The Value
of Meditation in Busness
BY WANDA MARIE THIBODEAUX
M
editation long has
been accepted as
having benefits on
a personal level,
but it also has a
very logical place in
modern business. Once you know just
how advantageous it can be to your
corporation, you’ll likely want everyone
on your payroll to participate.
Just what is meditation, anyway?
Meditation, as people usually define
it, is simply the act of spending
some time reflecting. An alternate
definition is an expression of thought-that is, sharing your observations,
opinions or information, especially
with the purpose of getting others to
contemplate. Activities such as taking
a walk, relaxing in a bath, or listening
to your favorite music can facilitate the
meditative process, but they are not
meditation itself. This is an important
distinction, because some business
professionals reject meditation based
on the belief there is a particular way
to go about it that’s not practical or
affordable.
How can meditation help your
company?
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CLARITY MAGAZINE march 2014
When you or your workers meditate, you
force yourself to slow down, to really
look at problems or situations from
more than one angle. Subsequently,
you don’t act impulsively and make
decisions that will come back to haunt
your business down the road. You
can feel more confident in whatever
you decide because you know you’ve
thought everything through.
Meditation is also known to heighten
your awareness of the world. You might
notice things you’d otherwise miss as
you focus on what you’re feeling and
sensing. Many people find that this
gives them an entirely new perspective
or sense of clarity that heavily influences
the decisions they make, both on the
job and at home.
With meditation requiring some degree
of pause and letting you view things in
different ways, conflict typically goes
down. You will not waste precious
business time or other resources trying
to stop squabbles. The reduction in
conflict also strengthens your team
overall, letting them work toward
greater innovation and efficiency.
Many business leaders find that, when
they meditate, productivity ends up
increasing. The boost happens largely
because meditation promotes focus
and better concentration. You learn how
to direct your thoughts toward specific
areas for a longer period of time without
getting distracted. The effect on profit
margins is usually positive.
Part of meditation is an intentional
concentration on the breath and
the
physical
sensations
you’re
experiencing. Simply slowing down
your inhalations and exhalations and
acknowledging what you’re feeling
keeps you more grounded and in the
moment so your body doesn’t release
as many stress hormones. Controlling
stress in this way can have a dramatic
influence on elements such as your
heart rate, blood pressure and even
muscle control, leaving you in a much
better physical position to cope with
business troubles. It can be incredibly
helpful when you face tough business
situations such as a big presentation,
critical meeting or other circumstances
such as layoffs.
Considering that stress can cause a
host of physical problems, meditation
plays a role in keeping workers healthy
overall. You might notice that you or
your employees are less fatigued, don’t