In short, meditation is a friendly gesture toward ourselves, in which we take time to sit still for 10–15 minutes or longer.
You can meditate in your office, sitting in your chair. Here are some essential guidelines:
· Sit upright—relaxed, yet alert.
· Open your eyes and maintain a soft, relaxed, downward gaze.
· Place hands palms down, resting gently.
· Tuck in your chin.
· Breathe normally.
· Observe your thoughts gently, without judgment.
· Label your thoughts as “thinking” and dismiss them. Let them go.
· Return your focus to your being, breathing and bodily sensations.
· Be still.
· Experience being you in the moment—in the now.
The Restlessness Experience
At some point in meditation, we experience our mind’s restlessness—a strong desire to be somewhere else, doing other things. You’ll be reminded of matters that need your attention.
When you experience restlessness, you’ll come to realize how you shut down your sense of “here and now”—your own presence in the world as it really exists. It’s easy to become distracted, yet hard to sit and be still with ourselves.
This is when we begin to discover how we interact in the world: by shutting off the here and now, distorting our sense of purpose and missing opportunities to appreciate our true environment. The ensuing anxiety prevents us from being open.
Being You
To become a mindful leader, you must understand the distinction between trying to improve yourself versus experiencing who you already are:
- As a mindful leader, you acknowledge you’re already open (not trying to be more open).
- You acknowledge the wisdom and kindness you hold within (not trying to be more wise or compassionate).
- You don’t strive to achieve a better, improved you. Rather, you meditate to get in touch with who you already are and to discover your basic sanity and true qualities, as they already exist within you. You turn off the inner judge and critic.
Many workplaces are adopting mindfulness meditation:
Companies like Raytheon, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nortel Networks, Comcast and prominent law firms have offered employees classes in mindfulness meditation.
Executives like Bill Ford Jr., chairman of Ford Motor Company; Michael Stephen, former chairman of Aetna International; Robert Shapiro, ex-CEO of Monsanto; and Michael Rennie, managing partner of McKinsey & Co., meditate and consider the practice beneficial to running a corporation.
