As I sat there analyzing a raisin, I thought to myself, “What have I gotten myself into?”
I was instructed to hold the raisin. Scrutinize it. Roll it around in my fingers. Put it between my lips. And then, finally, chew it.
Who told me to do this? A renowned meditation guru named Cory Muscara who my company brought in to enlighten us on the art of “mindfulness.”
Mindfulness is basically about quieting your mind so you can be in the present. All of our brains are racing with so many thoughts, mostly concerning the past or the future, that we find it hard to focus on the present. For example, when you’re in the shower in the morning, you’re really not in the shower. You’re preoccupied with what you have to do that day: the PowerPoint presentation for your boss, picking up an anniversary gift for your spouse, going to your kids’ basketball practice. Before you know it, you’re out of the shower and don’t even remember washing your hair. All of that leads to an incredible amount of stress, which is unhealthy for us.
So Muscara taught us how to meditate. Just five minutes of closing our eyes, clearing our minds and focusing on breathing. Hey, look at that, I’m breathing. I’m happy to be alive. I’m confirming I’m alive. If an irritating thought enters your mind, he said, don’t get annoyed; just consider it a passing cloud and let it go by.
I entered the workshop a skeptic and am still a bit skeptical. But I try meditating now a couple times a week, and it really is relaxing to give yourself that peace for just a few minutes. With how stressful the collision world is, you and your employees might want to try it yourselves.
