are.
On the other hand, corporate mindfulness programs typically consist of keynotes, workshops or retreats as well. However, they focus on skills outside of meditation to help workers manage their emotions.
Corporate mindfulness programs help workers relate better to coworkers. And they ensure greater fulfillment and joy in their lives and jobs.
Why a Corporate Mindfulness Program is a Must in a Company
True wisdom and understanding come from two things:
- knowledge
- and experience.
Both are necessary for becoming an expert in anything.
A doctor cannot become a doctor just by reading books. Nor can they just start cutting people open and hoping for the best. They need both knowledge and experience before they can become a doctor.
Meditation is the experience and mindfulness is the knowledge. They must both go together for people to reach their fullest potential. We need to know the why, not just the what, to truly understand and learn about something new.
It’s one thing to be told all things must pass. It’s another to experience it firsthand. Whereas mindfulness is learning the concept, meditation is the experiencing. In meditation, you watch all your thoughts and feelings come and go. You see every impulse and craving, every dislike and discomfort, every sight and sound arise in the mind and fall away. Only then can impermanence be understood on a deep level. You’re not just aware that it’s true. You know it’s true.
Meditation is essential to achieve lasting positive changes. But Mindfulness is equally necessary for understanding how and why it works. It’s vital for people to fully understand on both an intellectual level and an experiential level.
