My secret mission in a Buddhist monastery
After some years of intense yoga practice, I decided to do a yoga teacher training in Nepal. Before leaving, I was asking myself - what will I learn in the Himalayas, surrounded by Buddhist monks and doing yoga all day for a month? - Besides refining my yoga poses, (get deeper in backbends and more stable in headstands) and learning how to control my mind through meditation, I had a secret mission:
To find out how to apply my yoga and meditation learnings into a corporate business environment.
I just got back from Nepal a couple of weeks ago, and by now I collected the following 3 key learnings:
1) take action
2) establish a routine
3) inhale, exhale, think and speak out loud
If you apply these learnings in your day-to-day, I believe you will be happier with your professional and personal life. And you might be contagious and make also others around you to feel or act the same way :)
1# Take action
Some of us imagine yogis and monks hiding in caves and trying to get to the enlightenment far from the rest of the world. However, this is not the case. There is a phrase called “Karma yoga” – whatever you learn on your journey, you should actively look for the opportunity to share with others.
What is the takeaway for us in the world of endless choices (in the supermarket, on the job market, etc.) and information overdose?
i. Explore and find out your interests and passions, for both your professional and personal life
ii. Act to master your profession and your hobbies
iii. Share your knowledge, inspire and coach others
2# Establish a routine - Hard work and consistency pay off
Waking up at 5.00 am, doing meditation and yoga for four hours, having brunch, and continuing with more yoga for the rest of the afternoon with a short tea break… six days a week… I must admit that at the beginning, I was not always feeling energized when my alarm went off. Luckily snoozing was not an option thanks to the serenade of the monks – playing some rock music with all kinds of gongs and trumpets during their sunrise ceremonies.
And what do I do now when back to my “real” world and working days in Zurich? I set my alarm to get up and do my stuff early morning.
How can I regularly make time for extra activities like sports, meditation or reading a book besides my work and other everyday duties?
A daily routine can help us to educate ourselves and to create a need in our mind for meditation and in our body for physical movement on a daily basis. “I am too busy for that” - “I don`t have time.” - “I don`t have the energy.” – Are these answers familiar for all of us? It might take some time and effort. It is hard work, especially until you take action (see 1#) and kick it off. However, the long term effect is priceless.
3# Inhale, exhale, think and speak out loud – the right sequence of acting
Most of us know how it feels to be stressed – our mind is not clear and our emotions dominate us. By the time we realize it, we have headache and we unnecessarily reacted rude or even yelled at someone who didn’t deserve it. In a corporate office environment we have a huge responsibility towards the ones working with us or for us: not acting based on power, hierarchy and pure emotions.
How can meditation and mindfulness exercises help us to become calmer under stress?
i. Take a deep breath before reacting
ii. Stop for a moment, observe yourself and your thoughts/your mind
iii. Act with a clear mind and compassion
“Any time you feel lost, angry, confused, too excited, etc… realize that, it`s just your mind… You are able master your mind and become … become whatever you want but definitely happier!”