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> "If we truly become mindful of our existence then our recurrent anxieties become not just a wave we watch pass through our minds, not something to be mastered

> "If we truly become mindful of our existence then our recurrent anxieties become not just a wave we watch pass through our minds, not something to be mastered in order to be a better servant, but a call to take action in order to be more fully alive." Agreed. The whole point behind meditation and mindfulness is to create a more well rounded spiritual life/existence. Not to ignore the things that cause you distress or pain, but to identify them clearly and untangle issues to figure out how to get past them. My current company offers a whole slew of "wellness programs" - yoga, meditation, running clubs, etc. Great in theory, but they all take place during "lunch break", are limited to 20 mins or so, and charge (albeit, a small fee). None of these, I believe, are to benefit the lives of the employees but to create a sense of "forward thinking" in the company to encourage productivity. Want my stress and anxieties to disappear at work and get me to be more productive? Pay more and ask for less working hours.

maxxxxx 9y ago
Yep. That why I wouldn't teach meditation in a corporate setting. It's just window dressing without any real intent of making people's lives better.
- lazerpants 9y ago
  As the teacher, couldn't you have taught it in a way to make people's lives better?
lazerpants 9y ago
I think your feelings on this will depend mostly on your relationship with your employer. Running programs during lunch makes sense as people have engagements before and after work that would be harder to break than changing lunch plans. Some employers really do want to do things to help employees, and some of them cannot pay more just by waiving a magic wand. Of course, since the employee is usually the one with less power, the employer's motivations can feel perverse, even if they aren't. Regarding mindfulness meditation classes at work, I think it is mostly a good thing, as it's something that can be used outside of the office just as well as in the office. However, I don't think it's okay to require employees to take such classes.
monster_group 9y ago
Most wellness programs at work have to do with lowering medical insurance costs. Health insurance companies give discounts to the employer if they run these programs and enroll employees into them.

maxxxxx 9y ago

Yep. That why I wouldn't teach meditation in a corporate setting. It's just window dressing without any real intent of making people's lives better.

lazerpants 9y ago
As the teacher, couldn't you have taught it in a way to make people's lives better?

lazerpants 9y ago

I think your feelings on this will depend mostly on your relationship with your employer. Running programs during lunch makes sense as people have engagements before and after work that would be harder to break than changing lunch plans. Some employers really do want to do things to help employees, and some of them cannot pay more just by waiving a magic wand. Of course, since the employee is usually the one with less power, the employer's motivations can feel perverse, even if they aren't. Regarding mindfulness meditation classes at work, I think it is mostly a good thing, as it's something that can be used outside of the office just as well as in the office. However, I don't think it's okay to require employees to take such classes.

monster_group 9y ago

Most wellness programs at work have to do with lowering medical insurance costs. Health insurance companies give discounts to the employer if they run these programs and enroll employees into them.