Contemplate the dying process and our shared mortality to gain perspective and find peace, as it helps in letting go of life’s stories and fears, putting you in touch with an unshakable reality.
Strive to align your profession with your personal practice, such as meditation, to create a livelihood that is in harmony with your spiritual or ethical values.
Recognize that suffering is a democratic experience, transcending wealth or location, as understanding this can foster empathy and put your own challenges into perspective.
Engage in meditation to reduce stress, which directly benefits your physical health by counteracting the negative bodily effects of anxiety, overwork, and poor self-care.
Practice meditation to increase your general and situational awareness, which can help you be less stuck in your head, more attuned to your surroundings, and able to put down irritation in fast-paced or challenging environments.
Utilize meditation to manage anxiety and intense situations, as it can help you chill out, slow down, and even out your emotional responses, enabling you to act effectively amidst crisis.
Approach interactions by understanding and acknowledging people’s current state and experiences, which helps build relationships and allows them to feel safe enough to be vulnerable.
When facilitating groups or discussions, intentionally create an environment where individuals feel safe to express emotions and vulnerabilities, and allow for an ‘on-ramp’ period before they return to demanding roles.
Engage in meditation by using your breath or a mantra to stabilize the mind, then objectively watch thoughts and emotions come and go without getting caught up in them, aiming to rest naturally in awareness.
Integrate visualization practices, such as visualizing a Buddha or reciting a mantra to focus the mind, with non-conceptual meditation that focuses on maintaining objective awareness of thoughts and emotions.
Recite a mantra silently in your head, and when you notice your awareness has drifted, gently bring it back to the mantra and the present moment.
When introducing meditation to those who are hesitant, frame it in relatable terms like finding peace or rest, suggest trying it for a short duration (e.g., two minutes), and enlist allies by connecting it to concepts like focus in warrior cultures or sports figures.
Periodically re-evaluate deeply held identities or self-perceptions, especially when they might hinder your ability to benefit others or adapt to new roles, recognizing that external appearances may not define your purpose.
Recognize that the mind is constantly changing, meaning that agitation and difficult thoughts are impermanent, and this inherent change creates space for new experiences and perspectives.
Take short moments to intentionally settle your mind, similar to how a workman rests after a hard day, allowing thoughts and agitation to exhaust themselves naturally without forceful repression.
Incorporate very short meditation breaks, even just one minute, into your daily routine to touch moments of stillness and awareness without requiring extended periods of practice.
Adopt a mindset for meditation that is less about willful ‘doing’ and more about relaxing into an experience, similar to how a painter approaches their canvas, fostering creativity and ease.
Engage with Eastern philosophical and spiritual traditions by exploring their art, as this can provide a natural and comforting entry point for understanding complex concepts.