There is always the opportunity to bring our meditation practice into every moment of our lives…including the office.

Meditation is a way to work with energies and my practice over the years lets me tap into my surroundings and acknowledge the root of why I do something. Meditation is a path for honing confidence with the unknown and tempornaiveté of society while remaining delightful.

Cheerful humor and celebration are always a possibility.

Meditation practice lightens the pressure of not knowing the answer or admitting I do not have all of the pertinent information to make a decision at a set time. While at the conference room table, I may not say it out loud, at times I definitely hold humor in my thoughts, thinking I do not know the answer right now, let’s disco!

Establishing a meditation practice does not mean that we are always grateful with a pollyanna attitude. I remember one morning on the commuter train to my job on the Hill years ago, a woman flew by me and her leather tote slapped me directly in the face. The humor and the irony, I glanced down and laughed while astonished, the book The Noble Eight Fold Path was lying open on my lap and I was currently reading the chapter titled Right Livelihood.

To this day, I laugh about that cold winter morning with the smell and feel of icy leather lingering on my face.

I could not have been more awake.

Meditation practice also assists with maintaining wakeful and joyful humor in the midst of making mistakes. A large part of the world operates under the assumption that humans do not make mistakes. Meditation practice grounds me when the sh*t hits the fan, it also helps me prepare for when I have to sit and watch the sh*t about to hit the fan in slow motion. I can still manifest a joyful and appreciative attitude even when the circumstances are not in my favor or things go awry; let’s tidy up and start fresh.

But what about the vicissitudes of our office environment, i.e. the temperamental fax machine? While meditation may not directly help send the facsimile there is some delightful humor in having to relate to that situation. Even contemplating the existence of fax machines with the advances in electronics, telecommunications, etc. is outrageous. It makes me think, when do I really listen to the fax machine, dialing the numbers, hearing the archaic busy signal, getting it wrong?

There is only direct feedback especially with this one office machine, it is used so infrequently it is like having to learn a new skill every time. It is a constant reflection of where I am with my mind, how do I work with obstacles, and am I ok with being a beginner? How do I commit to a moment knowing that this machine is on the verge of being obsolete?

Meditation helps me acknowledge the space between the meetings, routine, and the thoughts. Everything is always changing.

Here we are, living in a very temporary situation. Right now, in this moment I have the out breath and what is my decision? With the information that I have right now, which direction will I take? First acknowledging my humanness and basic goodness, I then have to let go to move forward into making a decision about the unknown.

Equally, the situation may call for a side step or to hold space.

In the gap, I am better able to decipher what may be most skillful for this moment, whether I have to face a deadline, make a decision, or click send. Meditation practice illuminates the wisdom of space and business is a constant practice in letting go.

Then realizing I have made the decision, I move on.

Whatever the consequences, aftermath, or new lay of the land, meditation helps me touch the terrain wholeheartedly in any moment and fully accept this new ground. I am capable right now and worthy of existing with this new circumstance. Whatever benefits or repercussions come my way, I am able to successfully ride them because the tools and wisdom lie within me.

So, cue the disco music and lets dance!

 

 

 

 

Author: Jacque Renee

Editor: Renée Picard

Image: Minoru Nitta, Flickr Commons