Leadership + Meditation

Are you working in a company where leaders recognize the value of daily meditation practice?

Probably not.

I believe in a company culture where leaders encourage meditating to better manage stress. Studies prove that emotionally and socially intelligent leaders who frequently meditate stay calm under pressure and make better decisions.

Tonight, I am going to the Shambhala Meditation Center in Brookline. While I am fastidious about my yoga practice, I am less devout about the practice of meditation but I have been reading about the importance of mindfulness meditation, specifically in leadership positions.

Tonight, newcomers and seasoned practitioners alike will gather for group sitting or meditation instruction, followed by a lecture and discussion with special guest Tenzin Priyadarshi.

Meditation's benefits are attained by exercising unseen "leadership muscles" as you sit still. You can then exert these muscles at work and in all aspects of your life to make a lasting contribution to your world.

These skills develop with practice and can then be applied with a natural ease and familiarity. Leading others is no small task, requiring a poised, courageous, down-to-earth acknowledgment of reality. Unfortunately, many leaders hang onto delusions of control and prefer the status quo, unwilling to face the risk of being uncomfortable or fearful.

When you slow down, you gain a realistic picture of what's going on instead of speeding through your day-or worse, speeding through your life. Meditation and mindfulness are invitations to become more fully human. In everyday leadership, they confer the power to have a real impact on your organization.

My hope is to apply what I learn tonight to my yoga practice, graduate work, internship and personal realtionships and make clearer, cleaner choices.

Green Living Initiatives for the Environment: Make a Pledge

Renowned writer and environmentalist Wendell Berry once wrote: "The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope."

Through my own actions that model green living, practicing sustainability as a core values, and considering the impact of my actions I am trying to best to serve as a steward of our unique and irreplaceable Earth and everyone who inhabits it.

By advocating for fairness in the treatment of all living things, making decisions for the common good and our environment, I endeavor to do my part: recognize the importance of green living; choosing conservation and sustainability efforts including: buying wind-generated electricity; generating solar power; using green cleaning products and methods; recycling whatever we can (from paper to printers); replacing many of the toilets and light bulbs with green living in mind; and using our buying power to support local and organic farms and producers.

Small steps towards a greener planet.

Photo: At the Forest Hills Lantern Festival Summer 2009

Environmental dilemmas with broader sensibility in mind

I plunge from a Sun Salutation into my first Downward Facing Dog of the day. I am in my living room practicing yoga, taking a break from emailing, hoping to quiet my mind and find some inner sanctum.

Research shows that mindfulness practice enhances concentration, attention, emotional balance, physical well-being, and openness to learning. Institutions including schools, universities and corporations have embraced mindfulness as a valuable practice. Kids in elementary schools across the country practice mindful meditation- they close their eyes and focus on their breathing for five minutes per day. Work places offer relaxation classes during lunch and wellness programs for employees. Universities, like Lesley, are opening yoga studios for their students.

Environmental challenges call into question not simply our technological, economic, and political capabilities, but also our fundamental understandings of who we are as a species and how we fit into the world. In terms of environmental leadership, I believe that the health of our planet and our personal health should not be segregated. Being an environmental leader is greater than simply possessing knowledge in ecology, biology and sustainability. A successful environmental leader is equally about taking care of your body in a holistic and mindful way. Conversations about artistic exercises and contemplative practice are as important as addressing environmental dilemmas.

My yoga practice brings peace, harmony and stability to myself. My yoga practice brings peace, harmony and stability to the earth. My yoga practice makes me a better urban/environmental/leader. Namaste.