The very public apology from Tiger Woods for his marital wavering caught the world in a whiz of water cooler conversation as the televised statement blasted through the media. Along with words of redemption came a contemplative toned message about how he had strayed from his governing belief system of Buddhism:

“Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught.”

As Buddhism is associated with meditation and is in fact a cornerstone of the practice, the internet was flooded with articles about the benefits of meditation over the last few weeks. (Check out this NY Daily News article) Throughout Woods’ career, his belief system wasn’t a huge target of interest. But it did make us wonder if the focused behavior that made him a superstar in his “workplace” of the golf course, was somehow thanks to the discipline of his personal practice and beliefs on and off the course – which likely included some sort of meditative exercise.

Your Brain on Meditation

Recent studies on the effects of meditation on the body and brain have been trickling into the webisphere as has commentary on the use of meditation at work and in business. The Mayo Clinic, University of Pennsylvania and the University of Wisconsin are all involved in such research. In this weeks WorkLife Nation webisode, we take a look at the science and impact of “meditation on the brain” with Andrew Newberg M.D., author of How God Changes your Brain.

Work/Life News This Week

This topic is getting much airplay as we begin a busy month of work life news. This week, the American Psychological Association holds its Psychologically Healthy Workplace Conference in Washington D.C. (I’ll be speaking on a panel discussion on work life issues) You can catch conference highlights by following #phwc or @PHWP_online.

Also, March is Women’s History Month which kicks off with numerous conferences and lobbying efforts to boost the voice and stature of women in the workplace and business. Head to the site of the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation for information on Policy & Action Day which is Tuesday, March 2nd. The group will be on Capitol Hill, addressing concerns that impact women and families such as healthcare, workplace practices, paid family leave, and equal pay. You can follow their progress this week at @womenmisbehavin.

Delight streamed through my veins when I opened the business section of the Sunday New York Times. It wasn't the raging economic debate over monetary policy, but the fact that Edwin Catmull, who heads up Pixar Animation studios and Walt Disney Animation had taken a stab at meditation.

Writer Dan Fost reported that Catmull had taken a retreat at the Shambhala Mountain Center in northern Colorado. 

"When things are intense and there's a lot at stake, I have no trouble focusing. But when they're not intense, my brain starts popping off in all sorts of places," said Catmull in the article.

Fost wrote that Catmull is, "…painted as the left-brain businessman and technologist who runs Pixar's nuts and bolts."

When we speak of the left-brain approach, it's generally thought of as the more logical, sequential, and academic way of being, especially in the workplace. The right brain is associated with a more random intuitive mode of thinking.

Catmull is credited with the commercial success of Pixar, which would indicate he's good at the detailed financial and organizational structure of running an entertainment business in a time of distress and digital take overs. Those are arguably left-brain activities. But if you look at the design of an animation company, there is an enormous amount of creativity involved. It's difficult to say his drive is determined by left-or-right brain tendencies.

Still, it's not surprising that Catmull would venture into the exploration of his other half - as he successfully continues to create in the world of imagination.

My dreams of my secret peaceful work/life refuge were shattered on Friday during rush hour. I approached the line of cars in front of me which were waiting like ants to get to the top of the hill, but instead to cross the Throgs Neck Bridge. The passengers in the cars in front of me were preparing to fork over five bucks and it was an especially long ling. That excited me. Odd – right? Not for me. Even though I was exhausted and approaching burnout. This was an opportunity.

Being a part of the streaming cars – while an exercise in patience – is generally a peaceful experience because I choose to make it one. It was a beautiful sunny day on Friday. I could smell the water, the cool breeze of spring was trying to make an appearance. I make it a habit to count my breaths, because waiting on that line can be darn annoying. It stops the moment of traffic chaos and reminds to get to the stillness within, instead of concentrating on the chaos outside of me.

Generally, I let people in front of me, ignore the honking horns, and engage in some deep breathing to prepare myself for the traffic on the other side of the bridge heading into Long Island to work. I take the high road and smile at all the drivers who are enraged on the line as they head into the workplace.

