Practice what you preach: mindfulness is a topic that invites you to try it out for yourself—and preferably as a team, in this case the Lampert Team. The challenge: to bring our focus back to the present moment time and again over the course of two weeks and to try out mindfulness practices. Eight motivated participants signed up.
The first thing we encountered when we arrived at the office that morning was a “mindful” email that teased the day’s mindfulness theme, with questions and suggestions designed to guide us throughout the day, such as:
Make a point of taking the time to prepare your meal today. Really try just to eat. Neither talk nor think. Don’t judge the taste. Simply observe the sensations and feelings that arise while you eat.”
Or:
Pay attention to the people you meet today. Who do you encounter? What kind of interactions take place? How do you perceive the people you meet? What can you discover in their faces and eyes?
Conscious breathing, drinking, communicating, experiencing nature, and so on were also incorporated into the program.
“I made myself a wrap—simple, with just a few ingredients—because I like to really taste each component. I was delighted by the fresh arugula from the terrace and the creamy spread; I let the cheese melt slowly, and the aroma made my mouth water. And then the spicy sauce! I focused on every bite, took a big mouthful, and ate with passion. The wrap tasted so rich and delicious. I was completely full and satisfied afterward.” (Quote from a participant)
In addition, a guided program was put together based on what all the “guinea pigs” had always wanted to try. Parts of it were drawn from Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program. But there were also introductions to qigong, forest bathing based on the Japanese tradition of “shinrin-yoku,” yoga, zazen meditation, and much more.
The exercises were led either by someone from the group or by professional mindfulness practitioners (via video).
Many have clearly become fans of the body scan. After Jon Kabat-Zinn’s half-hour “body scan” meditation, some felt so deeply relaxed that they felt like purring like a cat, overwhelmed by a sense of well-being and lightness. Others noted that it helped them sleep wonderfully afterward. Still others found it “a bit long-winded after all.”
The “Shinrin Yoku” forest bathing experience sparked some major “aha” moments. The team’s conclusion: Keep it up, go deeper, and make it a regular part of our routine. Only one participant had her dog run off during the forest bathing session—because he was so relaxed that he spotted a squirrel and went to investigate. This briefly put a damper on the relaxing effect. The dog turned up again, and the squirrel was fine. Her conclusion: She’d love to go forest bathing again…but preferably without her four-legged friend.
Of course, yoga was a must. Even seasoned and experienced yogis found that it’s worth trying something new—such as working with different teachers—and broadening their horizons in yoga.
Japanese zazen meditation was particularly well-received by participants who find it difficult not to get caught up in their own thoughts while meditating. In our case, it was a 24-minute seated singing bowl meditation. With each gentle strike of the bowl, you can shake off the thoughts that try to distract you during meditation.
“Wonderful! I usually have trouble getting into a long meditation, but the sounds made it so easy. They fill your mind so completely that you can’t focus on anything else. I’m thrilled!”
(Quote from a participant)
Two weeks are just two weeks. What comes after is what will be exciting. Just like with a diet, it’s not about short-term success. It’s about changing your mindset and the lifelong growth that comes with it. Through this experiment, all the participants learned how difficult it is to be consistently mindful, but also how rewarding it can be.
Hardly anyone took part in all the activities, but that wasn't the goal anyway. We had the experiences that were important to us and feasible. We've made a start.
We’ve caught a glimpse of a way of life that holds great promise for us. We’ve gotten a taste of what it feels like not to constantly lose focus, to open ourselves up without immediately judging or evaluating. And through that, to experience everything more intensely: colors, food, encounters, conversations… We all definitely want more of it!
To wrap up our experiment, we created a checklist to help us stay focused on the goal of mindfulness:
Body Scan Meditation (30 min, Jon Kabat-Zinn)
Breathing Space (3 min, Jon Kabat-Zinn)
Forest Bathing Explainer Video (5 min)
Zazen Meditation (25 min)
Qi Gong (40 min, Shaolin monk)