A few years ago, before I owned a business, I thought the concept of meditation was a little woo-woo/hippy. I didn’t imagine it being useful in my life. Even as I recommended meditation to an old boss as a way to calm some of the stress he was going through, I didn’t know how powerful it could be – I realise now how naively I suggested it, not truly understanding its transformative abilities!
Once I became a business owner, I finally took my own advice and began incorporating meditation into my own life, as well as my business. It’s become one of my standard business practices as an owner and manager – it’s part of my work week like any other task like email, meetings and making art.
Clearly, I’m not the only one seeing the benefits! Meditation has become more mainstream than ever, even in business. When you think about it, meditation really serves the same purpose as any other business procedure – you’re implementing systems that take care of, and manifest, a better business, a better team, a better life. Who wouldn’t want those things?
More specifically, meditation is a tool in which you take responsibility for your thoughts, and how they manifest the things happening around you. Did you know that your thoughts play a huge role in what happens in your day-to-day life? As a business owner, that includes what happens in your business! Everything you think, you manifest in some way.
Consider this example: when a tragedy occurs and you’re not in the right mindset, that tragedy could easily manifest itself into all parts of your life, and could negatively affect your business if you let it. On the other hand, if a tragedy occurs and you take time to meditate, all of a sudden things will seem clearer, and you’ll be better able to make quick decisions, implement positivity and see the bigger picture without being paralysed by emotions.
So, you’re ready to start a meditation practice but aren’t sure where to begin. Let me tell you, my absolute favourite resource for meditation is Smiling Mind. Not only is it a fantastic app (both mobile and web-based), it’s a wonderful not-for-profit organisation to support, something I happen to love! Smiling Mind offers completely free services to improve people’s lives, and while their programs were designed to appeal to children and young adults, they’re also widely used throughout the corporate and business world, and for good reason!
If you’re a meditation novice, I recommend starting small with just the Mindfulness 101 “are you still breathing” exercise. It takes less than two minutes, so it’s a great introduction to the benefits of meditating. Do this every day for a week, and then move on to the other exercises.
Once you’re in the meditation groove, two minutes will seem like nothing – you’ll soon be on to 5, 6, 7, 8 minutes (or longer) and will crave more! I do my meditation upon first waking up in the morning, sitting on a cushion on the floor near my bed, and it’s the most peaceful time of my day. I can’t think of a better way to awaken.
In summary – I promise the absolute clarity you will feel after meditation is immediate, and even better – it lasts all day. It’s like having a great holiday in which your mind is instantly refreshed and completely clear. Imagine the ways your business, and your life, will thrive when that’s what you experience each and every day!
Have you had luck with meditation? We’d love to hear your comments!
Co-owner of Verve Design, Teegan’s 12+ years of experience in design and marketing, and her love of mindfulness and meditation brings strategy with intention and creativity with purpose.