Closer and closer I came to the booth and with that I entered deeper and deeper into an aware relaxed state of mind. I was successfully practicing my worklife balance technique of not buying into commuter chaos. Then the unthinkable happened. Right before the car in front of me was to pass – the toll booth collectors changed shifts.

I remained undaunted. My "enlightened" state of mind was still in the peaceful zone. I watched, car by car, the lines in the other lanes move along smoothly. "Just breath," I repeated to myself. I’m not sure what happened, but I suddenly decided that they were doing this just to get me riled up. All that peaceful meditation went out the window – albeit momentarily.

"Come on," I said to myself. Then out loud I exclaimed, "You have got to be kidding me!" Enlightenment was taken like a rug from beneath my feet. I was running just a tad late and it threw me off. Actually, I let it happen. What happened next made me squirm in my seat.

The person in front of me finally paid, but he forgot his change, so he stopped just on the other side of the booth. Suddenly, the lane went into lock down. The police stopped the traffic in the lane; I had not even made it under the awning of the booth. I had no where to go. Toll booth interruptus again. The officer in the booth put his hand up, told me to "Just stay put!" and the driver of the car in front of me slowly emerged from his car. With a soft limp, he slowly made his way back to the booth to collect his change. He looked right at me and smiled an apology. I began to soften, feeling sad for the older gentleman who was clearly challenged. And then it was my turn to pay.

The toll booth officer was completely calm. He looked at me as I handed him a five spot, "Everyone is in such a hurry, people need to slow down!" I nodded, thinking, "No, people, including myself, need to take a breath."

You know times are tough in the sensory overload department when New York Times Food Writer Mark Bittman departs from his culinary ways to write about his experience of a "virtual break" from all the techno-stuff that weighs most of us down in our workplace or career.

He chronicled his disconnected-ness for 24-hours and his foray into what he terms as a "secular Sabbath." "No screens, bells or beeps," he eloquently writes. "Something as simple as turning off the electronics is easy, but try to make a habit of it."

Ahh – that is the question. Unless we have some form of calming the "monkey-mind" associated with ruminating over what we might be missing by ignoring the beep of the Black Berry, than you’ll either revert to former behavior – or remain in an unrelaxed state. Here’s the passage that was the most telling:

"I tried to allow myself to be less purposeful, not to care what was piling up in my personal cyberspace, and not to think about how busy I was going to be the next morning. I cooked, then went to bed, and read some more. GRADUALLY, over this and the next couple of weekends — one of which stretched from Friday night until Monday morning, like the old days — I adapted."

Why and how did Bittman adapt? It certainly wasn’t what he refers to as a "zen sit," (he doesn’t appear fond of that style of meditation) but instead he tapped into his inner voice or passion, (although he wouldn’t call it that either) and found what resonates with the calming of his being (my words again). Apparently, it’s reading and cooking.

We get so caught up in how others tell us to cultivate resilience and stillness, that we often don’t get quiet enough to listen to our own inner guidance which will inevitably tell us what to do. I am a proponent of meditation, yoga, exercise, knitting etc. to calm the spirit, but I’m a greater proponent of individuals coming up with their own technique.

I often work with clients to, break the mind with the breath. There’s nothing new agey about it. It’s science. Using the breath to calm the body and mind. You’d be surprised how many business people I teach of about the process. It’s only one path to relaxation.

That being said, we must first make the choice to be silent in the first place. Acknowledging, as Bittman did, that it’s time for a drastic change in behavior or head into a spiral of burnout.   

Imagine a moment or two of silence among a few hundred business people. A keynote speaker stands on a podium and says nothing with her voice, but everything with her eyes. She glances amidst the crowd as the silence deepens. For some it’s a breath of fresh air, for others it sends them into unfamiliar territory – the lack of sensory overload. It can be an uncomfortable place for some to be. I did this silence exercise at a conference last week, and the impact was amazing.

Mostly, the reaction was pure shock that the silence manifested with so many people in the room. But it happened because somewhere, people needed it to happen. But there were faces in the crowd that took on a look of discomfort. What would happen next? Will she start speaking? How long do I have to be quiet? I have laundry to do. I need to change my career. I hate my workplace………You get the picture. Monkeymind took a hold in some cases, but overall it was a positive experience, unlike the roller coaster ride in the markets this week.

