I'm an international entrepreneur and executive coach using my breath to meditate. Meditation is a skill that supercharges my success in business and life. What you are about to read is how the practice changed my life.
My practice started back in Hong Kong in December 2012. That year, I traveled extensively for business. For more than 150 days, I was running away from guilty feelings after a breakup. I spent my weekends washing away the guilt with alcohol. I soon had to change my way of living.
I was returning to Hong Kong Central after a business trip to Shanghai when the train suddenly started spinning. What exactly happened back then, I don't know. I only knew that traveling again the following week would not have been possible. I spent more than a month riding the waves of a never-ending surge of emotions washing away my energy and ability to focus. I needed help to pull myself back on dry land.
The teachings of Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, became my lifejacket. It was my first experience sitting down on a cushion on the floor and observing my experience. Initially, I would only manage 5 minutes before I had to get up and move. My mind buzzed like a bee's nest, and my hip screamed in pain from sitting on the floor.
My breakthrough came several months later. For the 100th time, I tried to meditate with the usual swarm of thoughts buzzing around like angry bees. Suddenly, as a Zen Master hit me over the head with a stick, I blurted out: "Who is watching all these bees buzzing around?". In that instant, I went from being in the middle of a bee's nest to standing at a safe distance, observing what was happening. From that moment on, my life changed.
I could be a neutral observer in situations where thoughts and feelings would have usually crippled my decision-making. Using my breath was like having a coach at my side, guiding and helping me react better.
Connecting to my breath was my ticket back to the here and now. The here and now is almost always the better place to be. It's much better than traveling down the lane of past regrets or being pulled away by the rough waters of a scary future. In the here and now, I could deal with situations in business or life with clarity and strength. I equate this practice to sticking to a healthy diet.
I had several years of constant practice after getting my mini-enlightenment. Then, a scary thing happened. I convinced myself that I no longer needed to practice. A bit like saying: "I reached my fitness goal, so now I stop working out and go back to eating junk food." You can guess what happened next.
After a couple of years with little practice, I regained so much emotional stress that I landed in burnout/depression. This time, it was like a tsunami raging for months, forcing me to stop most activities. I returned to my practice of meditating using my breath and managed to rebuild a rock-solid foundation where I successfully could work with coaches and therapists to heal the scars of life. During this time, I learned the power of practicing with others.
Two years ago, I joined an online course about Buddhism for everyday life (Plum Village). We are:
A small group that meets online twice a month.
Spending an hour together.
Sharing what's on our minds.
Simply breathing.
We have built a strong vessel that has taken us safely through stormy waters.
I want to invite you to experience the legal high-performance drug of meditation and breathing. It is for business leaders. We meet online on the last Thursday of the month at CET 19:00. Join when you can. Previous experience is optional. Your investment is your time.
Your next step is to message, and I will get back to you with the details.
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