Meditation Reflection

When we think about mindfulness, we often associate it with meditation. Meditation has been around for thousands of years and has become increasingly popular in modern life.

In my view, one of the most effective ways to improve the culture of a corporation is meditation and mindfulness training.

My passion for bringing meditation to the workplace comes from years working in a law firm and witnessing the negative effects of stress and anxiety on everyday working life, from people being unable to control their emotions—resulting in outbursts of anger and frustration at coworkers—to a dependency on alcohol or drugs as a crutch to wind down.

Centred Meditation

Nikki and Kevin Jankelowitz recently opened Centred Meditation, the hugely successful

We were amazed by the profound effects that immediately started to unfold,” Nikki explained. When she started meditating, she was working a job with long hours and was under a lot of pressure. Although everything looked good from the outside, she was constantly anxious and even suffered from night terrors.

“Nikki had been quietly whispering about meditation in my ear for a year and a half before I actually listened. I finally surrendered and undertook a meditation course. Within two weeks, that feeling in my chest dissipated, and I could finally breathe freely again. My nightmares disappeared, I felt clearer and calmer, and my hurdles just didn’t seem as high anymore,” Kevin explains.

“There is so much focus on the gym and on the food we eat, but when it comes to our brain and our mind—the most powerful organs inside of us—we don’t attach the same level of attention,” Nikki

As Nikki and Kevin point out,

Our demands and external pressure inputs are only potential stressors. It is the cognitive processes which occur in our brain and the subsequent physiological response of our body that determine whether we actually experience these inputs as stress. With cognitive restructuring such as mindfulness practice, we can train our brains not to perceive these pressure inputs as threats, and with regular physiological de-excitation [such as meditation], we can train our bodies not to immediately default into fight-or-flight mode.

What actually happens during meditation?

During meditation, the body triggers a physiological response called the relaxation response, named by Dr. Herbert Benson. The relaxation response reduces our stress mode and causes a deep state of relaxation as our parasympathetic nervous system turns on. In this state, a range of physiological reactions begin to occur:

• Breathing slows and becomes deeper

• Heart rate decreases and blood pressure is lowered

• Slow brain waves increase

• Stress hormones are lowered

• Immune system and digestion improve

• Mental clarity, memory, and concentration improve

• Productivity