It’s been a heck of a week for the DOW, or anyone who either works in the financial or housing sector, let alone those who own a home. The taunting rattling coming at us in the media reminds us of how uncertain our world is. The lack of direction in the markets is unsettling and I wonder how people are coping. Are they even looking for that silence that will stop the moment?

What’s really scary is that unless we make the time to stop and reflect a bit, burnout is right around the corner. I’m all for exercise and meditation. But we have to make the choice -  to make the time -  even if it happens by less than conventional means. As a woman said to me at this conference  last week, "The only time I have is about 15 minutes in the morning. I have to lock myself in the bathroom for my alone time."

It’s no joke for her. She does it because it works. We have to start training our minds to be more comfortable with silence, or we will keep filling it with infomania because it’s famliar.

What works for you? What brings you into the depth of silence?

Using Meditation as a Tool for Success

It’s no secret that alone-time might yield a more productive worklife. When you make time to recharge, you are bound to have more energy and clarity in your workday. I post a lot about meditation on this blog and the topic has taken more of a foothold recently in some mainstream boardrooms, and certainly in the media.

A time few days ago CNN and Fortune featured the practical benefits of meditation in a segment called Mind Over Business. To the left is a very good friend of mine, Jaya Devi who runs Kashi Atlanta, voted the No.1 yoga studio in Atlanta. She was interviewed for the segment as she’s been teaching the art in its various forms for well over 15 years.

TV is designed for our soundbite nation, so I wanted to offer a little more info on the topic which many are turning to in an effort to bring a little worklife balance into the workplace.

According to Jaya Devi, about half of her classes which offer yoga and meditation are filled with those in the professional set who work in a typical business office environment. Meditating is not just for those who have a spiritual practice. In fact, most courses that are given in the corporate arena tend to take a more secular approach. Here are links to two of my recent posts on the topic:

Taking an Office Break to Meditate

Exploring Spirituality in the Workplace

I’d like to hear your thoughts on meditating in the workplace. What works? What doesn’t? Is breathwork a better word for it? Meantime, please check out my CD which features breathing exercises to break the mind and bring about clarity. Click the link for further information.

PRACTICAL CHAOS: Reflections on Resilience

For more information on my work head to JudyMartinSpeaks.com

Ed Mills from Evolving times started a meme that asks, what would you do with an extra 36 hours each week? Pricilla Palmer from Personal Development tagged me on this and I’ve given it a lot of thought. Especially in the wake of all the writing I’ve done recently on conquering sensory overload in a 24/7 world.

For me, it’s less about a list than a way of being. I would take 24-hours of it and use it for complete silence. No news, no music, no cell phone, no Black Berry. It’s from that space of peace that I truly believe we can all attain limitless knowledge and peace. But it’s not something that comes overnight. We need lots of 24-hour periods to cultivate that stillness and creatively percolate. And the intention set during such a period is a crucial part of the process.

When you’re that still for a long period of time it feels as if there is no time. It’s stretched to another level of consciousness and becomes limitless. Have you ever noticed that time seems to fly when you’re at an exciting movie, taking a long day at the beach, or spending time with good friends?

Left to our own devices of silence, there’s this creative spark within that has more breathing room to evolve. It’s an inner impulse that can’t help but come forth. With appropriate intent, I believe you can manifest just about anything. You can also initiate positive change especially in your worklife balance scenario.

Sanaya Roman, author of numerous books on personal and spiritual transformation including Personal Power Through Awareness,  talks about this creative energy from within. She speaks of evolving your inner images:

"The time you spend analyzing yourself from a peaceful state brings your unconscious mind into consciousness; through this process evolution occurs."    – Sanaya Roman

So….that’s the first 24 hours. With the remaining 12 hours I would:

1. Spend more time with my family and friends
2. Finish those books I am writing
3. Teach meditation to more business people in the corporate arena who really need a break
4. Spend more time with my Hospice patients as that is one of the most divine gifts this lifetime.
5. And…. figure out why my ranking on Technorati doesn’t record all those darn links to my blog!

So many in the blogesphere have joined in this conversation, so I’d love to hear from anyone who hasn’t been tagged! What would you do with an extra 36-hours.