Many execs and entrepreneurs are so “go-go-go” that they have trouble stopping long enough to receive the benefits of a meditation practice. What would be a good starting point?
I have to admit in that of the eighteen spokes of my Well-Being Wheel,this spoke is the one that I had and still have the most trouble with! Ugh!
Part of the issue is that the energy in my body, when I am awake, is veryalive, alert and on the move. Can you relate? My soul’s on fire! It’s difficult for me to pause midday and calm myself, sitting upright in a chair and focusing on my breathing. (That would be referred to as a traditional “sitting meditation.”)
A second issue is that our “power-on” culture teaches us that high performance means DOING things rather than BEING.
I have found a meditation practice that honors my vibrant self, my high energy, AND allows me to invite in the calmness. In that calmness comes clarity and this has invited (most unexpectedly) some of my most inspired career ideas.
It’s called a “gazing meditation.” Loosely based on a Tibetan technique called “sky gazing,” it’s a way of connecting your gaze with the natural world. Sit somewhere where you can look at something stationary in the natural world- a tree, a plant, the grass, etc.
I simply head to my backyard sanctuary, where I feel most at home in the world, sit comfortably in one of the ironwork rocking chairs, and stare at my hummingbird feeder, where there are always dodging, brilliant hummers, my spirit animal. I breathe deeply, notice their beauty, and just feel the power in the stopping. This appeals to me because I am a very visual person, and have a “task” at hand- to notice the beauty and to invite calm.
As I cultivate this meditative awareness, and really try to empty my mind, quite brilliant things have literally “drifted by”- such as the title for my upcoming book, an executive that would be truly inspiring to interview, a new way of explaining something to a wealth management client, or a funny example for an upcoming keynote speech.
There are dozens of meditation techniques, and my guess is that one is a perfect match for who you are as a person. I love this article about 8 highly successful CEOs and entrepreneurs and which meditation techniques they love–it’s filled with ideas for you.
Quote I love: “And I say to my heart: Rave on.”- Mary Oliver, Thirst, Pulitzer Prize winning poet
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!
