Meditation in business

Recent studies have shown that work related stress is widespread in the UK

and accounts for over 13 million lost working days every year. Almost 1 in 7

people claim they find their work extremely stressful and 80% of all G.P. visits

are stress related.

The definition of stress is a physical, mental, or emotional response to events

that causes bodily or mental tension. Therefore, stress is a mentally

originating phenomenon, which will also have an effect upon the physical

body and can manifest in many forms such as: Tension, frustration, anger,

weakened immunity, ill health, and poor concentration.

According to 2010/2011 HSE statistics, 34.7% of all work related illness is

stress related and 1 in 6 people claim their work is either very or extremely

stressful.

Prolonged exposure to stress will inevitably have an adverse effect upon the

immune system. A fully functional immune system may only be minimally

affected by stress. However, major stress events such as; a death in the

family, change of job, redundancy, or moving house, can severely

compromise immunity, and an already weakened immune system can be

further damaged by even small causes of stress.

Therefore, some form of intervention is required that will empower employees

to manage stress effectively. There are many stress management programs

in place, but the most effective is when the individual takes personal

responsibility and meditation can provide the necessary tools to manage

stress successfully.

Meditation is an ancient practice dating back many thousands of years. It is a

method by which we look internally, rather than externally, for the causes of

our well-being and happiness. Most of our lives are spent dwelling in the past

or anticipating the future and rarely do we focus our full attention in the

present. We search outside for the things that we think will bring us happiness

and contentment, but inevitably if we are unhappy within ourselves, then

nothing external will provide us with any long lasting satisfaction. We must

therefore look for methods that will develop our sense of inner peace and

calm. This in turn allows a more rational behavioral response that leads to

intelligent decision-making and simultaneously, allows us to enjoy life to the

full. By recognising the habitual patterns that give rise to negative emotions it

is possible to tame the mind over a time thereby changing our usual ‘roller-

coaster’ emotional responses to stressful situations.

Scientific research has shown that a daily meditation practice can increase

blood flow to the brain and this increases muscle relaxation and decreases

the output of stress hormones such as cortisol. The psychological effects of

meditation reinforce how mind and body affects each other, and many

scientists have begun to study the medicinal effects of meditation, specifically

in reducing stress-related ailments.

The new scientific field of Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) has given credibility

to the relationship between stress and its physiological effects on the body.

Scientists in this growing field have discovered that stress modulates the

activities of the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems.

Meditation directly opposes the "fight-or-flight" mechanism that is directly

related to stress and meditation techniques are now being implemented by

the medical profession to enable patients to reduce stress and promote self-

control and positive well-being.

Implementing a meditation practice in business can show employees how to

meditate using simple techniques that can be used by anyone. Many think of

meditation as a formal practice involving sitting in a lotus position, or removing

themselves from society and living in a cave, but this is not necessarily the

case. Meditation is simply mindfulness or being aware. The mind is always

active and never switches off and even in sleep we dream. The mind is filled

with millions of thoughts every day, most of which do not seem to be under

our direct control and very often lead to actions that we regret. For example, if

when we awoke we were to say to the mind, ‘today I shall be calm, collected

and patient. I will not get angry or frustrated, and I will be in a positive state of

mind.’ Usually within a very short period we encounter difficulties or conflict

and this motivation disappears leaving us tense and frustrated. The mind

does not bend easily to our will and like the body, requires exercise to

become pliable.

Patterns of behaviour develop habits that are firmly implanted into our

subconsciousness. As soon as we encounter a familiar situation, our habitual

responses start almost automatically. Take for example, smoking. Most

smokers will not even be aware that they reach for a cigarette; it becomes a

mindless action reinforced by repetition. Once a smoker decides to quit as a

conscious mental act, then new habits form and the addiction can be

overcome.

Much like all habits, repetition reinforces the habituation making it difficult to

break. This applies to all forms of thinking; even people who become stressed

by work develop the “stressful” habit. There have been many occasions when

people who are depressed claim that they are strangely content in their

familiar depressed state. Becoming angry or frustrated can develop into a

‘normal’ response for many people. As the episodes of anger and frustration

becomes more frequent, so the habit becomes stronger until it is almost the

normal response.

We therefore need to develop positive responses instead of negative ones.

Our senses provide an amazing amount of information to our conscious and

subconscious mind, and we interpret this sensory input according to our own

perspective. This results in emotional responses that will trigger our actions. If

our emotional response is negative then ultimately our action will not have a

positive outcome. What comes in must go out. A negative action will inevitably

result in a negative outcome. Similarly a positive action will lead to a positive

outcome. Athletes excel in this approach and often meditate and use

visualisation techniques before competing in events.

The good news is that negative habits are not fixed forever in our minds and

through the practice of meditation they can change. Much as the body can

lose weight, or develop muscles through exercise, so the mind can change

through specific practice. Meditation slows down the thought processes and

allows spaces between the thoughts themselves; this in turn allows us to “act”

rather than “react.”

A calm and spacious mind can think beyond habituation and make considered

responses to situations, this in turn reduces frustration and stress and allows

for a more relaxed state of mind. The meditation techniques are not difficult to

learn and can have very beneficial effects, reducing stress, improving

concentration, and focus and reducing blood pressure, which in turn reduces

the risk of heart disease. Some studies have even shown that regular

meditation reduces blood cholesterol levels.

The benefits of meditation include:

• Greater Orderliness of Brain Functioning

• Improved Ability to Focus

• Increased Creativity

• Deeper Level of Relaxation

• Improved Perception and Memory

• Development of Intelligence

• Natural Change in Breathing

• Decrease in Stress Hormone

• Lower Blood Pressure

• Reversal of Aging Process

• Reduced Need for Medical Care

• Reduction in Cholesterol

• Increased Self-Actualization

• Increased Strength of Self-Concept

• Decreased Cigarette, Alcohol, and Drug Dependency

• Increased Productivity

• Improved Relations at Work

• Increased Relaxation and Decreased Stress

• Improved Health and More Positive Health Habits

The International Journal of Neuroscience stated that, “Those practicing

meditation for more than five years were physiologically 12 years younger

than their chronological age, measured by reduction of blood pressure, better

near-point vision, and auditory discrimination. Short-term meditators were

physiologically five years younger than their chronological age.”

Introducing a daily meditation practice is very effective and can be taught to

everyone regardless of any belief system or religion. It is smart thinking.

Michael Smith T: 01908412794 M:07919386149 The Meditation workshop www.healthalliance.co.uk Reference material: British Medical Journal 332 (January, 2006) Journal of the American Medical Association 277 (1997) The Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation, Institute of Noetic Sciences (1997) International Journal of Neuroscience 16 (1982) Contact: Michael Smith Email: Michael@healthalliance.co.uk